Multi-million pound scheme will begin to improve city’s transport

Work is to start on a major £8.9m transformation of travel infrastructure on Infirmary Street in Leeds this month.

From February 24, Connecting Leeds will begin work to turn the city centre street into a two-way road designed for bus and cycle priority access with provision for local access for businesses and residents.

Some bus stops will be relocated to areas with wider pavements for passengers to wait, and bus facilities will be upgraded. Bus-only restrictions will create more space to improve bus journey time reliability, with the work expected to be completed by winter 2020.

The scheme is part of Leeds City Council’s Connecting Leeds programme to make public transport, cycling and walking more attractive, with a focus on improved bus services aiming to encourage bus use to have doubled by 2026.

It also aims to enhance public spaces as part of a strategy to reduce car dominance in the city centre.

The scheme is in addition to the £20.7m project which is currently taking place on The Headrow.

Leeds City Council executive board member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Lisa Mulherin, said: “These plans are the next step on our journey to improve public transport reliability across the city centre for the future, to improve cycling and walking facilities and a further step towards our aim of increasing the pedestrianisation of the city centre.

“While the works are carried out, there will unavoidably be some disruption for bus users, drivers, residents and people visiting the city centre, but we will work with the contractors, bus operators, local residents and the combined authority to limit this as much as possible.

“We believe the long term benefits the scheme will bring to public transport, active travel, public space and clean air within the city centre will be transformational.”

Councillor Kim Groves, chairman of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “People regularly call for better local public transport in Leeds and through these Connecting Leeds schemes on Infirmary Street and Park Row, the work already underway on The Headrow and forthcoming works at the Corn Exchange and Armley Gyratory, we are investing tens of millions on doing just that.

“All these improvements are designed to support the increased use of buses by making them more reliable and punctual and to support our work to tackle climate change by easing congestion.

“Owing to the way this work is funded by the Department for Transport there will be some disruption in the short term to gain these permanent long-term benefits.”

Paul Matthews, managing director of First West Yorkshire, said: “These latest improvements will enable us to move more people, more easily and more quickly to where they need to be, when they need to be.

“Bus priority is vital in making Leeds a smart city where public transport works for everyone as it allows us to develop timetables that give customers predictable journey times throughout the day.

“We’re pleased to see this project underway and continue to be a committed partner in helping Connecting Leeds deliver bus travel that builds a stronger local economy.”