£600k plan for new bus lanes into York

7:55am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

Coun Dave Merrett Coun Dave Merrett

A £600,000 scheme to improve bus links into York is expected to be approved today.

City of York Council wants to install priority measures for bus services along three sections of the A59 as part of its £22 million Access York project to ease congestion.

Proposals for the second and third phases of the bus lanes and other work, which will tie in with the construction of a new Park&Ride site at Poppleton Bar, were sent out to public consultation last month.

Cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability, Coun Dave Merrett , will be asked to approve the revised plans today. The first phase, covering the section of road between Plantation Drive and Princess Drive, has already been approved.

The second phase will cover the stretch of the A59 between Carr Lane and Water End. A report by Access York assistant project manager Matt Rudman said North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, whose Acomb station lies within this area, had raised concerns about the possibility of congestion caused by the move affecting their response times in emergencies.

Extra “keep-clear” markings have been proposed outside the station’s exit and warning lights may also be installed nearby, while transport officers have also removing pedestrian crossings to improve a cycle route in the area, as suggested by York Cycle Touring Club, should not happen.

Residents who took part in the consultation on the third section of the scheme, between Holgate Park Drive and Acomb Road, said they were worried the new bus lanes would lead to commuters parking in their streets, with Mr Rudman’s report saying the council had held talks with local businesses on the issue and steps would be taken to deal with it. It also said the plans had been altered to address concerns brought up by people living on Tisbury Road and Windmill Rise.

“Successful Park&Ride schemes depend upon a fast, reliable and high-quality bus service,” said the report, adding the bus measures would shave about five minutes off peak-time journeys.

“The works represent the most cost-effective and efficient way of prioritising public transport without introducing long delays for other road users.”

Comments(36)

YorkOwl says...
8:31am Thu 27 Sep 12

Interesting that these measures are part of a project to ease congestion and yet they are having to take extra measures outside the fire station because the fire service are worried that the project will increase congestion not ease it. Also interesting to note the apparent lack of concern by cyclists for pedestrians.

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hugohackenbush says...
9:11am Thu 27 Sep 12

Dave Merrett curiously looking a lot like
Emiliano Zapata in this picture.

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BL2 says...
9:23am Thu 27 Sep 12

Here we go again ... lets create more congestion and ruin some more roads!

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Shouter says...
9:45am Thu 27 Sep 12

The buses never ever use the bus lane at the B&Q traffic lights on the Hull Road. What a waste of space that is! The only ones that do make use of it are cyclists who tend to go through on a red light anyway! Yes the buses do use the bus lane further in, but they all, without exception, use the main carriageway at the traffic lights themselves, not the dedicated bus lane! It is quicker and easier for them to queue with the rest of the traffic than use the separate lane.

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asd says...
10:31am Thu 27 Sep 12

Its bad enough down boroughbridge road even when never ending orad works there too. Now they want to make redundant a lane for buses that come every half hour if your lucky. Welcome to even more congestion and gridlock around poppy rd, boro rd and carr lane. Not thought through as usual.

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meme says...
10:38am Thu 27 Sep 12

where is this money coming from?
are there not more pressing issues to spend on at the moment?
Half the busses are empty half the time!
Bring in lots of small mini busses that can stop anywhere along a route and then deliver what the customer wants then they will be used and then possibly we casn have dedicated routes

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meme says...
10:41am Thu 27 Sep 12

Extra “keep-clear” markings have been proposed outside the station’s exit and warning lights may also be installed nearby, while transport officers have also removing pedestrian crossings to improve a cycle route in the area, as suggested by York Cycle Touring Club, should not happen.

ITS TIME THE PRESS CHECKED THEIR COPY..WHAT ON EARTH DOES THIS MEAN!!

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Ichabod76 says...
10:42am Thu 27 Sep 12

You people know that your not allowed to criticise the council anymore don't you ?

anymore negative comments ad they will all be removed

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Sawday2 says...
11:14am Thu 27 Sep 12

meme wrote:
Extra “keep-clear” markings have been proposed outside the station’s exit and warning lights may also be installed nearby, while transport officers have also removing pedestrian crossings to improve a cycle route in the area, as suggested by York Cycle Touring Club, should not happen.

ITS TIME THE PRESS CHECKED THEIR COPY..WHAT ON EARTH DOES THIS MEAN!!
I think it means that although they don't have the funds to alleviate the flooding they do have £600,000 to provide more cycle lanes at the expense of pedestrian safety - or not as the case may be!

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monkeyhanger says...
11:20am Thu 27 Sep 12

If this money is from central government and is earmarked for transport thats fine.If not should be spent on something important, that benefits council tax payers,not just those who ride buses.

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LibDem says...
11:45am Thu 27 Sep 12

Council only gave 48 hours notice that this item was being added to today's "decision" making meeting agenda.

Rules out any chance of the dozens of local residents who objected to some of the proposals to attend and speak at the meeting.

That may be why Dave is now looking more and more like a Mexican bandit?

