The City of York Council has today published its 2024-2040 Local Transport Strategy. The Strategy lays out some key decisions about how transport in the city will operate over the next 16 years.
York Civic Trust has played a key role in advising on the Local Transport Plan, as invited by the Council.
The Trust has said that it warmly welcomes this new Strategy, with its clear vision for the future of transport in York, its challenging but necessary objectives and its clear articulation of the actions which are now needed.
Tony May, chair of the Trust’s Transport Advisory Group, said: “We are delighted to see the results of our three years’ work with the Council, and are pleased to see that the Council has adopted many of the proposals which we put forward in our own 2022 Transport Strategy. The Council’s Local Transport Strategy offers the vision of a city of vibrant, active communities, with a greatly improved environment sustained by a greener economy.”
However, York Civic Trust did express concerns about the lack of clear targets in the plan, and how the improvements would be actioned.
Andrew Morrision, York Civic Trust’s chief executive, said, “The only targets mentioned in the Strategy relate to the climate, and are presented without explanation. In particular, there is no explanation of the need for a 20% reduction in car use. We also need clear targets for air quality, health and accessibility so that people and businesses understand the benefits to be gained by changing their travel behaviour.”
The Council has promised a five-year Implementation Plan for the Strategy to be released in Autumn 2024, which will cover how the Council plans to realise the Strategy.
On the Plan, Andrew Morrison said, “The Council need to be clear on how public support is to be maintained, how the necessary professional skills can be provided, and how the new measures will be financed. We will expect to see, ideally by September, a clear programme of work which can be completed during this financial year. We look forward to working with the Council on the development of that Plan.”