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Wellington Row, West Esplanade, York (Google Maps)Café owners oppose car parking ban on riverside path – because of “dangerous” cyclists
Plans to introduce a car parking ban along a riverside path in York have been opposed by local café owners – who believe the restrictions will increase the apparent threat posed by “dangerous” cyclists in the area.
The City of York Council hopes to introduce double yellow lines on West Esplanade after councillors and residents raised concerns about the potential for conflict between motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists thanks to the number of drivers parking on the narrow shared-use path, YorkMix reports.
At the moment, single yellows are in place and drivers are currently banned from parking on West Esplanade between 8am and 6pm. Nevertheless, a council report says that the parking restriction has only been enforced up to a white gate located near Lendal Bridge, which until recently was closed to prevent motorists from continuing along the path.
However, the gate – which, when closed, meant that pedestrians and cyclists were funnelled through a narrow 1.7m gap – has remained open in recent years, enabling motorists to park along the unrestricted section of the path.
This parking, the council says, “has narrowed the path and increased the potential conflict of movements between cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, as the vehicles have to turn in the path to be able to exit the area.”
> Council urged to remove "shameful" barriers blocking disabled cyclists
A consultation on the proposal to introduce a ‘no waiting at any time’ restriction on West Esplanade received just two responses, both objecting to the plans.
One of the objections – from York City Rowing Club, the boathouse for which is located where the restrictions will be put in place – argued that the parking ban will impact rowing events, by preventing participants from parking their boat trailers past the white gate.
Responding to this claim, the council said that “if the trailers are detached from the vehicles used to tow, they would be able to be in the area as long they were not causing an obstruction of the path”.
Meanwhile, a second objection came from the owners of the Perky Peacock café in Barker Tower, beside Lendal Bridge, who claimed that by preventing motorists from parking on the Esplanade, pedestrians and customers using the path will be put in greater danger thanks to the increased speed of cyclists.
“Bicycle traffic is at times openly dangerous with speeds and irregular bicycle control of many,” the owners wrote.
“A no-stopping restriction, especially at the rowing club which quite frankly slows traffic down, increases the danger to pedestrians, rowers, and café customers.
“We have already had instances of customers being hit by cyclists.”
A further concern from the owners, related to deliveries, was dismissed by the council, who noted that “loading activities can occur from ‘No Waiting’ restrictions if the loading activity is continuous”.
Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.
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28 comments
Opposing the parking ban because they imagine cyclists will be dangerous is not a valid reason. Making the path wider by removing motor vehicles can only make it safer.
Well that's a cafe that has just managed to ensure it doesn't get any cyclists stopping by....
Yeah, they seem to shooting themselves in the foot especially with the well know fact that cyclists are loaded and people who drive are generally paupers. Was planning a ride to York in the coming weeks, I will certainly be giving this place a wide berth. Anyone on here been and have thoughts to Cycle Heaven in York?
I've been to Cycle Heaven (the Fulford one) a couple of times to have coffee with a relative who lives nearby. (I confess I've got there in my parents' car as said relative needs picking up, and I generally don't have a bike with me when visiting my parents). But it's full of nice bikes, nice people and the coffee and cake is good! And they loan you a lock if you need one to lock your bike outside the shop.
Thank you. Looking at their website I think it's the Fulford one we're going to aim for for coffee and brunch.
From a couple of years back but Cycle Heaven Fulford was good! Kind of "cafe in a bike shop" IIRC so you could have a nice wander trying not to spend extra money too.
Shared use paths. I thought the shared use was for "moving", "Getting from A to B". Not, shared use until I park my car there, in which case it is a ar park and no one else can share it.
I think the use of shared use paths is also for local authoritie in "getting the non-motorised road users out of the way of the motorists" and "ticking boxes for provision of 'cycling infra' and 'active travel' without spending more than the cost of signs".
Honestly.. who makes this argument.. and how is it even entertained? The owners of this cafe are clearly an entitled pair of ankles!
And how many of the parked cars belong to the owners/managers?
It's one of the main cycle routes into the city and the main one if you're coming from the station. If they're having issues with cyclists then perhaps they shouldn't be trying to run a business which is basically in a cycle lane.
Wait - sounds like they might post on road.cc. Maybe we can have a word directly?
Plans to introduce a car parking ban along a riverside path in York have been opposed by local café owners – who believe the restrictions will increase the apparent threat posed by “dangerous” cyclists in the area.
I'm not sure that they believe it, it's just a concocted, artificial way for them to object to them having to park their car farther away, which is the only real reason I can see. I suspect that cyclists bring in more revenue than the drivers, so can I suggest that the local cyclists no longer use this cafe, and make it very clear to the owners why.
This is their website, and I'm sure they'd love to hear from local cyclists https://perkypeacock.co.uk/
That website heading font and standard of photography is winding me up more than the parking situation.
Tells you all you need to know about them, really...
Are we going down the wealth over taste/style/everything route? That's how I'm seeing it, just checking we're on the same page..
Well I couldn't possibly say...
Been a while since I was on that bridge, but Hartley's and Sophie (on google maps but Circle on google street view) are both good cafes - wonder how cyclist-friendly they are?
"We've already had instances of customers being hit by cyclists". Perhaps road.cc should ask the Café for the details so some investigative journalism can be undertaken.
If that is while they are in the cafe, I begin to understand their concern.
A good point well made.
They weren't quick enough with the cake? Too many people in the queue?
Very selfless of the drivers to park their vehicles as some sort of traffic calming measure and safe refuge for pedestrians to dodge behind as protection from those slavering out of control rampaging cyclists.
However, if the path is sturdy enough for cars to drive up and down and wide enough for them turn around in then there's certainly more than enough space for some segregated cycling and walking space.
I just checked to see whether the Perky Peacock as on the Cycling Cafe network map. It's not, let's hope it stays that way.
I note they make a distinction between 'customers' and 'cyclists', without stopping to wonder if their customers might also be cyclists.
I'll make sure this cyclist will never be a customer.
“We have already had instances of customers being hit by cyclists due to the lack of visibility caused by the parked cars”
There FTFY 🙄
Greedy self serving bastards. It would be funny if the car parking ban was introduced, and the business' all see an increase in footfall and profit. Because everyone likes walking between parked cars
Hang on... So the cafe owners see no problem with motorists driving and parking along a riverside path (where they are not supposed to)?