IT looks as though, unlike many York residents, Rachael Maskell hasn’t much experience of being delayed in traffic queues on the outer ring road.

If she had she wouldn’t have made the overtly political response to the latest proposals to dual part of the route (Stretch of outer ring road is to be dualled, The Press, October 2).

While I agree with her that more should be done to encourage use of other forms of transport you cannot pretend that the current problems in York can be solved by ignoring car users.

Climate change and local air quality targets will not be met while cars continue to go through the city centre because it is a quicker option than getting delayed on the ring road.

All the city’s representatives need to work together and ensure this opportunity is not wasted.

Andrew Mortimer, Crossways, York

Traffic lights in York don’t work properly

WITH reference to John Norman’s letter about traffic lights (Lights need some common sense, The Press, October 1), there are not many in York that work properly.

Traffic going down Green Lane, Clifton, to Clifton Moor comes to a standstill while traffic coming from Clifton Moor into Green Lane has a right filter. Why can’t traffic from Green Lane have a left filter at the same time, or is this too complicated for City of York Council to think about?

Other examples are lights that change to red and stop the flow of traffic when there is no other traffic in sight.

A typical example was at 11.50pm on Sunday, September 30, when I drove over Clifton Bridge towards Boroughbridge Road.

The traffic lights at the Salisbury Road junction turned to red with no other traffic in sight, allowing non existing traffic from Salisbury Road to proceed. They then changed in favour of non-existing cyclists or pedestrians, then changed back in my favour to proceed.

I am sure that City of York Council is so anti-motorist they try to make things as difficult as possible for them. No wonder the town centre is dying and people are going to out-of-town shopping centres.

A P Cox, Heath Close, Holgate, York

‘Shared space’ can work well in our city

THE current York Central debate has raised the matter of ‘shared space’ by pedestrians and vehicles.

The Department for Transport has asked local authorities not to implement any further such schemes, until it has completed a review on behalf of sensory and mobility restricted pedestrians.

The outcome of the review will become known in due course.

I hope that the DfT will look to many mainland European cities, where shared space has worked well for years. Having cycled through many while on holiday, I can vouch for that.

Paul Hepworth, Windmill Rise, Holgate, York

Roads are meant for all forms of transport

SO the pressure group Clean Air York want the council to reject the York Central development because “pedestrians and cyclists will be expected to either share routes with motor vehicles or to be in close proximity” (The Press, October 2). And there was me thinking that roads were meant for all forms of transport.

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington, York