JULIAN STURDY wrote (The Press, November 17) about transport choices for the north. He mentioned those who “have to endure” a daily commute on the A1237.

Perhaps this argument should be reversed. There are simply too many people making car-dependant lifestyle decisions about where to live, work and school their offspring. This breeds an expectation that local authorities have a duty to accommodate whatever level of demand exists, and that traffic must always “flow”.

But councils can never build their way out of congestion. That is why CoYC at Dave Merrett’s instigation has an excellent track record of investing a succession of Whitehall grants in alternative travel choices within the outer ring road.

These include on-road priority for the most efficient users of road space, such as Park & Ride and cycling. If Julian were to peruse York’s iTravel website, he would also see encouragement to car share and to hire cars short term from City Car Club. This has staved off gridlock, and helped those who need to access York by car.

All these measures have helped peak-time road occupancy to plateau in recent years. The prospect of a further 70,000 new residents with their travel needs has been factored into York’s transport plan. I hope Julian will express his support of CoYC, rather than yearn for an unattainable car commuting paradise.

Paul Hepworth, Windmill Rise, York.