Review is urged into city parking
A STRATEGIC review of parking across York is needed in the interests of residents, businesses and air quality, the city council’s Labour group has claimed.
Coun Stuart Barnes, the group’s transport spokesperson, said many businesses want less traffic in streets near to or within the city centre such as Micklegate.
He also complained that the city’s residential parking scheme often pushes commuter parking onto neighbouring streets, that bus lane abuse needs more effective management and ‘pay on exit’ machines should be considered for city centre car parks.
“The purpose of a review would be to explore some of the key issues, like considering the balance of costs between parking and bus use before drawing any conclusions,” Coun Barnes said.
“There are a wide range of options the current Tory-Lib Dem coalition administration can consider, all of which can help to reduce congestion and improve air quality in the city.”
The Conservative leader of York Council, Coun Ian Gillies, said the council was constantly reviewing the city’s parking situation and highlighted an £8m investment, part of which includes proposals to replace the Castle car park next to Clifford’s Tower with a new multi-storey car park in St George’s Field next to Skeldergate Bridge.
Coun Gillies also said that discussions had been held with pay-on-exit machinery providers with a view to the technology being adopted at some car parks.
The policing of bus lanes is a matter for the police, he said.
The council leader added that many city centre traders actually want more city centre parking to encourage customers.
He said: “I would love people to come into the city with the Park and Ride buses but the traders in the city want people to bring their cars in. Somewhere in the middle there has to be a compromise.”