Students from a secondary school in York are among the first to take part in this year’s cycle training course, offered by City of York Council.
Youngsters from Millthorpe School are taking part in the Bikeability training session, to showcase their new cycling achievements.
For a small fee all York students aged between 12 and14 years of age can now train and qualify for the Bikeability Level three cycle training, which is the only government approved cycle training scheme.
Pupils in York have the chance to display their public speaking skills in a competition organised by the York Civic Trust and supported by City of York Council. The event, which will be held in the Guildhall on 21 November at 6.30pm, is open to young people in Years 7 and 8 from participating schools.
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Vandalism suspect
York police are appealing for information after a car was damaged outside a supermarket at Monks Cross.
Officers have released a CCTV image of man suspected of causing the damage which occurred in Sainsburys car park at around 6.35pm on 29 August 2012.
The man is seen on CCTV using a key to scratch the side of a grey BMW 5 Series before going shopping in the store.
Officers are appealing to anyone who recognises the man to contact them with information.
Anyone who can help officers with their enquiries is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 2 – and ask for PC Rob Milliner or York police.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please quote reference number 12120175544 when passing information about this incident.
The Council has announced that it plans to make changes to the central area access arrangements.
These include:
• Standardising and extending the footstreet hours of operation to 10.30am to 5pm, 7 days a week ,
• Controlling vehicle use of Davygate (prohibiting all vehicles from using Davygate during the footstreet hours of operation including those with blue and green parking badges).
• amending the existing one way operation around St Sampson’s Square
• Further limiting the access in to the central area via the Nessgate / Spurriergate junction (24 hour vehicle ban)
Details of the proposals can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/York-centre-access-plan-Nov-12
Details of residents responses to a survey on the future of the City Centre are shown in the report. They indicate a very low response rate.
Decisions on the proposals will be taken by a Labour Councillor at a meeting next Monday.
The Council have discontinued the annual survey which allowed residents to decide how Ward Committee budgets should be allocated.
Last year Ward Councillors ignored the results of the ballot anyway and voted to spend money on projects rejected by local residents (including, in Westfield, the now infamous project to purchase new “pantomime costumes”)
There is a survey being conducted, into what the Council claims to be “local priorities”, but it is so well hidden on the their web site that few, if any, will find it.
Click here to participate http://tinyurl.com/York-ward-Nov-12
There is only one question to answer!
Meanwhile, in Westfield, the next Ward Committee meeting (which are now very poorly attended) has been scheduled to take place at Acomb Explore Library, Front Street on Thursday 29th November
It is the only opportunity residents will have to question their representatives on their controversial plan to introduce a 20 mph speed limit across the whole of western York.
The start time for the meeting, though, is 2:30pm!!
So you get the message that they’d prefer that residents didn’t attend
Funding proposals for cycle path click to enlarge
As previously reported, the Council are proposing to construct a bridleway linking Rufforth to Knapton. It is likely to be used by some cyclists to avoid the B1224.
The Council has been conducting a low profile consultation exercise on its web site on the plans. http://www.york.gov.uk/transport/cycling/Rufforth-Knapton/
The consultation is due to finish on 16th November 2012.
The cost of the scheme is now put at £165,000.
However this does not include improvements to the arrangements for crossing the A1237 near Knapton.
It is this section of the route which is causing the most safety concerns.
The project is due to be discussed at a meeting taking place next Monday (19th Nov.)
Page 1 click to enlarge
Pages 2 and 3 click to enlarge
Page 4 click to enlarge
The layout of 4 roads could be changed following investigations into speeding concerns.
The 4 roads are:
• Moor Lane, Woodthorpe.
• Top Lane, Copmanthorpe;
• Sim Balk Lane, Bishopthorpe (in 20 limit)
• Holtby Village (Willow Court)
Checks found that, although there have been few accidents on the roads, speeds were regularly above the limit. Now the Council is to consider undertaking engineering works that would discourage speeders.
There are already 43 sites on the list for engineering works and, with the Council set to spend £600,000 on implement a city-wide 20 mph speed limit, it is likely to be several years before funding is available to address this list.
A report to a Council meeting on 19th November confirms that the number of accidents on York’s roads are now fairly stable, having reduced considerably from a peak of 119 killed or seriously injured in 2001.
The comparable figure for 2011 was 63. There were also 489 slight injury accidents.
About half the casualties were car occupants. In the vast majority of cases speed was not found to be the principle cause of the accident.
A complete list of investigations and their results (including data for Acomb Wood drive) can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/York-speed-checks-Nov-2012
The Council is planning to reduce the speed limit on the A19 passing through Deighton Village.
Official are proposing that a 50 mph limit be introduced together with extended street lighting. Later a section of 40 mph limit may be introduced.
There have been ten injury accidents listed on this section of road within the last three years. The Police have objected tot eh changes pointing out that average speeds are already below 50 mph and speed was not a contributory factor in any of the accidents.
The design of new highways schemes are independently reviewed to ensure that the layouts proposed are the safest possible. Reviews have been completed for the new sites at Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar.
Askham Bar layout - click to enlarge
The results will be considered at a Council “decision” meeting on 19th November. http://tinyurl.com/York-P-R-19th-Nov
Issues identified included:
• Parking of camper vans
• Speed limits
• Landscaping requirements
• Provision of internal zebra crossings
• Highway markings (Askham bar)
• Installation of rising bollard to protect bus lane (Askham bar)
• Route of shared pedestrian/cycle path (Askham bar)
Copies of the new layouts can be found on the Councils web site
