Travel back to school safely say York Council

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City of York Council has teamed up with walking and cycling charity Sustrans to urge parents across York to try walking, cycling or scooting with their children to school to create a safer, less congested, more healthy environment for start of the new term.

As schools reopen, roads are expected to be busier than normal in September, and the council is urging road users to plan ahead when travelling around York, plan ahead and use public transport outside of peak hours and walk or cycle where possible.

Parents who can opt to leave the car at home or park (or wait with their switched engine off) away from the school entrance area will help families maintain social distancing as well as reduce congestion and air pollution. More active travel (walking, cycling or scooting) will also help support public transport to cope with Covid secure measures which have reduced capacity.

Recently released guidance from the Department for Education shows that due to physical distancing restrictions on public transport, at least 50 per cent of journeys to school of two miles or less need to be walked and cycled to allow space for those on public transport who need to travel further[1].

Around 69 per cent of children in York currently walk, cycle or scoot to school, a figure that rises up to 85 per cent in some schools during active travel incentive days[2]. The council is encouraging schools to sign up for Sustrans’ Bike to School Week from 28 September to 2 October.

The council has recently renewed Sustrans’ contract to work intensively with eight primary schools in York, helping to support an increase in children walking, cycling and scooting to school and a reduction in congestion. Following a successful pilot at Carr Junior School earlier this year, some schools will also redesign their school street, aiming to make them safer and healthier for the whole community.

At Carr Junior School Sustrans’ designers worked with children to assess the problems around the school gate and suggest improvements such as informal street crossings and build-outs. In March, Sustrans tested the designs and gathered feedback from local residents and these can now be developed through the active travel fund measures.

For more information on Bike to School week please go to: www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/projects/2019/uk-wide/bike-to-school-week/

Visit  www.york.gov.uk/letsbeyork and www.itravelyork.info/travel2school for further information on getting back to school safely.

Coronavirus York updates; 1st September 2020

Deaths and test results

There have been a further three positive test results announced today. The figures confirm that during August there was as steady increase in the number of COVID 19 cases in York.

There have been no firther hospital deaths

The authorities continue to remain tight lipped about the distribution and characteristics of the cases revealed recently.

York gets ready for Great British Spring (Autumn) Clean

The rescheduled Great British Spring Clean takes place later in the month

The national event aims to inspire people to roll their sleeves up and get involved in litter picks and ‘tidy-ups’.

Originally planned for March, the campaign has been rescheduled to September due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Further safety guidelines have been put in place, and additional PPE is available for everybody taking part.

City of York Council is appealing to local residents, businesses and community groups to become ‘litter heroes’ by getting behind York’s annual spring clean event between Friday 11 and Sunday 27 September, in addition to the day-to-day work of the council and York BID to keep the city clean and tidy.

Over the course of the campaign, the council will be on hand to lend support to residents in several ways. This includes collecting extra waste in bags printed with a large ‘V’ for volunteer from the pre-planned spring clean events, and by providing equipment to help make jobs quicker and easier.

The Big Spring Clean is a boost to the work front lines teams carry out all year round to help maintain and clean the city. This includes:

Maintaining grass: Ten gardeners mow open spaces and grass verges from mid-March and don’t stop until October. They cut approximately 41 million square metres of grass each year.

Maintaining hedges: teams start cutting hedges in housing estates, parks and ornamental areas from May and don’t stop until November. They cut approximately 77,000 linear metres of hedges.

Cleaning leaves and detritus from the road side: There are over 754,000 metres of kerb lines to sweep to ensure drains are not blocked and reduce the chance of weed growth.

Cleaning litter: teams check and clean around 975,000 metres of footpaths for litter, glass and lots of other things!

Emptying litter bins: teams have just completed the replacement of around 1250 litter and dog waste bins across the city, these are emptied at least weekly, depending on the location.

To request help, or to register your event with the council email environmentandcommunity@york.gov.uk. For more information visit www.york.gov.uk/GBspringclean call 01904 551551 or follow @cityofyork on Twitter using #YorkSpringClean

What’s on in York; Cycle security marking on Friday

Organisers were reminding cyclists that there is an opportunity on Friday to have their bikes security marked by the Police.

The event, which will be held in the Foxwood Community Centre car park on Bellhouse Way, starts at 9:30am.

There will also be an opportunity to buy some perennial plants which have been grown in the community garden and to select some surplus food from the regular give away which is organised by volunteers.