Developing the letter “Pedestrians lost” from Mrs Y Holmes (December 27) could I suggest that the City of York Council could sponsor a competition, open to all York-based motorists while they are crawling along the York ring road between the Haxby and Wigginton Road roundabouts.

It could be called “Spot the cyclist using the new cycling super highway”.

If you can spot say five (or maybe even one) cyclist in a month, you can win much-needed repairs to the road or footpath outside your house (to the same standard as the cycle path, of course).

They might even throw in part of the hedge that was ripped out, along with its wildlife, or provide you with a new fence similar to the one that has been erected.

Stephen Newton, Old Orchard, Haxby, York.


• Mrs Holmes of Haxby commented (letters December 27) upon the lack of pedestrian facilities on the Clifton Moor Estate. She also criticised the Council’s present expenditure of “£1million” upon a cycle lane on which she has yet to see a single cyclist.

When Clifton Moor was developed, the area was administered mainly by Ryedale District Council.

They permitted the car-friendly development, which has unfortunately generated high numbers of short-distance local car trips to retail and employment destinations.

The area was subsequently taken over by City of York Council when it became a unitary authority. Since then, York has striven to graft better pedestrian and cycle facilities onto Clifton Moor’s local roads, as well as helping to create better bus access.

This was boosted by a successful bid to the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which is bringing a further £4.6m of spend to York’s northern quadrant, including Clifton Moor.

This grant is also paying for the new pedestrian and cycle path alongside the A1237.

It will mitigate the severance effect of that road upon sustainable travel, and open up new opportunities for local walking and cycling. I Its completion requires a new bridge span across the York to Scarborough railway, and the route will open in 2014. That explains why your correspondent has yet to see a cyclist using it.

Paul Hepworth, Windmill Rise, York.