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yorkshirelad says...
12:16pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Taking a long term view...more people will use buses if the buses can get through the traffic. So Bus Priority measures are a good idea...obviously for bus passengers but ultimately for the whole city as every bus passenger is potentially one less car creating traffic jams.

There is no long term alternative - unless you want to turn York into Los Angeles?

Everyone should support this...if you rely on your car or van...this will untimately help congestion.

I would have thought the Lib Dems should support this type of thing - no opportunism please!

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couldn't care less says...
1:01pm Thu 27 Sep 12

When will you start to understand that until you stop driving to the corner shop the problem will just keep getting worse.

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Shouter says...
1:05pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Some people live in the countryside without any public transport system. They have to drive in order to get anywhere!

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Oaklands Resident says...
1:48pm Thu 27 Sep 12

It's the way that Labour are taking these decisions that annoys people.

Either they only give a couple of day's notice or they make decisions in private with no notice at all.

According to one local web site, they decided on Tuesday not to fill 40% of the salt bins in the City this winter. How do they square that with trying to encourage people to walk more?

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yorkshirelad says...
2:12pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Shouter wrote:
Some people live in the countryside without any public transport system. They have to drive in order to get anywhere!
Absolutely...and these people, if they had any sense (and experience of how people have tackled congestion very successfully in other places) should support long term anti-congestion measures.

The people who lose ultimately by a lack of investment in public transport/walking/cy
cling...are actually people who have no choice but car use.

If you are a car user (by choice or because you have to) why not support measures that help others who wish to use alternatives...then you may be able to move more freely.

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Even AndyD says...
2:14pm Thu 27 Sep 12

A lot of outrage on here (surprise, surprise) but those living to the west of the city will tell you that at rush hour, there is little point catching a bus into the city-centre because it gets stuck in traffic. Especially on the third section of this model - Poppleton Rd. No point having a Park n Ride if nobody uses it because the buses can't get through!
Yorkshire Lad is right - there is no alternative long term and why are we getting distracted by bins! Come on - disagree with the Council all you like, but lets keep it sane.

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Even AndyD says...
2:34pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Shouter wrote:
The buses never ever use the bus lane at the B&Q traffic lights on the Hull Road. What a waste of space that is! The only ones that do make use of it are cyclists who tend to go through on a red light anyway! Yes the buses do use the bus lane further in, but they all, without exception, use the main carriageway at the traffic lights themselves, not the dedicated bus lane! It is quicker and easier for them to queue with the rest of the traffic than use the separate lane.
What on earth has Hull Rd got to do with Boroughbridge Rd? Different areas with different issues.
Look, let's say I live in Poppleton and want to get to work in York centre by 9am. At the moment, doing it by car or bus is a pain as neither can get through the congestion. If I got off at Poppleton Rd school, I could probably walk it quicker than a bus during rush hour.
So what does a bus lane do? Well, it might slow cars even more, granted. But your person in Poppleton, or Beckfield Lane, or Ouseburn Ave or Grantham Dr will now think - whooopee - bus will have me straight in. Will use that! And no parking charges either.
Result - less traffic, less congestion - less of a problem. Surely?
I do live in Poppleton and frankly, when I heard about the new Park n Ride, my first thought was, nobody will use that during rush hour because the bus journey is too slow at busy times. Train - yes - that works a treat. But it has to be one of the slowest bus routes in York at peak times going in. Now it makes (a bit) more sense.

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MarkyMarkMark says...
3:14pm Thu 27 Sep 12

@shouter, yes, hopefully they'll drive as far as the P&R on their side of the city, and then get on the bus like good citizens. (Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.)

Fat chance.

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Shouter says...
3:25pm Thu 27 Sep 12

MarkyMarkMark wrote:
@shouter, yes, hopefully they'll drive as far as the P&R on their side of the city, and then get on the bus like good citizens. (Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.) Fat chance.
Yes I quite agree. But when the park and ride doesn't go anywhere near where they work, that is the problem.

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Shouter says...
3:27pm Thu 27 Sep 12

MarkyMarkMark wrote:
@shouter, yes, hopefully they'll drive as far as the P&R on their side of the city, and then get on the bus like good citizens. (Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.) Fat chance.
Yes I quite agree. But when the park and ride doesn't go anywhere near where they work or need to get to, that is the problem.

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Shouter says...
3:27pm Thu 27 Sep 12

MarkyMarkMark wrote:
@shouter, yes, hopefully they'll drive as far as the P&R on their side of the city, and then get on the bus like good citizens. (Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.) Fat chance.
Yes I quite agree. But when the park and ride doesn't go anywhere near where they work or need to get to, that is the problem.

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hugohackenbush says...
8:30pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Viva Zapata

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NoNewsIsGoodNews says...
8:30pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Good day to bury bad news.

Half way down the page under all the flooding stories.

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pedalling paul says...
10:17pm Thu 27 Sep 12

I read that the item has been brought forward as an urgent matter, so that programmed resurfacing can be harmonised with the changes brought by the bus lanes. So two birds with one stone and a more efficient use of financial resources.
The Hull Road bus gate lights have legal cyclist exemptions. Try some sign spotting.

