by John Gilham, a York resident

When I came to York, in the early 70s, there were plans to build an inner ring road within a few hundred yards of the city walls, destroying property on The Mount, Melbourne Street, St Mary’s, Gillygate, and Clementhorpe, with a multi-storey car-park in the heart of Bishophill, Skeldergate widened and homes demolished. The needs of king car drove planning policy.

Fortunately, far sighted citizen protest, through York 2000, the Bishophill Action Group and others, scotched these destructive proposals. It was then, in the late 70s, that the tide turned against unfettered car access to York city centre.

And despite exactly the same kind of opposition that we hear today directed at the Lendal Bridge scheme, restrictions on car access to the city centre have proceeded step by step. We have foot streets, the closure of Deangate to motorised traffic, stopping up of rat-runs, in conjunction with one of the UK's most comprehensive park and ride systems. 

There were dire warnings that businesses and shoppers would desert the city, that trade would die away, that visitors would stop coming, that lives would be blighted by the inability to drive along Coney Street or past the Minster.

None of these prophecies has come to pass. Who now amongst the many and vociferous objectors to the Lendal Bridge closure would wish a return to unrestricted vehicle access to the pedestrian areas ? Few would claim any adverse effect upon business from these measures – quite the opposite.

Does the recent spate of convenience store openings in the city centre - Morrisons, Tescos and Sainsbury's - indicate a lack of retail confidence in the city centre? I think not.

Perhaps it is rather a recognition that here we have a vibrant place, where people work, rest and play; enjoying restaurants, shops, pubs, cinemas, public spaces, theatres and places of worship. Everything that city living at its best affords.

I have lived in York for 40 years, and have seen each of the measures to reduce motor vehicle access come into use. In each case they have improved the environment for everybody who enjoys the city. Exactly the same is true of the current Lendal Bridge closure. It is now simply a more pleasant place to be during the day, without the lengthy, fume-producing queues of traffic.

The knock-on effect, which seems to be true, of reduced traffic past the station and in Bootham/Gillygate, also improves these areas for pedestrians, cyclists and, importantly, for public transport. And if it works here, why not apply the same approach to other parts of the city that are blighted by traffic?

Park&Ride is another factor which allows consideration of making the closure permanent. P&R is a genuine alternative for day visitors, rather than them driving into town and circling looking for a car park. 

Four of the current Park and Ride routes (as well as many other local buses) stop at or very near the railway station, which is important for locals using public transport for longer journeys outside the city.

I hope that the Lendal Bridge day-time closure will be made permanent. The tide that turned against unrestricted car use back in the 70s is flowing strong.  City authorities across Europe, and even in the USA, have come to recognise that cities are a shared experience  in which public space is a valuable resource.

Pedestrianisation, cycling and public transport is the best way to optimise this space because it favours collective needs over those of the individual. Cities were made for people by people, not for cars.