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Case Study 2: Success in York?

York is unusual in that it has a 'long and varied' history, incorporating Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Industrial, the secular and ecclesiastical. Much of its history has been preserved in its streets, walls, buildings and museums, so visitors to York can gain a unique perspective of the past.

York is unusual in its

Layout - Preserved architecture results in very cramped motor traffic.
Rail provision - A main railway centre of Britain, York is still well served to all parts of the country.
Pedestrianisation and Cycling. - York has a reputation for sustainable transport provision.

'Important' has relative values; nevertheless, in York we have a city in which it is physically impossible to place nearly as many cars as people. The rivers, railways, and buildings mean that space is at a premium, and market forces eventually dictate that retail, business and 'breathing' space must take priority over parking and idling in traffic jams. Naturally the economic structure has to be maintained or improved. These are highlighted in the Transportation Strategy objectives stating

'Balance the competing needs of movement and land use'.
'Encourage modes of transport which are efficient users of road and parking space.'

It is impossible to state how the proposed York Inner Ring road would have changed the transport situation in York.

In nearby towns such as Leeds, Keighley and Pontefract ring road schemes have not, in themselves, once established, appeared to shorten motor journey time to a noticeable degree. In all these cases the schemes, in themselves, have made walking and cycling more difficult and/or dangerous.

There is a case for saying that congestion might have increased to the detriment of all transport users, encouraged a modal shift away from the more sustainable transport forms, and division and dispersion of population.

The main elements of York's transport strategy of the late eighties were tabled in its transport policy and were.

Pedestrianisation of core.
Park & Ride Schemes.
Promotion of, and investment in, walking and cycling.
Discouragement of long stay 'commuter' parking in city centre.
Large scale traffic calming in residential areas.

Transport policy objectives in York in the late eighties broadly embraced motor traffic reduction measures, consequently Pedestrianisation, Cycle provision, Park and ride, Parking charges and Traffic calming have all combined to attempt to cure York's traffic problems, specifically moving people without moving their cars, without disenchanting the car using voter.

York engineers claim the current transport plan delivers 'More of the same, more strongly, regarding aspects of environmentally benign transport'. Cycle specific spending, which has gone from c. £125,000 to c. £750,000 was cited as a good reflection of policy.

A more widespread understanding of integrated transport policies, and government attitude which moves them to the hub of policy formulation have facilitated this.

A cynic may point to the proposed expenditure, which could be interpreted as allocating only 10.5% of its budget to the sustainable forms of walking and cycling, but this may still be an underestimate, and still constitutes an increase.