D McTernan asked (Letters, November 9) whether City of York Council know anything about traffic management.

He cites plans to remove through traffic from The Groves, removing a filter lane approaching Monk Bar, along with several road works items around the city alongside a traffic light sequence that is ‘a joke’ .

Presumably Mr McTernan needs to use a motor vehicle for every journey that he makes around the city. If he has mobility issues, I will not begrudge his choice.

But I wonder what the impact might be upon York, if all traffic lights were removed, one way streets made two way, rat runs reopened and new roads built.

Short term gain for some, but it would unleash massive increases in attempts to make car journeys at all hours.

That would eventually create the gridlock that your correspondent fears.

Present peak congestion levels encourage car owners to think twice about the how, where and when of their their journey choices. Perhaps it is a useful mechanism?

York, like other cities, cannot build its way out of congestion.

Re-allocating road space and priority infrastructure for some vehicle types is the only practical way forward.

Our traffic lights are progressively being upgraded, with improved vehicle detection, and reporting to the computer system which balances demands and optimises green times.

The Government could help by scrapping its Major Road Network Fund, and instead properly fund its so-called Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Paul Hepworth,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate, York