Overnight parking and a host of other changes to York’s Park and Ride services will be considered at a meeting next week (7 October).
The meeting follows a citywide consultation earlier this year around how government funding through the Bus Service Improvement Plan could be best spent on the Park and Ride.
Proposed improvements include:
- More accessible and welcoming facilities. This includes introducing the first Changing Places facilities at Park and Ride sites, plus improved accessible parking and EV charging. There will also be a new building at Grimston Bar and refreshed spaces at Rawcliffe Bar.
- Overnight parking at Askham Bar and Rawcliffe Bar. Visitors arriving for an overnight stay will be able to park overnight at Rawcliffe Bar or Askham Bar in a dedicated area with 24/7 access and use the bus to get into the city centre, then pick their vehicle up when they need.
- Improved site security. To help prevent any anti-social behaviour and ensure customer facilities are always available.
- Improved links with other transport routes. This will included car club spaces, cycle lockers and links to buses traveling outside of York.
Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport said:
“York’s Park and Ride is 35 years old this year and one of the largest and most successful in the country, carrying 3.8million passengers last year.
“We’re committed to making the bus an attractive and convenient option. Earlier this year we introduced early starts and late finishes to the service which are already proving popular.
“Now we are looking at further improvements using government funding through the Bus Service Improvement Plan and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (YNYCA) bus grant.
“From more comfortable waiting areas to EV charging and overnight parking, this investment will increase the number of people able to take advantage of York’s Park and Ride, help to cut traffic congestion in the city centre, and ensure that York’s Park and Ride has a bright future.”
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“Everyone deserves public transport they can rely on, and York’s Park and Ride has proved what happens when we back our buses. It’s already one of the most popular park and rides in the country but it’s about to get better and more accessible.
“This builds on the changes we made earlier this year to timetables and mean that we are making it easier than ever for people to get into York.”
If approved, a number of the improvements will be made quickly and then work to progress a planning application for the building improvements will start.
At the meeting, Executive members will also be asked to agree for a two year extension to the existing Park and Ride contact. Optimally a long-term contract would be issued to enable operators to bid for the service, unlock potential longer-term investment in improved buses and provide best value for the Council. However, with the transfer of public transport powers to the YNYCA, work is underway to identify the best future model for how the public sector will deliver its public transport responsibilities and priorities. A two year extension will allow for the Mayors priorities for buses to be fully considered in a new contract.
Kayleigh Ingham, Commercial Director of First Bus North & West Yorkshire, which operates the Park and Ride in partnership with City of York Council, said:
“We have worked closely with City of York Council for many years to build the network to the success it is today.
“These new features will add to the customer experience and help attract new users to the benefits of park and ride – free daytime parking and great value fares which reduce car journeys into the city centre.”
The Executive Meeting will take place on Tuesday 7 October.
