A call to tackle congestion in York roads has prompted fears over harm to the environment and air quality.
A motion from York Council's Conservative group calling for four streets in The Groves to be opened to traffic to cut queues is set to be debated on Wednesday, November 11.
Cllr Martin Rowley, who is tabling the motion, said councillors should set aside their political differences and back action to deal with congestion in the area.
But Labour's Cllr Dave Merrett, who represents Guildhall which covers the area, said the measures would damage the environment and public health and affect residential parking.
It follows concerns about congestion linked to York Hospital in the area which has prompted a number of calls for action this year.
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Cllr Merrett, one of the Labour Guildhall ward members who launched a petition calling for action on the issue, said congestion was fuelling dangerous driving.
NHS York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust officials said in May they were looking at ways to curb queues from York Hospital's entrance back along Wigginton Road.
The council's Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Kate Ravilious said multiple factors were contributing to the queues.
The Conservative motion, which is set to go before Wednesday's Full Council, stated prolonged gridlock in Monkgate, Wigginton Road and Lord Mayor's Walk was causing unnecessary delays.
It added exhaust fumes from idling cars was also harming air quality.
The motion proposes opening Vyner Street to one-way traffic from Wigginton Road to Haxby Road with a 20mph limit to curb congestion at the Crighton Avenue junction.
It also calls for Fountayne Avenue to be opened one-way with a 20mph limit from Haxby Road to Wigginton Road to alleviate congestion heading out of York on the latter.
Opening Penley's Grove Street and Lowther Street one-way with a 20mph limit to tackle queues in Monkgate and Lord Mayor's Walk has also been called for.
The motion stated previous decisions to close the streets to traffic and to widen footpaths and create a cycle lane in Wigginton Road had contributed to the gridlock.
It added other benefits could include a boost to trade for local businesses and curbing antisocial behaviour in the streets reopened to traffic.
Conservative Cllr Rowley said the proposals were common sense.
The Osbaldwick and Derwent ward councillor said: "This is well thought out, deliverable, safe, and good for the environment.
"I call on other parties to lay aside political point-scoring and take action to get York moving again."
Guildhall's Cllr Merrett said the real solution to the problem was providing reliable bus travel as an alternative to cars, particularly for hospital staff, which was being looked at.
The Labour councillor said: "These proposals risk undoing hard-earned gains in air quality for Guildhall ward residents and would also not achieve their intended outcome, streets like Vyner Street are one way and too narrow for handling large volumes of traffic without removing half of the resident parking.
"This would be damaging in these communities which have as much right to breath clean air as those who live in suburban and rural parts of the city."
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