People who live, work and travel in and around Askham Bar will be able to comment on plans to change the road layout for the new, extended Park & Ride.

Since £22 million government funding was awarded late last year for City of York Council's Access York project to improve traffic flow and access to the city, detailed designs to support the planning applications granted in 2009/10 have been developed.

As part of the plans, the oversubscribed Askham Bar Park & Ride site will be rebuilt with 1,100 spaces behind the Tesco supermarket off Tadcaster Road. The outline designs of the new access junction south of Sim Balk Lane are ready for local residents, businesses and road users to view and comment on from 30 January until 24 February.

Funding has also been granted for a brand new 600-space Park & Ride site at Poppleton Bar off the A59. The project also includes a proposal to upgrade the A59/A1237 roundabout and provide bus priorities along Boroughbridge Road. These changes aim to reduce delays at the most congested location on the ring road, and to improve bus journey times into the city. Public consultation on the detail of the road layout changes in the A59/A1237 area will start on 6 February and details will be issued shortly.

Cllr Dave Merrett, City of York Council's Cabinet Member for City Strategy, said: "These two new schemes will enable our city-wide Park & Ride system to be used by more of the city's 7.1 million annual visitors, as well as improve circulation on the outer ring road. They will take a further 300,000 cars off York's roads to contribute towards improving air quality, reduce congestion, facilitate the development of the British Sugar and York Central sites and reduce York's carbon output by 1,500 tonnes per year."

The Park & Ride project also represents one of the largest single investments in the city's transport infrastructure since the northern ring road was built, it will help to deliver one of the council's key priorities to 'Get York Moving' and will enable environmental improvements to be made to support the city's economy.

The Askham Bar Park & Ride proposals can be seen at www.york.gov.uk/askhambar 
Responses can be emailed to accessyork@york.gov.uk or posted to Tony Clarke, Transport Programme Manager, City Strategy, City of York Council, FREEPOST (YO 239), York, YO1 7ZZ.

Displays of the designs will be held at Dringhouses Library and at 9, St. Leonard's Place from 30 January to 24 February during normal opening hours. There will also be a staffed exhibition at the Askham Bar Park & Ride site on Tuesday 7 February from 8am to 7pm.

The proposals will also be presented to the Rural West Ward Committee at Howell Hall, Copmanthorpe on Wednesday 8 February (pre-meeting surgery starts at 6:30pm)

Leaflets describing the proposals will also be distributed to local residents.
All comments on the plans must be received by 24 February 2012.