YEP Says: Leeds traffic solution cannot grind to a halt

It came as no surprise to us that transport was one of the key concerns for Leeds’ residents.

Transport in Leeds on agenda with YEP’s big issues survey: Click here for more

YEP Leeds survey - ‘Road congestion continues to be biggest issue facing bus services’: Click here for more

Of the hundreds who responded to our questionnaire online or in print, almost half said they were stuck in traffic in cars or on buses in Leeds every single day – and a further 23 per cent said it happened several times a week.

The results of our survey unsurprisingly echo those of Leeds City Council from its transport consultation.

One of our readers summed up the situation nicely: “Leeds is the largest city in Western Europe without a rapid transport system and congestion will only increase until we get one. It’s the only way to do.”

Our council leader Judith Blake says a rapid mass-transit system remains a key ambition for the city and the wider Leeds City Region and she says they are continuing to work with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on “evaluating possible longer-term options on that.”

It seems progress towards that solution is a little like a journey into Leeds, beset by congestion, delays, diversions and eventually grinding to a halt. We need traffic moving quickly and we need a rapid solution too.