City of York Council has encountered problems with the installation of temporary traffic lights at the Knavesmire Gate following the recent heavy rainfall.

This means that the lights, which have been used at major race meetings at York for the last three years, will not be in operation for the John Smith meeting taking place today (Friday) and tomorrow Saturday 13 and 14 July.

Water had forced its way into the cable system, causing damage to vital technical equipment. Despite a determined effort to fix the problem prior to the race meeting, there were fears that the lights could fail at a busy time and that this, in turn, would cause road safety issues.

Therefore, a decision has been made not to use the traffic lights on this occasion. The associated one-way system on Knavesmire Road will not be in use for this meeting either.

In a bid to reduce delays to the public transport system, the pedestrian refuge on Knavesmire Road will be temporarily removed between 4pm and 6.30pm on Saturday. During this period, pedestrians and traffic will be controlled manually by 'stop' and 'go' boards to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists who would normally use the crossing point. Road users are asked to take extra care and, if posssible, avoid the area during these times.

All of the other planned traffic management measures will be in place and it is hoped that this will keep race day traffic delays to a minimum. However, drivers are advised to avoid this part of the city during peak periods if possible.