I was interested to read Cllr D’Agorne’s letter (February 20) trumpeting the ‘success’ of his green traffic plans. This success must of course depend on the methodology used to measure it. So before Cllr D’Agorne makes any further claims, he should consider other relevant factors such as the impact on traffic volumes in other roads and the distorting effect of the lockdown regulations.

Take the ‘Groves trial’ and its impact on Haxby Road. Haxby Road is an arterial route. It accommodates major bus routes and a large amount of commercial traffic and provides vital access for emergency vehicles. It is busy. At various ‘pinch-points’ the road is insufficiently wide to allow two-way traffic for anything wider than a car. At peak times this results in traffic queuing in both directions.

When Lowther Street was closed to through traffic last September, we had a preview of what was to come: a significant increase in traffic travelling northwards with stationary vehicles on both sides of the road waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic. This lasted until the November lockdown.

The Groves trial surely cannot be concluded until all Covid restrictions are lifted. Only after a period of restriction-free conditions can the increase in traffic volumes be surveyed accurately, the ensuing pollution levels properly measured (and) the data properly compared.

I suggest the survey results will show that the Groves trial is a resounding success in transferring traffic pollution from one area of the city to another.

Nick Parker, Haxby Road, York