Consultation launches on West Yorkshire travel improvements 

The second stage of consultation has launched today to improve two key roads linking Leeds to Wakefield and Pontefract.

Run in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the consultation aims to make it safer and more accessible to walk, wheel and cycle, as well as improving bus reliability. 

The consultation follows on from a previous public engagement where residents were asked about initial proposals for the schemes. Results from the first round include:

  • When asked about the zone in which there were proposed improvements to A61 Jumbles Lane and Carlton Lane junctions, 53% of respondents felt positive towards the proposals, while 28% felt negative.
  • When asked about the zones in which there were proposed improvements to B6481 Pontefract Road, 52% of respondents felt positive towards the proposals, while 33% felt negative.

For the A61 in Lofthouse, the proposals focus on two key junctions which have known safety concerns, lack of safe crossing points for school students and pedestrians, and cars travelling at speed – the A61 Jumbles Lane junction and the A61 Carlton Lane junction.

Improvements to B6481 Pontefract Road, from Thwaite Gate to M1 junction 44, focus on creating a segregated cycle track along the route, linking to existing cycling provision on the A639 Thwaite Gate, allowing residents a safer and more direct route to Leeds City Centre and the ability to access businesses along the industrial estate, which often operates night-time shifts which are not suited to public transport use.

If the proposals were to go ahead, a £9.14million funding pot from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund, ringfenced to transport schemes, would be invested to carry out the works – £2m for the A61 and £7.14m for Pontefract Road.

Following feedback, the council is proposing to deliver these improvements first to meet the funding deadline, subject to the second round of consultation. The remaining proposals which are not currently being taken forward may be revisited in future should funding become available.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

“This scheme will create a safer and more accessible experience for all types of road user on these roads. The proposals help people access Leeds City Centre, local amenities and employment by creating alternative, sustainable ways to travel to essential destinations.

By offering safe and easy alternatives to the car, we can help to meet our Leeds Transport Strategy targets and create a prosperous, less congested Leeds, with healthier residents”.

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