Have your say on improvement plans at Bootham Bar

Bootham bar photographed with the junction and traffic lights at red. Two people walk across the pedestrian junction.
Bootham Bar junction

City of York Council wants to hear what residents and businesses think of a new scheme improve pedestrian access at one of the busiest junctions in the city centre.

Works will take place later this year on the Gillygate, Bootham and St Leonard’s junction, which is all part of the Traffic Signal Asset Renewal (TSAR) Project. 

The TSAR project involves installing new signalling equipment and ducting, but also provides an opportunity to consider different options that could enhance the whole area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Two possible designs have been prepared, both would replace all the signals and increase the width of space for pedestrians waiting to cross Gillygate.

Option ‘A’ is the simplest design with little change to the existing layout while option ‘B’ would provide more pedestrian space and improve the historic setting of the area.

It would also allow for an ‘all green’ pedestrian phase across all arms of the junction, with no need to wait half way across when crossing from the Art Gallery to Bootham Bar and a less traffic dominated area.

However, the removal of the left turn lane from St Leonard’s Place to Bootham, and the changed signal phasing, would increase traffic delays and queues at peak times, with potential impact on air quality in Gillygate and Bootham.

Tell us what you think

Views are being sought on which design residents and businesses prefer and why, between Monday 1 March until Wednesday 31 March, and can be submitted, by:

  • Completing the short online survey 
  • Emailing views to: TSAR@york.gov.uk
  • Writing to: TSAR Programme, Transport Systems, Corporate Directorate of Economy and Place, West Offices, York, YO1 6GA.

In addition to the above, over 650 properties in the immediate vicinity of the junction will be sent details of the consultation and offered assistance if they cannot view the design options online.

Coronavirus York updates; 24th February 2021

Deaths

The York Hospital Trust has announced one additional death. The fatality took place yesterday (23rd).

The local hospital death rate continues to decline.

York residents deaths

ONS have published statistics showing the number of deaths’ of York residents in the period up to 12th February 2021.

Ten deaths occurred during the latest week.

Seven of the fatalities occurred in hospital and three in care homes.

The previous week had seen 17 fatalities.

The cumulative toll for the last 12 months has now risen to 340.

Of these, 169 have occurred since 1st September 2020.

Test results

TWENTY tWO positive test results announced today. Cumulative number of cases now 11,789.

Rate /100k population rises to 72.65. Set to increase to over 77 before the end of the week.

The increase in York represents 10 additional cases compared to the previous days total. Total infections (at 19/2/2021) were 153. Case numbers are also increasing in North Yorkshire (526 cases) and at regional level.

Neighbourhoods

Looking at the spread of cases by neighbourhood. there is no real clue as to the cause of the spike in infections this week.

The highest increase in cases were an additional three in each of Clifton Without, Huntington, Holgate East and Heworth North. These may simply reflect family group transmissions.

However, for the first time since last summer, we now have a neighbourhood with ZERO recorded cases.

Vaccinations

We understand that the reduced number of vaccinations which we saw earlier in the week was due to temporary supply shortages. Inoculation numbers remain ahead of target.

The rate is ramping up at local and regional level again now.

Tests

4425 PCR tests were carried out during the week ending 19th February

Of these, 3.4% were positive (the same figure as the previous 2 days)

1120 lateral flow tests were carried out on 23rd February

York Minster

YORK Minster will reopen from lockdown for worship and private prayer on Sunday March 14, with a number of precautions in place to help keep visitors and staff safe. Only 75 places will be available for the main Sunday services, and admission will be via online booked ticket only. Online booking will open on March 8 at www.yorkminster.org

Recycling vehicles in York are “beyond their serviceable and economic life”.

A council report published today confirms that its recycling fleet needs to be replaced urgently.

Council recycling report March 2021

Obsolescent vehicles are causing the recycling service to become increasingly unreliable.

The Council ran into similar problems with its residual waste collection fleet three years ago when replacement ordering was delayed for too long.

Replacements have only recently started arriving. They include two electric trucks.

The proportion of waste that is recycled or composted in York remains around the national average of 44%.

The Councill seem set to agonise for several months before committing to purchasing new recycling vehicles.

 It is likely to rule out food waste collection until details of a government scheme are published.

Image result for recycling gifs

Meanwhile the focus of a review is likely to concentrate on whether to replace the present open box storage system with something  more sophisticated. The Council has ruled out the comingling option (where recycling is collected in a single bin and is subsequently separated before being processed).

 it does, however, seems set to continue the present agreement (started during the first COVID Lockdown) where only paper is connected separately from other recycling (bottles, tins, plastic etc)

A preliminary meeting is taking place next week. Click here to read the background report.