We asked attendees at Leeds State of the City 2020 to draw their ideal transport future for Leeds. Here is what they came up with…

1. Visions of a Green Transport Future for Leeds

2. At Leeds State of the City 2020 we asked
attendees to draw their ideal transport future for
Leeds.
Some drew solutions for specific transport issues
like their own commute, others set out to
redesign the whole system.
Here is what they came up with…

3. • Green hubs around parks in
suburban neighbourhoods
connected by an underground
• Tramlines running from the
hubs across the city centre
• Cycle and pedestrian only zone
in the city centre and along the
canal/river

4. • Light rail to add capacity to the
network with lines running into
the city centre and circular lines
connecting the near suburbs
and outer suburbs and villages

5. • Pedestrianised city
centre with
travellators, lifts and
bike lifts
• Underground to
connect suburbs
• Car-free tram /
cycling / walking
routes in and out of
the city centre
• Express bus
running around the
outer ring road
stopping at tram
hubs
• Integrated and
affordable cross-
mode ticketing …
or… tax cars and
make public
transport free

6. • Public transport in
concentric circles
around the outside of
the city connecting
suburban
neighbourhoods with
connections to city
centre as well
• Reliable trains!!!
• Better signage and
maps (like London
transport map), not
only digital but also
physical maps
accessible to those
without smart phones.

7. • Public transport Hubs in a ring
around Leeds connecting outer
suburbs and villages to inner
suburbs
• Hubs connect to city centre and
to other hubs via circular route
• Free bus running in a circular
route around city centre

8. • Pedestrianised city centre with
blue badge parking only. Former
car parks become greenspaces,
playgrounds and secure bike
parking
• Good bus services running in a
circular route around Leeds as
well as into the city and to the
larger greenspaces (Roundhay
Park, Temple Newsam,
Middleton Park etc…) Frequent
buses with less competition
from traffic
• Safe walking routes into city
centre from nearby dense
housing areas
• Good cycle paths in a ring
around the city and connecting
to parks
• Park and Rides on the outer ring
road with connections into city
and to the circular
neighbourhood buses. Hopefully
mostly used for electric vehicles
so with lots of charge points.
• Reopen train line to Otley

9. The Urbal Fix, Tom Bliss
• Co-located train/bus
stations in the city
centre and in hubs
outside the centre
(Headingley,
Roundhay, etc.)
• Circular tram line
connecting suburban
neighbourhoods with
lines connecting to the
city centre as well
• Pedestrianised city
centre

10. • Revive the tram connecting
inner suburbs to city centre
• A bus system that works
following outer ring road
• Pedestrianised city centre
• Safe walking/cycling routes
connecting city centre to inner
suburbs

11. • Better, safer
walking routes into
city centre from
inner suburbs (e.g.
Beeston, Holbeck)
• Public transport
running in a circular
route around inner
suburbs
• Segregated cycle
routes in and out of
the city
• Congestion charge
in the city centre

12. • Produce a Leeds
Transport Green
Paper—a holistic path
to zero carbon for
consultation.
‘Connecting Leeds’
isn’t enough
• Congestion charge
inside outer ring road
for all non-electric
vehicles
• Off-road cycle paths
into city
• Whole inner city
20mph speed limit
• Limit car entry into city
from ring road—
congestion charge, bus
priority, park & ride
• WYCC take control of
all public transport
systems
• Cycle and pedestrian
priority in road
planning
• Rail and bus hub with
cycle hire in city centre

13. • Congestion charge
on vehicles coming
into the city centre
from 6.30am to
10am would cut
commuting
• Residents parking
or 2 hour parking
only in inner
suburbs (e.g..
Headingly, Hyde
Park, Holbeck)
• Shuttle buses from
Elland Road Park
and Ride (and
others) to
Headingley Stadium
when matches on

14. • Clean Air Zone
encompassing the city
centre and inner
suburban areas.
• Charges for both
commercial and
private vehicles
• Create the space for
sustainable public
transport, busses,
cycles etc. and reduce
‘carte blanche’ private
car transport in city

15. • Rail connection to Roundhay
Park

16. • Train links connecting suburban
neighbourhoods in the North
East Leeds to central Leeds

17. Spine & Ribs System
• Bus corridors along the
major routes in and out
of the city
• “Rib” bus services
connecting
neighbourhoods
between the corridors
• Park and Rides outside
the outer ring road

18. • Segregated cycle routes from
North West Leeds into the city
centre

19. Specific transport solution for a
network of schools:
• Electric minibus to shuttle
staff and students between
schools/sites (marked with
an X on the map)
• Increase capacity on trains
to/from places like
Wakefield and Barnsley
where people avoid taking
the train due to inadequate
capacity
• Make train fares more
affordable (driving and
parking should not be
cheaper than taking the
train)

20. • Pedestrianised city centre
(walking, cycling and e-
transport only)
• Rail links into the city
• Public transportation / personal
transport interchange nodes in
a ring around the city centre