City of York Council is proposing to team up with Network Rail and GNER in a £400,000 scheme to improve access for all users of York Railway Station and provide a 21st century gateway for the city.

Motorists, taxi firms, bus drivers, pedestrians and cyclists would benefit from the six month scheme to transform the station frontage and improve access and safety.

At its latest meeting on Thursday of next week (March 6), the council's City Centre Planning and Transport Sub Committee is being asked to consider granting the legal powers to allow the first stage of the work to get underway.

The proposed improvements include: a new pelican crossing at the Queen Street bridge end of the station new cycle lanes on both sides of Station Road and a cycle lane to enable users to turn right into the station more safely high level kerbs to make access to buses easier and a formal waiting area with more footway space. significant improvement for access to taxis and the central taxi rank in Station Road being replaced with a new sheltered taxi rank and a pick up point at the station portico improved access to the long and short-stay car parks. The scheme is part of the council's York's five-year, £50m Local Transport Plan and will also involve cosmetic improvements to the station frontage. Consultation with a variety of different parties and user groups including bus company First York, York Taxi Drivers' Federation, the emergency services, Le Meridien Hotel, British Transport Police, Rail Passenger Council and the train operating companies found there was general enthusiasm for the project. Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport said, "The council, GNER and Network Rail are determined to improve facilities and access in this area. With some 720,000 tourists alone travelling in and out of the station it is one of the city's most important gateways - one of the shop windows of York." Council head of highway regulation Peter Evely, the station frontage project manager, said, "The way the space in front of the Station is used is very poor and for a lot of people causes very real safety and practical problems. For a whole range of different reasons there is a consensus that changes have to be made. The scheme significantly improves safety, ease of access to and from the Station, the bus stands and taxis."