Mass transit moves forward
PROPOSALS TO make £2m available to support the further development of a mass transit system in West Yorkshire have taken their next steps towards completion.
The plans were approved by members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee, and the funding will help support the development of route options and the modes of transport that would be the most appropriate for each.
The West Yorkshire devolution deal, agreed in March and currently the subject of a public consultation, includes a Government commitment to explore the case for a modern low carbon West Yorkshire mass transit system.
The deal will also give the Combined Authority access to a new £4.2bn Government fund to support urban transport development which will be introduced in 2022/23.
The further development of a West Yorkshire mass transit system was among 11 schemes being considered by the Investment Committee at its meeting earlier this month.
Coun Denise Jeffery, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee, said: “Our continued investment in schemes that help improve our transport network while tackling the climate emergency will be essential in the region’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Improved transport is vital to ensuring that we create a more inclusive economy.”
Coun Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, added: “Mass transit is essential to delivering a 21stcentury transport system for West Yorkshire and is crucial to the connectivity plan we are developing to address future transport needs. The West Yorkshire devolution deal has created an opportunity to accelerate this project.”
Plans to build a network connecting Leeds to its suburbs, as well as Bradford, Dewsbury and Castleford were first discussed last year. The system may take the form of a tram, light rail or rapid bus network, though if built it’s unlikely to be up and running before 2033.
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