People are being asked for their views on plans to improve bus priority measures and facilities for cycling and walking on a key section of the A64. This is part of Leeds City Council’s plans aimed to encourage more people to travel by bike or on foot, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Key areas of improvement along the route have been identified on the A64 and are specifically between Marsh Lane on the edge of the city centre, and Whinmoor. The proposed scheme aims to improve times, accessibility and the reliability of bus journeys, reduce congestion and encourage people to walk and cycle more; all of which will contribute to improvements in air quality.
For the purposes of the survey, the scheme has been split into five areas, and people can comment on as many or as few of these areas as they like. The closing date for responses is Sunday 25 July 2021 at 11.59pm.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate said: “The planned improvements for this part of the A64 are part of our long-term Connecting Leeds cycling and transport ambition to provide more efficient public transport and better connected routes for people living and working in Leeds.
“Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact, it’s also been a catalyst to more people walking and cycling and it’s important in the context of the Leeds climate emergency that we capitalise on this and make improvements to Leeds’ walking and cycling infrastructure.
“I would really encourage people to have their say and comment on the online proposals as their views in how this is shaped are very important. Our ambition is for Leeds to be a zero carbon city by 2030 and in order to achieve this we need to make travel in and around Leeds as easy and as efficient as possible, where people don’t feel the need to bring in their car.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “I'm committed to improving public transport, tackling the climate emergency and protecting our environment.
“That’s why I’m delighted people are being asked for their views on plans to make it easier and safer to travel more sustainably along this key route in Leeds.”
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, who is nominated to be Transport portfolio holder for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is Leader of Bradford Council, said
"We are pleased to be working in partnership with Leeds City Council to make travel by bus, bike and on foot an even more attractive option to travel in this area. Providing an accessible, attractive and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, and we encourage everyone to make the most of this opportunity to shape these plans.”
This project is being funded through the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) a new £457 million transport infrastructure investment programme, being delivered by the Combined Authority in partnership with local authorities. The funding allocation for this specific A64 bus priority scheme, announced in March 20210 is £7 million. Providing an accessible, attractive and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of TCF, which will improve journeys by bus, rail, bike and on foot for up to 1.5 million people.
To find out more information on the proposals and to provide your feedback, members of the public are encouraged to visit the project website at www.bit.ly/A64consult and complete the online survey. There is also going to be an online event on Wednesday 30 June at 6pm, to present the proposals and give people the opportunity to ask questions about the scheme. Anyone interested in joining this event can do so at www.A64.consultation.ai.
For anyone requiring alternative formats of the consultation materials, they can request these by emailing yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk or by calling Metroline on 0113 245 7676 between 7am and 8pm Monday to Saturday or 8am to 8pm on Sunday.
Leeds City Council declared a climate emergency in March 2019 with the ambition to become a net-zero carbon city by 2030. The A64 scheme is one of a series of initiatives the Council is introducing to help achieve this target. For more information visit https://leedstransportstrategy.commonplace.is/overview
