Views sought on £2m plan to tackle city bus delays

York transport bosses will seek views on a £2.2m scheme to tackle congestion and bus delays in the city centre.

The Sustainable Travel Corridor would run from the city's railway station to Tower Street and would prioritise buses over other road users.

A council report said the section covering George Hudson Street, Micklegate and Ouse Bridge was among the most congested routes in the city's bus network.

A consultation is proposed to run between May and July, with detailed designs to be drawn up in the autumn and work set to start next year.

Ruling Labour's transport spokesperson Kate Ravilious said no final proposals had been agreed and the scheme aimed to reduce unnecessary through traffic, but it would not completely stop private vehicle access.

Organisations including York Bus Forum and York Cycle Campaign welcomed the plans but opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Stephen Fenton said the council should avoid making traffic worse elsewhere.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a meeting on Tuesday heard issues along the route included buses being delayed at traffic lights and having trouble negotiating tight turns.

People walking, cycling or travelling by wheelchair along the route also faced issues including narrow pavements, a lack of crossings and limited road space for bikes.

The report stated several options were being considered for the route to overcome the challenge of not having enough space to implement dedicated bus lanes.

The Sustainable Transport Corridor aims to reduce bus journey times by an average of three minutes along the route by July 2026.

Objectives include improving bus punctuality to 97% between Rougier Street and Stonebow by July 2027 and increasing the number of pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists.

Ravilious said the plan would bring improvements that would benefit bus users in York and beyond.

She said: "We as a council are paying subsidies to the tune of more than £3.5m to keep buses running and one of the reasons they're not running reliably is because of delays along this corridor.

"This will make transport better for everyone and it could bring additional benefits like improved bus stops along with allowing alternative uses for the highway such as pavement cafes."

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