Next phase of work to transform transport in Leeds city centre begins: These are the bus services affected
New construction work has begun on The Headrow with buses and stops now diverted to the eastbound carriageway for 16 weeks.
There will be one temporary bus stop in the middle of the road combining stops H5 and H6 and a safe pedestrian diversion route back to the southside footpath. Barriers will be in place to protect pedestrians from oncoming traffic.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdStop H10 (Services 1, 1B, 6, X84 and X85) will remain in its current location until the end of January 2020. In January 2020, bus stop H10 will be moved to the middle of the road. This is so that work can be completed on New Briggate.
38 bus services have been on long-term diversion and a number of temporary stops introduced since work on the scheme started in September. Details of these and the latest changes can be found at: wymetro.com/theheadrowLeeds 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.
Once the scheme is complete, the plans aim to improve bus reliability, making bus use and walking a more attractive way to navigate through the city centre whilst substantially enhancing and increasing public space with more planting.
Vicar Lane will be two-way for buses and some general traffic, removing the bottleneck on The Headrow. This will facilitate the closure of traffic to the lower section of New Briggate, which will provide an opportunity to further enhance the pedestrian experience.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLeeds City Council Chief Officer for Highways and Transport, Gary Bartlett said the scheme was on track to completed by autumn 2020.
"We would like to offer our thanks to the public for their ongoing patience while the scheme is in operation. And to also apologise for any inconvenience which has been caused as a result of the works.
“While the next phase is completed, inevitably there will still be disruption. But like in the previous phase, we will continue to work with our partners to limit this as much as we can. Communication is important in a large scheme and we will endeavour to keep the public informed and provide regular updates, particularly on factors such as relocation of bus stops and road closures.
“We work hard all year round with our partners to keep the city moving. Winter is one of the worst times for traffic jams and slow journeys. Along The Headrow businesses will remain open as usual and safety barriers are installed to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFirst Bus Managing Director, Paul Matthews added: “These works are crucial to delivering the improvements to infrastructure that will help tackle congestion and boost reliability. As the works progress, we recognise there is inevitable impact on bus times and I would like to assure our customers we’re working hard with our partners to minimise disruption.
“This includes monitoring services and managing the network from our central control team. Together with record-breaking levels of investment in new, greener buses, we are confident that Connecting Leeds will transform public transport and attract more people to use buses.”