Dewsbury Road cycle lane work begins as Connecting Leeds scheme aims to create 500 miles of safer cycling routes

Part of a £6.9m package of new infrastructure, the 1.5km segregated cycle lane will extend the existing Dewsbury Road route by adding a section between Garnet Road and Beeston Ring Road.

The scheme is part of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme, run in partnership with Leeds City Council.

The announcement about construction beginning comes as the Yorkshire Evening Post continues its Unlock the Gridlock campaign which sets out five key transport priorities, including making our city better for walking and cycling.

Work has begun already on a new 3km segregated cycling route between Elland Road Park and Ride and the city centre, while a segregated cycling and walking route in Claypit Lane is nearing completion.

The work to improve Clay Pit Lane for people travelling by bike and on foot between north Leeds and the city centre includes a 1.3km segregated route between Chapeltown Road and Woodhouse Lane.

The new section will link to existing routes in Meanwood Road and provide people with a safer crossing over the Inner Ring Road.

Importantly, that scheme also includes a new continuous route for people travelling on foot into the northern part of the city centre.

Coun Kim Groves, who chairs the combined authority's transport committee, said: "Enabling increasing numbers of us to travel by bike and on foot is more important than ever, not only as we look to address the health, transport and economic challenges created by Covid-19, but also in helping us achieve our aim of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“These important schemes will provide communities in Beeston, Holbeck and Hunslet, as well as those in the north of the city, with high-quality cycling and walking routes and the Dewsbury Road scheme will provide an important missing link in the existing network to create a continuous 4.4km segregated route for south Leeds."

As well as setting net zero carbon targets for the city, the council has committed to creating 500 miles of safer cycling routes across the city as part of its Connecting Leeds programme.

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Coun Lisa Mulherin, the council's executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said the aim was to make walking and cycling natural everyday choices for both exercising and commuting.

"Every new piece of segregated cycleway in Leeds gets us nearer to the 500 miles of cycle network we are aiming to deliver across the city," she said.

“In this Covid-19 recovery phase, Leeds is creating many more new routes which offer improved safety for people who walk and cycle, offering convenience and championing health and wellbeing for our residents."

The projects have been backed with £6.5m from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, delivered in partnership with the combined authority, through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal - a £1bn package of Government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The combined authority is also working with West Yorkshire's five councils to deliver a package of measures, including new cycling and walking infrastructure, to help people move around the region safely in response to the pandemic.

This work includes £12.5m of short and longer-term schemes, which are being funded through the Government’s Active Travel Fund.

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