Your questions answered: York Central vehicle access and movement explained

Following the submission of the outline planning application for the York Central development, the York Central Partnership has received a small number of questions from residents seeking clarification on some key themes.

To answer these questions we are creating a series updates to provide answers and explanations that we hope will remove any confusion.

The first of these updates is focused on how it is proposed that vehicles, including cars buses and taxis, will move through the site and connect with York’s existing road network.

 

How will cars, buses and taxis move through the York Central site?

An important element of the movement strategy for the York Central development is the flow of vehicles through the site. The six points below outline how cars, buses and taxis will be able to move through and around York Central.

Plan 1 – Proposed York Central road network and connections to the existing roads

Plan 1 – Proposed York Central road network and connections to the existing roads

1. Vehicle access to the city using Leeman Road Tunnel

  • The new roads in York Central will still allow vehicle access through the Leeman Road Tunnel into the city centre.
  • Cars, buses and taxis travelling between York Central and the city centre will still be able to use the Leeman Road Tunnel and there will be traffic lights to manage traffic through the Tunnel itself.
  • The proposal to install a bus gate for Leeman Road Tunnel, to limit access to and from the city centre, has been considered by the York Central Partnership, but computer modelling of traffic flows has shown that it would have too great an impact on the surrounding road network to be proposed as part of the plans at this time.

 

2. Why is Leeman Road being diverted?

  • There is a new purpose-built road through York Central and this will enable the development of homes, the business district, a new Western entrance to the train station and a transport hub with easy interchange between bus and rail.
  • If the York Central Partnership’s outline planning application is approved, work will begin on the road in 2019, but vehicles would not be diverted from the existing route of Leeman Road until the new road is in place, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest.

 

3. Vehicle access to the city from the Leeman Road ‘Island’ community

  • Residents living in the Salisbury Terrace and Kingsland Terrace Area will still be able to travel by car into the city centre through the Leeman Road Tunnel. The blue and red hatched line on the plan below shows the route – after passing under Leeman Road Underpass a new link road (called new connection from Leeman Road to new main road on the plan below) will connect Leeman Road West (at its corner near the railway bridge through to Kingsland Terrace) to the new main road through the York Central site and then through to Leeman Road Tunnel.

Plan 2 – Route from Salisbury Terrance and Kingsland Terrace to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

Plan 2 – Route from Salisbury Terrance and Kingsland Terrace to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

 

4. Vehicle access to the city centre from St Peter’s Quarter

  • Residents living in St Peter’s Quarter will still be able to travel by car into the city centre through the Leeman Road Tunnel. The red and blue hatched line on the plan below shows the route. Drivers will turn left as they leave St Peter’s Quarter to reach the Northern Connection Route, this then connects to the new main route which links to Leeman Road tunnel.

Plan 3 – Route from St Peters Quarter to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

Plan 3 – Route from St Peters Quarter to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

 

5. Vehicle access to the city from Water End

  • Residents and drivers travelling from Water End will still be able to travel by car into the city centre. The red and blue hatched line on the plan below shows the route. They will use the new main road through the site to reach the Leeman Road Tunnel, rather than going through Salisbury Terrace and Kingsland Terrace.

Plan 4 – Route from Water End to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

Plan 4 – Route from Water End to the city centre via Leeman Road Tunnel

6. Buses in York Central

  • It is proposed that the local bus services from Salisbury Terrace that currently travel down Leeman Road will still move through the York Central site and continue to service residents living in this area.
  • New bus stops will be created throughout the site which will allow current and future residents easy access to a bus stop.
  • Park and Ride services will run through York Central along the new road in the site.
  • Bus-stops are proposed on the new road to the west of the train station where local services and Park and Ride services will pick up and drop off to give a good public transport link to the station. The existing pedestrian link through the station will connect the York Central site to services at the front of the station.

Plan 5- Park and Ride and Local Bus route plan

Plan 5 – Park and Ride and Local Bus route plan