THE general reaction to the completion of the A19-A1237 Rawcliffe roundabout improvement works has been that they are an improvement. A reaction I believe due to a misunderstanding of why they were undertaken.

The scheme was designed to improve access to the Rawcliffe Bar park and ride site, not to increase the traffic capacity of the northern ring road.

The traffic congestion affecting the ring road and crossing highways such as the A19 and A59 is due to the roads being single carriageway. A relief from congestion on the northern ring road would require it becoming a dual carriageway and not from schemes involving enlarging the many roundabouts.

If the many proposed development schemes for York go ahead then motorists may yet come to the view that the current situation was bliss.

Richard Lamb,

Greystoke Road,

Rawcliffe, York.

Updated: 10:46 Monday, March 04, 2002