A CITY-WIDE cycle hire scheme, overhauls to bike lanes and help for cycling commuters could all be on the way for York if funding decisions are confirmed this week.

The measures are all contained within a highways funding report due to be discussed and rubber-stamped at a meeting tomorrow.

In it, around £4 million is set out to fund roads and highways improvements, and overhauls for public spaces in the city centre.

The money includes £676,000 left in council accounts from unclaimed Lendal Bridge fine refunds. Some £100,000 of that money is earmarked to improve cycling facilities in York, and reports prepared for the key meeting show council bosses want to talk to places like the universities, hospitals and station about a cycle hire scheme.

Councillor Ian Gillies, executive member for transport at the city council, said the idea was still at a very early stage and numerous questions would have to be answered before it could succeed in York.

“We are looking at this, but it needs investigation to see how practical it would be, and how affordable it would be for both providers and users.”

Cllr Gillies said one of the main stumbling blocks could be York’s crowded city centre, and the lack of space for the docking stations or bike racks needed to make it work.

If the current proposals are approved £50,000 will be used to fund development work, and a city council spokesman said staff would be looking at all options, including a London-style scheme with fixed docking stations, or “Uber for bikes” style dockless systems.

Another £50,000 will be used to provide match-funding for cycle parking at businesses, to make it easier for people to get to work on two wheels, while £250,000 is earmarked for pothole repairs on roads, cycleways and footpaths.

The report also reveals that £100,000 of the council’s targeted highways fund has been pledged as match funding for money the highways department is hoping to get from the Department for Transport’s Challenge Fund for cycle way repairs. The report says: “This allocation enabled a more effective bid to be submitted with an anticipated higher potential for success.” If the bid for money does come through, it will pay for repairs on the National Cycle Network Route 65, which runs from Poppleton to the city along the river, and then south past the Knavesmire to Selby.

Other cash allocations in the report include £50,000 to improve the state of paths and roads where fibre broadband installation has left a mess, and £50,000 to pay for “appropriate materials” - natural stone - for repairs in places like Stonegate.