Q2
West & North Yorkshire Business
26 TRANSPORT
Connectivity & infrastructure
Following the release of their Connectivity Infrastructure Plan, which sets out a long-term transport infrastructure investment programme for the next 20 years, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been conducting consultations with key private sector partners. The Chamber’s Transport Group have been keenly engaged, and after assessing the Plan in detail, submitted a response.
• To create a world class, integrated public transport system that connects different modes of transport seamlessly into one comprehensive, easy to use network.
The Plan introduces several key investments, most notably “a new, rapid transit system for West Yorkshire […] linking all of our key places with an easy and reliable service”. Keen to highlight its acknowledgement of environmental factors, WYCA also stress that the Plan is grounded on being part of “a green revolution”.
• To use transport and a supportive planning process to create clean, safe and healthy places for communities and businesses.
WYCA’s Plan is accompanied by several constituent parts, all of which highlight different key areas of policy, including: • Mass Transit 2040 Vision • West Yorkshire Strategic Bus Network Review • West Yorkshire Rail Vision
• To deliver a step-change in the reliability of journey times for people, goods and services. • To significantly improve air quality through reducing congestion and traffic emissions to near zero.
The following are a summary of comments made from members of the Transport Board and are made in the context of the Chamber providing overall support as described above. The Chamber notes that Leeds City Council is consulting on its Transport Strategy ‘A city where you can leave your car at home’. Given the relationship between the two documents it will be important that the documents align and are complementary.
In preparation, the Chamber have recently outlined our Transport Priorities, by which we would assess the Plan, and found that overall there is strong alignment on a number of these priorities. In particular;
The Connectivity Plan is clearly ambitious which is welcomed, however, there also needs to be focus on delivery and how the scheme is funded and delivered in phases. After a number of failed attempts to get a Mass Transit system in West Yorkshire, it’s important to ensure that this time a Mass Transit scheme appropriate to each route under consideration is delivered.
• To support and encourage inclusive growth through connecting people to better living standards and jobs, and to significantly improve health and overall wellbeing of the people living and working here.
Given the scale of the Mass Transit Network and the high level timescale indicated for delivery, have the Combined Authority looked at the time is has taken other Cities to deliver their network as a way of checking the
• Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans • Future Mobility Strategy
feasibility of what is shown? The Chamber supports the Combined Authority’s ambition to make West Yorkshire’s future transport system central to achieving the region’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2038. In addition, we support the focus on Walking and Cycling. Integration between modes has been a key focus area for the Chamber and its members. We need to do a better job of integrating between modes and the Strategy is positive if it seeks to achieve that. We like the fact the Strategy is looking at transport with land use as it is important we have an integrated approach – our view is that in the past, the planning and transport links have been broken. Clearly, as a result of the timing of the production of the document, there is nothing in the document about the impact of Covid. We’d welcome the Combined Authority reviewing the Strategy in light of the changes of behaviour experienced as a result of Covid. We also believe that Active Travel trips have health benefits and these should be recognised, alongside the social and community benefits from reduction in noise, particulate generation and injury events which would arise from a reduction in road traffic. The Chamber believe the Connectivity Infrastructure Plan and the supporting documents align well with the Chamber’s Transport Priorities and, in principle, is very supportive of the Plan and the level of ambition shown.
