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Report By
Leeds Today
A NEW £950m transport masterplan is being developed to tackle traffic
congestion in Leeds following the collapse of the city's Supertram scheme.
Ministers last year rejected Supertram as too expensive and now officials at
the city council and Metro West Yorkshire's passenger transport executive
are working on a new strategy to keep Leeds on the move.
It includes short-term projects due to start within the next two years, and
for which funding is in place, through to long-term schemes those more
than five years away such as a comprehensive Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
network and rail electrification between Leeds and York with possibly a new
East Leeds station.
Gap
Among the short-term schemes (2006-08) are:
Completion of the Inner Ring Road;
Construction of the East Leeds Link Road;
Development of the A65 quality bus initiative in Kirkstall Road;
New trains on trans-Pennine rail services;
More trains operating on local rail services;
Increased park and ride at railway stations serving Leeds;
New park and ride site at Stourton.
The cost of the short-term projects is put at over £150m and a report to the
council's city development scrutiny board, a watchdog body, says that while
the bulk of the funding has been secured, a £12m gap remains to be plugged.
More high-occupancy vehicle lanes to encourage car sharing, further
development of the A61 guided busway and possible new rail stations at
Kirkstall, Apperley Bridge, Low Moor and Horsforth Woodside are among a
package of medium term measures 2008-2011 likely to cost about £100m to
implement.
Among the long-term proposals, with a total estimated cost of £700m, are a
tram-train operation on the Harrogate line with a link to Leeds-Bradford
Airport, major improvements to the Outer Ring Road and a new transport
interchange in the lower Aire Valley, where thousands of new jobs are
expected.
Discussions
Various Government cash pots, contributions from developers, regional
development agency Yorkshire Forward and the private sector are among the
sources expected to provide money for the schemes.
The report to the board says the next key step in delivering the strategy is
to enter discussions with a wide range of organisations including the
Department for Transport, bus and rail operators, transport bodies, the
Highways Agency and Network Rail.
It is forecast that 30,000 new jobs will be created in Leeds over the next
10 years.
The report, to be discussed by the board next Wednesday, says the vacancies
will be filled by people from across the region and Leeds will need an
effective, integrated transport system if it is to continue to thrive.
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