Member Article

Financial injection for transport schemes

A number of diverse West Yorkshire transport projects, including a raft of improvements to Leeds City railway station, are set to benefit from a funding boost.

The money has been approved by West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authrority (WYITA), the statutory body charged with co-ordinating the provision and development of high quality public transport services in the five West Yorkshire districts and York.

More than £12.5 million has been allocated for work to start at Leeds station. Schemes include a new south entrance; improvements to the New Station Street entrance and north concourse, where passengers will enjoy a better choice of shops and restaurants; and 350 extra parking places.

Improvements, which are designed to ease congestion, provide better facilities and improve the overall image, experience and environment of the “gateway to Leeds”, are in response to a predicted rise of more than 60% in the number of people using the city’s station between 2011 and 2029.

The transport authority has also given the go ahead for a number of other projects, including the development of electric vehicle charging points across West Yorkshire, which it is hoped will encourage more drivers to switch and innovations to make Metro’s yellow school bus vehicles greener.

WYITA covers the five West Yorkshire districts and York. It has developed 29 schemes under the £1 billion West Yorkshire ‘plus’ Transport Fund proposals, with completeion anticipated by 2015, creating an eventual 4,000 jobs.

The resulting transport improvements are expected to create an extra 18,000 jobs in the region by 2036.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Gatehouse .