New transport strategy launched for Leeds
Bus priority measures on key routes across Leeds are being put forward as part of a new transport plan for the city which aims to double current bus trips per day.
Leeds City Council, working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, partners and stakeholders including all transport operators in the city, has launched its transport strategy for the city, called ‘Connecting Leeds’.
The council said that Connecting Leeds aims to deliver a “transformational stepchange” in the transport network and connectivity in Leeds and the wider region, helping to support and bring people, places, jobs, learning and leisure closer together. This will be achieved through improvements to road, rail, bus, park and ride, cycling and walking services and infrastructure.
This includes enhanced bus travel, with the target set of doubling the current 250,000 bus trips made in the city per day within ten years. Leeds City Council consulting on plans to introduce new infrastructure including bus priority measures on three key routes in the city: Bradford to Leeds via Stanningley, Bramley and Armley; Alwoodley to Leeds via Moortown and Chapel Allerton; and Oakwood and Roundhay to Leeds via Harehills and St James’s Hospital.
The council said bus stops would improved, with real-time service and travel information. Leeds City Council is also seeking views on plans to improve Armley Gyratory to offer better traffic flows and reduce congestion.
Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said: “Lots of work is going on across the city and now we need to continue the transport conversation by talking in particular about enhanced bus services and what we need to do to make bus travel faster, more efficient, reliable and cleaner.
“Looking at all aspects of a road network, we want to maximise the limited space we have so it is as efficient as possible. Priority bus networks have proven to be highly effective, so we look forward to sharing the plans and hearing what people think.”
Councillor Keith Wakefield, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “Working in partnership with Leeds we have already delivered a new railway station at Kirkstall Forge and the hugely successful Elland Road and Temple Green park and ride schemes and our £1billion West Yorkshire Transport Fund is delivering a pipeline of projects across the wider City Region.
“Understanding how people want to use the transport network is essential to the development of these proposals and we look forward to hearing their views.”
The proposals are supported by Leeds’ major bus operators, First Leeds, Arriva Yorkshire and Transdev.
Martin Hirst, commercial director at First Leeds, said: “As one of the major bus operators in the city we understand the vital role we play in helping to find solutions to reduce air pollution and so we’re proud to announce the arrival of the latest low emission vehicles into Leeds.”
All three major bus operators are committed to ensuring their buses will meet the standards for the proposed Clean Air Zone in Leeds by 2020. First Leeds has announced that its Service 5 between Halton Moor and the City Centre loop will be the first of its routes to convert to electric operation in 2019.
The council said that Connecting Leeds reflected a new approach to all transport and travel planning and delivery in Leeds, stating: “It has a clear focus on offering a fully integrated transport network across and beyond the city, with services in Leeds connecting seamlessly between communities and also with regional, national and international networks including future plans for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority are continuing to examine options around mass-transit services for Leeds.
Councillor Blake added: “The mass-transit question continues to be one of the hottest topics facing the city. In many ways the debate is now moving on in new directions. Look around the world at the amazing advances being made in automated vehicles. Leeds should rightly be at the forefront of bringing such technology to the UK so we are very keen to explore those possibilities along with the options for more traditional systems. Working together we are very keen to look to the future and how we can bring the latest cutting-edge transport technology to our city and region.”
Chair of the Leeds transport advisory panel Nigel Foster said: “The panel have been impressed by the progress Leeds is making with its plans for transport in the city, building on the £173.5m awarded by government for investment in public transport. Leeds is investing this money in partnership with investment by bus operators to deliver significant improvements to the bus network and transform associated facilities and public realm. The aim is an ambitious target of doubling bus patronage in 10 years. This investment is supported by a very successful and growing park and ride network, offering bus mass transit services into central Leeds.”
The strategy forms part of the wider Leeds City Region economic plan which aims to deliver up to 35,000 new jobs and an additional £3.7billion of economic output by 2036.
