First Bus and City of York Council have announced extended hours for all six of York’s Park & Ride services to support residents, commuters, visitors and York’s hospitality industry.
The highlights include:
- from 20 July, buses to operate from 5.30am Monday to Saturday and 7.30am on Sunday
- last services to leave the city centre at 10.30pm all week
- early and late-night connections offer greater flexibility for residents, commuters and visitors
- increased frequency for school holidays and summer season
From Sunday 20 July, the first bus will leave each Park & Ride site at 5.30am. The new timings will allow shift workers and those catching early trains to use the Park & Ride, which costs just £3.90 for an adult return. For example for residents travelling out of York, 5 of the 6 sites directly serve York Railway Station and the first service will arrive at the station by 5.45am - Rawcliffe (bus number 2 / 2A), Monks Cross (bus number 9), Designer Outlet (bus number 7), Poppleton (bus number 59) and Askham Bar (bus number 3). The remaining one, Grimston (bus number 8), serves Piccadilly, in the city centre.
In the evening, the last services will leave the city centre at 10.30pm, bringing all sites up to the same time for the first and last bus.
The timings extension is being funded by York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, supported by the Department for Transport.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:
Residents, commuters and visitors have asked us to run the Park & Ride earlier in the morning and later into the evening, and we’re delighted to confirm these extended hours will start from 20 July.
"Whether you’re catching an early morning train, finishing an overnight shift or enjoying a night out in York, this expansion is part of our commitment to giving people more travel options and making York a cleaner, more affordable and more sustainable city.
“The 6 Park & Ride sites cover every corner of York and with up to 3 children traveling free with a paying adult, offers an excellent alternative to driving in to York. They also make an invaluable contribution to reducing congestion across our city. We’ve also recently unveiled plans to open up 2 sites for overnight parking and will be announcing the next steps on these shortly."
Andy Cullen, Managing Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, said:
This will help commuters and shift workers with connections to train services at the very start and end of the day.
“The extension of services into the late evening will also be a real boost for visitors to York’s leisure and entertainment venues, as well as supporting the hospitality sector.
“It reflects our continued commitment to work in partnership with City of York Council to build the Park & Ride network for the benefit of local people and visitors to help grow the city’s economy.”
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
For too long, public transport hasn’t always worked for everyone, especially those with early starts or late finishes.
“For the first time all of York’s Park & Ride sites will operate on a single, consistent timetable from 5.30am right up until 10.30pm. It’s the kind of public transport our region deserves.
“We’re putting passengers first, with more affordable and greener journeys that everyone can benefit from - from shift workers and commuters to those enjoying the city’s night life.”
Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:
When public transport is affordable and reliable, it transforms lives - helping people get to work, attend medical appointments, access opportunities and stay connected with their community.
“I’m delighted that Mayor Skaith is already delivering major improvements with our £12 million investment and moving ahead with their plans to bring buses under local control.
“From cheaper fares to extended Park & Ride hours, these changes are kickstarting a bus revolution that drives economic growth and ensures people have proper access to jobs and opportunities, as we deliver the Plan for Change.”
Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York, said:
York Park & Ride is a vital link in supporting our hospitality and tourism sectors, making it easier and more affordable for everyone to access the city centre, this helps all businesses to recruit and retain talent.
"The new operating hours of York Park & Ride improves accessibility for everyone, offering a reliable and inclusive transport option.
“For visitors, it’s a convenient way to explore the wider city, stay longer and enjoy more of what York has to offer, and these longer running hours will offer a real boost to our local economy.”
First Bus is also introducing more frequency on the Park & Ride network to support anticipated demand during the school holidays and summer tourism season.
From Sunday 20 July until Sunday 7 September, additional buses will operate Monday to Friday on all services and also Saturdays on routes 7 and 8. Normal timetables will run on Sundays.