Get commuters’ wheels moving

12:48pm Saturday 5th July 2008

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YORK’S major employers have a vital role to play, in encouraging City of York Council’s efforts to get more residents on their bikes for short distance jorneys.

Some enlightened employers have provided secure internal cycle parking for their staff, which gives cycle users the confidence that their bikes will still be where they were parked, at home-going time.

This trend must be further encouraged when York begins to reap the benefits of the Cycle Demonstration Town money recently awarded by Cycling England.

However, some employers seem to be undermining these efforts. Most recently, the managing agents of Queens House, in Micklegate, responded negatively to an increase in cycle commuting amongst staff employed there.

A limited number of internal cycle racks in the building’s rear loading bay became oversubscribed.

This week, cyclist staff who had parked their bikes elsewhere in the area found these leafleted with a notice that any machines not parked in the racks would be moved outside the building, and suggested use of public racks across a busy main road, outside Micklegate’s Parish pub.

Office buildings such as Queens House have basement or rear car parking, but there seems to be little incentive to employers to convert some of this into cycle storage space. Perhaps too many of the bosses prefer to be seen arriving on four wheels, rather than two. Business support to improve this situation would be far preferable to the recent approach taken by the Future York think tank to dual the A1237.

Paul Hepworth, CTC North Yorkshire, Windmill Rise, York.