Anyone who has been stuck at the Wigginton Road/Crichton Avenue traffic lights for ages will know that Matthew Laverack (Letters, June 14) is absolutely right to say a relief road through the Nestle site, open to all traffic, should be an essential requirement of developing the former Cocoa works.

Wigginton Road is often clogged and at rush hour is sometimes almost gridlocked. Imagine what it will be like with the extra traffic that hundreds more houses will bring.

Drivers caught up in the bottleneck outside York Hospital are not there for fun. They are trying to get somewhere. Much of the traffic congestion in York is self-inflicted by ill-considered traffic management that impedes progress rather than allowing vehicles to flow.

It is irresponsible of the council not to be insisting on a public relief route through the former Rowntree site to Haxby Road as a pre-requisite to building on the former Cocoa works. This is a once in a lifetime chance. It won’t come again.

John Jones,

Sand Hutton, York

Don’t hold breath on a Nestle relief road

Regarding Matthew Laverack’s observation that failure to pursue a relief road on the Nestlé site would be unforgivable (Letters, June 14), my observation is: don’t hold your breath.

I started driving taxis in 1986 and yet, in all that time, in my opinion, the council have not done one thing to improve traffic flow anywhere. Conversely, I could fill an encyclopedia with measures they have taken to slow it down!

The congestion and pollution is not caused by traffic, but by traffic mismanagement. As there seems to be no change in the anti-car stance, don’t expect any change in the problem.

Many things could be done, some costly, others cost free, but nothing will change until the council changes its attitude.

D Mcternan, Fossway, York

‘Get traffic moving’ is short-term idea

Matthew Laverack’s letter (June 14) reflected several York Press website comments which support the opening to all traffic of a link road between Wigginton and Haxby roads through the redeveloped part of the Nestlé site.

His assertion of a perceived need to ‘get traffic flowing’ demonstrates precisely the short-term thinking that still pervades the minds of many.

The lessons of history have shown that building extra urban road capacity ultimately encourages more car journeys.

Local politicians are always ready to grab a photo opportunity associated with new roads: the Clifton Green left-hand filter, James Street and Eboracum Way spring to mind. But none have returned to the scene a few years later, to be pictured alongside the bigger jams that have been created.

If local councils tried to ‘let traffic flow’ by catering for every demand, we would have to knock down much of the city centre.

Private car restraint coupled with investment which prioritises other urban travel choices will offer a better future for our descendants.

Let’s keep the car as a good servant, but prevent it from becoming a bad master.

Visit the itravel York website to learn more.

Paul Hepworth,

Windmill Rise, York