City of York Council's reputation as one of the country's leading authorities in terms of delivering integrated transport initiatives has been confirmed in new government tables.

The ranking of eighty five transport authorities shows that York is the top unitary council in the country and third overall behind Devon and Buckinghamshire county councils.

In the Department for Transport's latest progress report on local transport plans City of York Council, which is delivering a publicly-backed £50m LTP, is given a 91 per cent score - a one per cent improvement on last year and only one and four percent behind Devon and Bucks respectively.

Councils were scored on their actual delivery of schemes, achievement towards targets and on their ability to actually spend what the Government had approved.

York is one of only eight, top authorities to be rated 'well above average' in the rankings - the only authority in the whole of the North with the best rating - with neighbour North Yorkshire County Council at 67 per cent and rated 'average'.

Commenting on the new figures the Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside reported 'excellent progress in York' and concluded, "Nearly all the targets are reported as being on course to be met and it is pleasing to note that some targets have been exceeded, notably park and ride and walking."

The council's LTP public Annual Progress Report (APR) was also praised as a model of how APRs should be written.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, added, "This news is not just about league or performance tables it is about what we have been able to achieve in practical terms. York is the only city in Britain to have achieved an absolute reduction in measured traffic levels.

"I am grateful to York's residents who have made the switch to walking, Park & Ride and the Metro bus network over the last year. York's outstanding performance is due to their efforts as much as ours although I also want to thank our excellent team of officers.

"In spite of staff shortages this team has helped deliver these projects as well as a major programme of road resurfacing, including Lawrence Street, Foss Islands Road, Lendal, Burton Stone Lane and Mill Lane Heworth."

The government has already responded practically to York's high showing in the performance tables by increasing the city's integrated transport budget by nearly £2m from £4.7m to £6.6m for the new council year.

Recent progress on transport initiatives in York includes a large include a 4.6 per cent drop in traffic congestion, a 14 percent rise in Metro bus use, a 19 per cent increase in the numbers using Park & Ride and a third more pedestrian journeys to the city centre.

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