New study ranks Leeds among Europe's worst for city centre transport links with thousands affected

Centre for Cities research shows that only 38 per cent of Leeds’s population can reach the city centre in 30 minutes

This is in stark difference to the similar-sized Marseille, where 87 per cent can.

Data published today (Tuesday, March 22) shows more than four million people living in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Newcastle are unable to travel to their city centres via public transport within 30 minutes, restricting them from employment and education opportunities.

The research shows just 35 per cent of residents in Northern cities are well connected to their centres on average, while nearly seven in ten are in their European equivalents.

Costing the Northern economy more than £16bn in lost productivity.

A Leeds City Council spokesperson has insisted the city is hard at work to improve the links.

“Over the past three years the council has already made big progress in the delivery of people-first infrastructure and public spaces across the city centre. There’s been around £200 million invested in improving Leeds City Centre." read a statement provided to the YEP.

“The transport strategy promotes a range of solutions intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions towards the council’s climate emergency 2030 target. This means creating better experiences that make it easier for walking and cycling, along with seeing public transport more reliable and accessible."

This year, Leeds council will continue to deliver £100 million of transformative highways works to overturn historic barriers and issues developed from the ‘Leeds Motorway City’ of the 1970s.

Development plans include local rail improvements like Kirkstall Forge and works now starting at White Rose station, with future plans for Thorpe Park and Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway station.

Centre for Cities Chief Executive Andrew Carter said:

“Last month the Government outlined its ambition to create a ‘global city’ in every part of the UK by 2030, yet our research shows that major cities across the North are lagging far behind their European counterparts in terms of connectivity and providing thriving public transport networks.

“Our reliance on car-dependent low-rise suburbs is keeping local transport revenues down and costing the country billions of pounds in lost productivity - money that could otherwise be spent on building successful London-style transport systems in city regions across the North."

Further to the city council approach is plans to re-route traffic away from the city centre on to the more appropriate Inner Ring Road and the M621 orbital route.

This will follow the closure of City Square, that will enable public transport, walking, cycling and public realm plans to be realised across the city.

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