TRANSPORT bosses at City of York Council have hit back at calls for more changes at a busy junction, where city heritage experts say pedestrians should be prioritised.
York Civic Trust last week revealed fears about changes at the Station Road/ Station Rise junction near Lendal Arch.
The Trust’s chief executive Dr David Fraser wrote to The Press, outlining an alternative plan for the junction that would stop vehicles turning left from Station Road on to Station Rise, heading towards Leeman Road, but would make the area better for pedestrians.
Dr Fraser wrote: “The first experience that many visitors have of walking in the city is crossing Station Rise: pedestrians have currently only seven seconds to cross every 90 seconds, and long queues build up. Were the left turn for vehicles to be banned, pedestrians would have five times as much time to cross.”
That option has been ruled out by the city council, with officials saying it would lead to more congestion and, consequently, pollution.
But, Dr Fraser said that with typically 10 times as many pedestrians as vehicles turning left, people on foot should be put first - as council policies already say they should be - and the alteration would make life easier for cyclists.
James Gilchrist, assistant director for transport and planning, said they recognise the impact the busy junctions near the station have on pedestrians - both York residents and visitors - but had opted for the changes currently being carried out after widespread talks.
“After we spoke with key stakeholders, including, the York Civic Trust, we made the decision to proceed with changes to traffic and pedestrian management in the Lendal Arch gateway to the city.
“We explored many options, including removing the left hand turn, but found that this wasn’t a viable option due to the lack of road space.
“It would also increase the number of vehicles going round the gyratory which would negatively affect congestions and therefore also pollution in the area. We will look at ways in which we can improve the pedestrian journey to and from the area going forwards.”