Major changes to Leeds bus services until autumn 2020 as work starts to transform city centre traffic and travel

Leeds City Council's Connecting Leeds programme is set to transform transport in the city centre into world-class gateways for bus users, pedestrians and cyclists, while continuing to provide access for businesses.

From September 1, bus services and stops in Leeds city centre will change as Connecting Leeds starts major works, resulting in closures along the east-bound Headrow.

As a result 38 bus services are being put on long-term diversion with temporary stops introduced.

Buses affected by the diversion are services 1, 1A, 1B, 6, 7, 10, 11, 11A, 27 (formerly the 97), 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 42, 49, 50, 50A, 54, 55, 55C, 56, X56, 60, 65, 72, 75, 508, 757, 781, X6, X11, X26, X27, X84, X85, X98, and X99. Services 200, 201, 201A, 202, 203, 229, 254, 254A, 255 and N9 are also indirectly affected.

These changes will come into effect on Sunday September 1, as soon as the HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leeds event has finished so that the work to transform The Headrow can get underway on the Monday morning. The diversions will be in place until the Headrow scheme is complete, in autumn 2020.

New online timetables for the services affected are now available alongside the current timetables on the Metro website.

Bus users just need to visit www.wymetro.com/bus-timetables and enter their route number.

They will then see the current timetable for their service and a link to the 'Upcoming Timetable from September 1.

Also, the site’s Journey Planner has been updated so if people specify a travel date after Sunday, December 1 , they will receive the new information.

Once the diversions are in place, the yournextbus real-time information service will reflect the diversions and new timetables.

This diversion is expected to add between seven and 10 minutes to journey times. People are also being advised to have a look at the changes and work out which temporary stop best meets their journey plans.

Notices about the changes are on display at affected bus stops and in the city centre. Also, when the diversions first come into effect at the start of September, staff from the Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and the bus companies will be on-street to provide help and advice.

When complete, the scheme will mean improved routes for buses through the city centre, making them more punctual and reliable. It will also create better infrastructure for people who walk and cycle and result in significant enhancements to public space and the quality of life in the city centre.

Coun Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “Details of the routes and services affected by this vitally important scheme to transform the Headrow are now available online. I would suggest people who think their stops and buses may be altered have a look at them before they come into effect from Sunday 1 September.

“We have work with our partners Leeds City Council and the bus operators to keep disruption and inconvenience to a minimum during this work, which will see much better punctuality and reliability for people using buses in the city centre.

Executive board member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, Coun Lisa Mulherin added: “£20 million is being invested in these bus improvement measures, which cover some of the key routes in the city centre, and they support our ambition to dramatically increase the number of people travelling by bus.

“There is always the downside of short term disruption when making such long term improvements. However these works have a significant long term positive impact for the people who travel into or through Leeds City Centre by bus, whilst also making the city centre a more attractive and inviting place to both walk and cycle around.”

“The scheme will also mean improvements for people who walk and cycle and will contribute to improvements in local air quality.”

A spokesperson for ABOWY, the Association of Bus Operators in West Yorkshire, said: “When it’s complete, the Headrow scheme will deliver fantastic improvements for bus passengers and for the public realm.

"During this forthcoming construction phase we would recommend bus passengers to use the Metro website to check on their stops and service and plan their journeys in advance.”

Preparatory work on the scheme began in July. Over £20 million is being invested in the improvements which also include Westgate, Vicar Lane between The Headrow and North Street, New Briggate, Infirmary Street and Park Row, Cookridge Street and small lengths of streets that link them.