Improvements to this Leeds city centre area will make cycling and bus journeys easier

The construction of a bus lane and better cycling infrastructure on a Leeds city centre street has been completed.
The route forms part of the Bradford to Leeds Cycle Superhighway.The route forms part of the Bradford to Leeds Cycle Superhighway.
The route forms part of the Bradford to Leeds Cycle Superhighway.

The changes to the configuration in York Street will reduce bus journey times, Leeds City Council said.

Around 50 buses per hour use the route.

Transport emissions are the largest contributor to air pollution in Leeds and York Street is the first of many projects which aim to improve the bus infrastructure and reduce emissions from cars.

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These works are the final part of the Leeds City Centre Cycle Superhighway scheme, delivered by the council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme - aimed at encouraging more people to travel by bike and on foot.

The Leeds City Centre Cycle Superhighway connects both the western and eastern sections of the Bradford - Leeds Cycle Superhighway with the city centre, via an extra 4km of segregated routes.

There are plans to add a further 6km of new segregated cycling routes to the city’s network.

The council will soon start to build phase one (4.8km) of the orbital cycle highway, which will run on the outer ring road from Red Hall to King Lane.

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The authority's ambition is to create over 800km of cycle network overall.

Leeds City Council’s executive board member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Lisa Mulherin, said: "Efforts to transform the city’s bus and cycle network form part of a wider plan to address the global climate emergency and improve the city’s air quality.

"It is hoped this project, one of many similar interventions being delivered across the city, will encourage people who would previously drive into the city centre to switch to traveling by bus and bicycle.

"Cars, particularly those with only one occupant, clog up the cities roads and emit carbon and other harmful gases and pollutants into the environment.

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"Using buses and other forms of public transport helps reduce congestion and significantly reduce the carbon and wider environmental impact of transport in the city."

Councillor Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said: "We are proud to be working in partnership with Leeds City Council to deliver high quality, ambitious infrastructure to encourage more people to leave the car at home.

"Helping more of us travel by bike, on foot and by public transport is key to cutting congestion, improving air quality and contributing to our drive to tackle the climate emergency."

Martin Hirst, Commercial Director of First West Yorkshire, said: "We’re pleased to see the York Street bus lane in operation and continue to be a committed partner in helping Connecting Leeds deliver bus travel that builds a stronger local economy."

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"These latest improvements will enable us to move more people, more easily and more quickly to where they need to be, at the time they need to be there.

"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."

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