Priority d) Transport: Sustainable accessible transport for all
Transport in York
We are delighted to have reached over 1 million £1 bus tickets for young people under 19 since September 2023 in York, with the biggest savings seen by 16 to 18 year olds who would otherwise pay adult fares. The scheme was launched as part of the city’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funded by central government.
This year we ran the biggest ever, sell-out, Active City Conference, which took place in July 2025 at York’s Barbican and saw over 600 delegates, 140 speakers, our sponsors and the 34 exhibitors exploring the walking, cycling and wheeling opportunities created by wide-ranging changes in mobility, social, environmental and economic trends in our city.
We recently completed a public consultation around proposed improvements to our Park & Ride sites around the city and we are now in a position to move forwards with the improvements, which will include provision of overnight parking, EV charging points and various upgrades to facilities such as toilets and ticket office areas. Visitors to the Park & Ride sites will also see improved signage, pathways and lighting with a more modern design. We have, with the support of First Group, also extended the hours of operation for the Park & Ride to 5.30am to 10.30pm Monday to Saturday across all sites.
We secured funding to increase the number of 20mph limit zones in the city, focussing on areas with the highest need for road safety and free and safe movement of all road users.
A more accessible city
The Acomb Front Street developments have resulted in improved accessibility including improved Blue Badge parking, wide and level pedestrian crossings, wayfinding signs and upgraded public toilets.
We will be launching the community toilet scheme, ‘For Your Convenience’ in the coming months. We have also been working with York Accessibility Forum, York Disability Rights Forum and the CYC Disabled Staff Network, to develop a staff training module on accessibility, which we hope to launch early in 2026.
Revised plans have been submitted as part of the York Castle Gateway project to turn the Castle car park and Eye of York area into a new public space, including a Blue Badge car park.
Sustainable transport
We completed an assessment of all primary schools in the city and are working towards introducing the national ‘School Streets’ initiative in four pilot schools over the coming year. The scheme is intended to improve road safety and air quality around schools, encouraging families to choose active and sustainable travel wherever possible.
Residents and visitors can now enjoy safer, greener journeys into York via the newly opened routes through York Central. Hudson Boulevard, a standout walking and cycling route complete with high-quality materials, seating, and a striking central rain garden.
What we plan to do over the next three months
- We will be consulting on the Sustainable City Centre Corridor and look forward to having further conversations with stakeholders, residents and visitors about how we can improve bus reliability in York city centre.
- Transport projects such as the improvements to Clifton Backies, upgrades to the Park & Ride sites across the city and the development of school street zones and 20mph zones will continue to progress towards completion.
Making a positive difference
The number of council electric vehicle recharging points in York was 103 in Q2 2025 to 2026, which is the same as in 2024 to 2025.
Area-wide traffic levels, excluding the A64, from 7.00am to 7.00pm, reached 2.03 million in 2024 to 2025, which is the same as in 2023 to 2024 (from the 2009 to 2010 baseline).
The percentage of customers arriving at York Station by sustainable modes of transport was 78.7% in 2024, compared to 78% in 2023.
Park & Ride passenger bus journeys totalled 3.77 million in 2024 to 2025, compared to 3.6 million in 2023 to 2024.