'Roadworks in Blossom Street were main cause of Nunnery Lane queues' - roads boss

A York transport boss says traffic queues in Nunnery Lane have eased greatly, following the completion of nearby roadworks.

The Press revealed last week how jams were building up on the approach to the Micklegate Bar traffic lights.

The problems were thought to be due to a combination of factors including the closure of Bishopthorpe Road to outbound traffic to provide more road for pedestrians to socially distance outside the shops, with traffic sent on a diversion via Nunnery Lane and Blossom Street.

Roadworks in Blossom Street were also preventing some traffic from turning left into the street from Nunnery Lane, even when the lights were on green.

A petition has since been launched calling for the partial closure of Bishopthorpe Road to be scrapped, which has been signed by more than 1,000 people.

Now Cllr Andy D'Agorne, the Green Party executive member for transport on City of York Council, has said that the utility works in Blossom Street - 'which was the main cause of the queues'- have now finished, and there were no queues on Saturday evening at 5pm 'beyond the number that could get through on each green phase of the traffic lights.'

He also said he witnessed an ambulance on blue lights at about 6pm successfully negotiating barriers blocking Bishopthorpe Road and travelling south along the road, in the opposite direction to the one way system, 'so that might reassure residents about response times for emergency services.'

Cllr D'Agorne added: " Some residents have commented on how much better it is in terms of traffic using Bishopthorpe Road south and Scarcroft Road, so inevitably some winners and losers.

"You need to remember that the primary reason for it is to allow for safe queuing and social distancing outside the small local shops."

At 4.10pm this afternoon, the queue from the lights stretched back only to Scarcroft Lane, with most of the vehicles able to get through the traffic lights when they went green.