Transport

How we travel and plan transport impacts on the environment and our quality of life. More roads can scar the landscape and the increase in flights is shattering tranquillity. We need to plan our transport that puts new housing, jobs, shops and services close to public transport or within easy walking or cycling distance.

 

Aviation
The recent growth in flights is unsustainable causing 13% of the UK's contribution to climate change and shattering the peace and tranquillity of the countryside. We are campaigning for genuine support for alternatives to flying.

North Yorkshire has no major feeder airports and luckily this is one area where we have little work to do! There are a number of private rural runways for hobby flight enthusiasts, however, which CPRE North Yorkshire support providing their development does not harm the surrounding countryside and natural habitats.

 

Roads
The Government should develop policies that reduce the number of car journeys people make, rather than building more roads for more cars. We want to see better transport choices and safer roads for walkers and cyclists.

 Life in North Yorkshire is difficult without access to a car. Most of the roads were designed for the horse and cart not large commercial vehicles. We support the use of car sharing, community transport initiatives and the need to see speed limits reduced on rural lanes to enable more people to walk and cycle with increased safety.

 

Rail
Our vision is for a revived, revitalised railway system, for more passengers and freight. But this expansion must be planned carefully to make it affordable, and safeguard the countryside.

North Yorkshire is served by the East Coast Line linking us to London and Edinburgh from York and Thirsk (direct), however, smaller stations feed into the major rail links. Rail travel is expensive and we need to see more emphasis on making rail travel the affordable option.

 

Transport policy
Walking, cycling and public transport are all sustainable forms of transport which we need to be able to use as much as possible. We need to plan our transport so that it close to where we live and work.

In our county, we cannot encourage more people to walk and cycle until we increase the safety of those people on narrow lanes, many of which do not have pavements or passing places.