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yorkshirelad says...
11:04pm Thu 27 Sep 12

And there are several other sets of lights in York which legally do not apply to the cycle lane. Eg there's one on The Mount /Blossom Street. It doesn't stop 'law abiding motorists' lecturing as the above example so hilariously shows.

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Magicman! says...
2:23am Fri 28 Sep 12

yorkshirelad wrote:
And there are several other sets of lights in York which legally do not apply to the cycle lane. Eg there's one on The Mount /Blossom Street. It doesn't stop 'law abiding motorists' lecturing as the above example so hilariously shows.
Yes... the Hull Road ones have a cycle exemption filter (green aspect) showing which allows cycles to cross the stop line. Holgate road has a sign on the first set of lights in addition to no stop line on the cycle lane therefore allowing cycles to proceed to the next set of lights. on the combined bus/cycle lane on The Mount the cycle lane has no stop line and so the red light does not apply to cycles in the cycle lane (technically it does apply to cycles not in the cycle lane), and I think a sign has been added too. Monk Bar 1st set (behind the walls) has no stop line on the cycle lane so cycles in the cycle lane can legally progress to the stop line at the junction with St Maurices Road. At the junction with Hull ROad and Osbaldwick Link Road, cycles use the bus lane but at the traffic lights there is a seperate cycle lane in the bushes which has the stop line removed so cycles can continue, but it is very overgrown and so barely useable. Those are the ones I know of.

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goatman says...
8:41am Fri 28 Sep 12

York loses out by not having a central bus station. If one of these was built it could be used as a bus 'hub' where buses could come in, drop passengers, and go back out again instead of having cross-town services as at present.I believe this would result in more reliable services and give passengers more flexibility as to their onward destinations. Money better spent than on a 'bus lane', methinks.

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sheps lad says...
11:19am Fri 28 Sep 12

Just got backfrom Gumbet in Turkey. They have dozens of Dolmus,mini bus style, carry about 20 passengers and run all over the town and local areas.They also run very late into the night. Might be an idea for some First executives to go and have look!

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Shouter says...
2:43pm Fri 28 Sep 12

More people would use the buses if they weren't so expensive and unreliable.

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tommytuckamotor says...
9:06am Sat 29 Sep 12

"I think it means that although they don't have the funds to alleviate the flooding they do have £600,000 to provide more cycle lanes at the expense of pedestrian safety - or not as the case may be!"

They will always spend the money on whatever THEY want, we will get to have our say but that's as far as it goes. I don't think I've ever seen the roads in such a bad state of repair, a cycle lane is no good full of pot-holes but its ok as long as we have pedestrian safety. Paint another sign / white line on that road that'll sort it all out :D

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Even AndyD says...
12:53pm Sat 29 Sep 12

A lot of decisions depend on funding grants, don't they? In other words, the government or EU throw some money at some initiative or other and Council's are guided by that. Certainly how education works - funding is responsive to government policies.

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fulfordphilosopher says...
8:23pm Sat 29 Sep 12

Is this latest set of works going to be planned by the same " experts" who planned the Fulford Road bus lanes that cost huge amounts of money only to be altered within a few weeks. Who planned Clifton Green, Holgate Road etc etc ? Unfotunatly we have already had too many badly planned road schemes in York over the last few years. If the same people are involved with this one will it be any different?

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Scarlet Pimpernel says...
10:44pm Sun 30 Sep 12

fulfordphilosopher wrote:
Is this latest set of works going to be planned by the same " experts" who planned the Fulford Road bus lanes that cost huge amounts of money only to be altered within a few weeks. Who planned Clifton Green, Holgate Road etc etc ? Unfotunatly we have already had too many badly planned road schemes in York over the last few years. If the same people are involved with this one will it be any different?
Lets hope that the new Director of Environmental Services, Darren Richardson, who starts on 5th November, will put a rocket up the under-performing officers !!!

Mr Richardson's expertise includes transport, and he also has private-sector experience having been a private housebuilder...... hope for York housebuilders too hopefully ;-)

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peter123456 says...
3:36pm Mon 1 Oct 12

Here is one for the council. Get rid of all Cycle, Taxi and Bus lanes. Why not make the inner city ring road into a one way system. Have all inner side roads link into the ring road. Make A64 Duel carrageway for 5 miles north of York. Make the whole of the new bypass duel carrageway. Then bobs your uncile Yorks congestion problems solved. Anything else will only lead to more congestion.

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goatman says...
3:51pm Wed 3 Oct 12

The big problem with many of these traffic schemes is that the authorities use modelling techniques to prototype the effects. As we all know, not all drivers drive as per the model, and it only takes a few inconsiderate motorists to jump lights, block box junctions or fail to merge in turn to bring chaos to the scheme. (Look at A64 Hopgrove or either end of Gillygate, for example) If maybe one or two of these planners went outside and used the Mk1 eyeball, or bad driving was better policed, we might find these schemes work as planned.

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