The Department for Transport has announced that its new ‘Active Travel Unit’ will be located in York.
The Leader of City of York Council, Councillor Keith Aspden, welcomed the announcement: “This is very welcome news for York. This is an important win the for the city which will mean new jobs, boost our economy and further raise our profile.
“Today’s announcement recognises York’s influential role in bringing to the fore innovation that blends carbon-negative ambition with healthy communities and transport options.
“York is the natural centre of gravity for a decarbonised national transport infrastructure, and is already preparing for that future. This is a fantastic city with a highly skilled population and in this announcement we can see reaffirmation of our reputation as a destination of choice for inward investment.
“It is a credit to all those involved in securing this investment, and I’d like to thank all who worked to make it happen. This is another success story for the city and with work ongoing to progress York Central, one of the most important and attractive regeneration sites in the country, this is an exciting time to live, work and invest in York.”
Councillor Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Transport, added: “This is an important endorsement of York’s longstanding expertise in sustainable travel, and a welcome development for our city.
“It builds on our expertise as a centre of rail expertise, successful park and ride and growing network of cycle routes, and of balancing our transport infrastructure needs with the challenges of climate change and decarbonising transport. For example, we have led the way with introduction of e-scooters and e-bikes, grown the largest electric bus fleet and delivered hyperhubs as a demonstration of our commitment.
“My thanks go to all those involved in delivering this opportunity. We look forward to welcoming the Active Travel Unit to York and working with them to further increase active travel in the city.”
