A19 Designated UK’s Premier A Road Following User Survey

The A19 route has been recognized as the nation’s top A road, a sentiment that contrasts with the perception that driving it might not be the most exciting conclusion to a workday for some motorists. This segment of the A19, located in North Yorkshire, extends from the vicinity of Selby, passing through York, Thirsk, Easingwold, and Crathorne, before reaching Teesside. It secured the leading position in a recent assessment conducted by Transport Focus, an independent oversight body that also evaluated motorways. The Strategic Road Users Survey involved 9,000 participants who rated significant routes overseen by National Highways, with the A19 achieving the highest ranking, demonstrating an overall satisfaction rate of 85%. Transport Focus reported that survey respondents provided positive comments regarding the A19, specifically commending its “clear road, decent surface, and good markings”. Furthermore, its overall satisfaction rating has risen from 77% last year, resulting in a six-place ascent to secure the premier position this year. Rob Exelby, who is involved in managing the family-owned Exelby Services located near Thirsk, suggested that the A19’s popularity likely stems from the presence of “a lot of iconic towns and cities on the road throughout North Yorkshire and the North East”. He noted that his family operates five Shell service stations situated along the A19, serving approximately 2,000 customers daily, indicating that the A road significantly contributes to their business volume. He also mentioned that the primary drawback was the frequent occurrence of accidents and traffic congestion, though he stated that “they are dealt with quickly”. Ranking of the Top 10 Motorways and Major ‘A’ Roads:Source: Transport Focus Conversely, Will Yarrow, who owns Yorkshire Haulage, expressed astonishment that this specific A road received the highest rating, remarking that he considered it “manic”. “There’s always a lot of traffic, which slows everything down, but it is just something we’ve had to get used to over the years,” he stated. The York Civic Trust pointed out that the A19 “directly connects three places with important Roman origins; Newcastle, York and Doncaster”. A representative commented: “But the A19, as a 124-mile road, is actually quite new, and much younger than its big brother, the A1, that it runs parallel with, and was part of the historic Great North Road.“Maybe its status as the ‘other’ north road is part of the A19’s charm. And being a less well-known road to drivers can be an advantage, as many view it as less busy and with fewer traffic jams than the A1(M).” Nevertheless, congestion points do arise in York and Selby, which are the sole urban localities through which the A19 traverses. The Civic Trust further stated: “Many people probably don’t realise that when they’re stuck in traffic on Bootham, or on Fulford Road queuing for the Designer Outlet, they’re actually still on the A19. “It gives all the more reason for York to dual its outer ring road, in order to help remove traffic going through the heart of the city.” In contrast, the A12, extending from London to Lowestoft, registered the lowest overall satisfaction score in the survey, at merely 55%. Its low rating was attributed to journey time and road markings, scoring 56% and 64% respectively, but the most significant concern seemed to be the road surface, for which it achieved only 34%. Alex Robertson, chief executive of Transport Focus, indicated that the survey results demonstrated that “the maintenance of motorways and major roads is more important to users than building new roads”. He remarked: “With road user perceptions of road surface quality deteriorating since 2022 and declining satisfaction with journey times, National Highways must continue to focus on delivering safe, smooth journeys.”