York is once again being hailed as the country's leading player in the fight to keep urban centres free from traffic and pollution.

Parliament Street, York, which has been singled out for praise in the Transport 2000 report

Environment group Transport 2000 is singling out York as the premier UK example of an urban area actively seeking to promote what it calls "living streets".

The group today published a report entitled Living Streets: A Guide To Cutting Traffic And Reclaiming Street Space, which promotes traffic reduction and puts the emphasis on walking and cycling in cities.

Lynn Sloman, assistant director with Transport 2000, told the Evening Press that York was still setting the standards in traffic reduction.

She said: "Because York has been at the forefront of tackling traffic problems more than any other city in the UK, we still hold it up as good practice for other cities to follow. I think that most other cities have a long way to go to catch up."

But she said that York cannot rest on its laurels: "It can't pack up and go home, as it were, just yet."

The Transport 2000 report says: "The most striking aspect of York's footstreets is what you hear - music and conversations instead of revving engines.

"Strolling down Parliament Street or past the Minster has become a peaceful, delightful experience. Not surprisingly, the number of pedestrians in the traffic-free streets has more than doubled and retail prosperity has boomed."

It continues: "York has officially adopted a 'road user hierarchy' with pedestrians at the top. In every transport and planning decision councillors make, the needs of those at the top of the hierarchy are considered first."

Chris Hayes, of York Cycleworks, said: "In York, things are going in the right direction but things could be improved considerably.

"I would like to see more protected cycle paths and safer paths for children riding to school.

"Things like that are being done but they do need to be multiplied and more money needs to be put in."

To get a copy of the Transport 2000 report, write to Transport 2000 Trust, The Impact Centre, 12-18 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6NG, or telephone 0171 613 0743.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.