Leeds City Region’s Transport Strategy setting out a framework for improving transport over the next 20 to 25 years, was launched at the Leeds City Region Summit in Harrogate on Friday 27 November.
Good and continually-improving transport links are key to any successful economy and the new Strategy sets out how local networks must be developed to underpin the success of the Leeds City Region.
In line with the Government policy on Delivering a Sustainable Transport System (DaSTS), the Strategy sets out how the City Region will support economic competitiveness and growth, reduce transport emissions of carbon dioxide to address climate change, promote greater equality of opportunity and contribute to better safety, security and health.
Driving Investment for Economic Growth
Cllr Andrew Carter Chair of the Leeds City Region Transport Panel and the Leeds City Region Leaders Board, and Kieran Preston, Director General of Metro, introduced the new Strategy in a panel discussion entitled Driving Investment for Economic Growth.
They were joined for a panel discussion by Arup’s Nigel Foster, the Department for Transport’s Regional and Local Transport Policy Director John Dowie, Howard Kew the Chief Executive of Financial Leeds and Stuart Archbold Chairman of the Leeds Initiative Transport Partnership and Archbold Logistics.
Key measures
Among the key measures that have been identified to improve local transport are better and quicker local bus services with lower, integrated fares, additional rail carriages and an improved and upgraded rail network, and new provisions to encourage cycling.
Other options being investigated are the provision of more home-to-school transport, strategic highway improvements along major routes into towns and cities, revised land-use policies, demand management and rail freight enhancements.
While the City Region Transport Strategy has identified a number of important priorities, it is recognised further work is needed to refine these emerging conclusions. To make this possible, the Leeds City Region has secured substantial Department for Transport funding to undertake a DaSTS Connectivity Study and examine in more details the various measures identified.
Prioritise
This more detailed study, the first results of which are expected by March 2010, will provide an important framework, helping to prioritise the actions to be taken and delivered between 2014 and 2019 and beyond. The Study’s outputs will also help to inform the development of major schemes and the next Local Transport Plans, which city region authorities have to prepare by 2011.
Link to and Executive summary of the City Region Transport Strategy (pdf 10Mb)
