Map shows what Leeds could look like with new cycle lane network

Leeds City Council has laid out its plans to introduce segregated cycle lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods across the city.

The red lines represent cycle lanes that are already being implemented, in areas such as Little London, Holbeck and Kirkstall.

Work to complete the cycle lane along the A65 Kirkstall Road is expected to finish in late June after it was fast-tracked due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This work will include installing semi-permanent bollards from Vesper Walk to the city centre in order to separate cyclists from traffic.

The shaded area between Hyde Park and Burley represents plans to turn the area into a low traffic neighbourhood.

This involves removing traffic on identified streets.

Leeds Council said more areas will follow in a bid to create a safer space for walking and cycling whilst keeping access for local residents.

The blue lines represent roads that will be considered as potential zones for cycle lanes.

These areas are being investigated after an interactive consultation with the public who were asked to share ideas to improve travel on the platform Common Place.

Seventy one percent of the Common Place respondents supported reducing traffic speed or volume measures to keep those using active travel safe.

Sixty nine percent of contributors to the Common Place page supported measures to reduce traffic on residential streets permanently.

Fifty percent of those surveyed who own a private vehicle said they expect to use it less in the coming months.

Double Olympic triathlon champion and Active Travel ambassador Alistair Brownlee MBE, has backed the plans.

Mr Brownlee said: "I’m thrilled the city council is responding so quickly to aim for 100kms of new temporary ‘pop-up’ cycle lanes, along key routes in the city.

"As someone who trains nearly every day on Leeds roads, I’m sure people will welcome the opportunity and feel the improved safety.

"As more people start travelling back to the city centre for work and leisure, we need them to think bike is best for shorter distances or to carry on walking.

"With reduced public transport capacity due to social distancing, the roads in Leeds will need people to consider other ways of getting about other than their cars and swapping for active travel.

"If all who can introduce more walking and cycling into their day to day lives, it’ll have huge physical and mental health benefits.

"This is a great opportunity to make massive leaps to transform active travel."

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said: "The council’s aspiration is to make cycling a natural everyday choice for travel particularly on shorter journeys.

"To do this we are introducing measures to improve the safety and convenience of walking and cycling which will support the health and wellbeing of people living and working in Leeds.

"We hope that these measures will encourage Leeds residents of all ages who have enjoyed walking and cycling as part of their daily exercise during lockdown to keep up that physical activity which we know has both immediate and long term physical and mental health benefits.

"Maintaining the much cleaner air that has been realised as a result of less traffic on our roads in lockdown will improve environmental sustainability, again have huge health benefits and benefit the city’s wildlife which has flourished over the last three months.

Coun Mulherin added: "We want to embed a positive cycling and walking culture in Leeds. We have invested over £30m on cycle superhighways in the last few years and we have a further 15km of segregated cycle routes from existing programmes in construction this year.

"To achieve our ambition of 800km of segregated cycle routes and respond swiftly to this current situation we need to find quicker and cheaper ways to deliver this network on all our main roads in the city.

"Following the A65 Kirkstall Road, we are looking at pop-up segregated cycle lanes on other arterial routes, we’ve had lots of interest from other schools keen to join the school streets initiative and we’re very excited about introducing our first active travel neighbourhood."

People are able to comment on the proposals on the Common Place platform.