Connectivity

Transport no longer being a barrier to people accessing jobs, businesses choosing to invest or residents improving their health.

Aim

An overall approach to connectivity that takes the view that transport should not be a barrier to people accessing jobs, to businesses choosing to invest in West Yorkshire, and to improving the health of our residents and visitors. Improvements in transport are a catalyst for change across all these objectives.

What success will look like

A connectivity pipeline of future transport interventions covering bus, rail, cycling, walking, and mass transit and demand responsive transport / future mobility solutions. The pipeline looks at the needs for connectivity to 2040 and has been created to:  

  • Enhance productivity by connecting all of our important places with a focus on our disadvantaged and peripheral groups/communities – for an inclusive economy 
  • Respond to the region’s carbon reduction target - for a sustainable economy 

The pipeline will demonstrate integration and fit between rail, bus, bike, walking, digital demand responsive transport, mass transit and other innovative solutions. 

Progress on a pipeline will help make the case to Government for funding – and help unlock the government's £4.2 billion infrastructure fund linked to the devolution deal.

Strengths

  • A strategy led, evidence led approach to identifying our connectivity challenges and solutions
  • Consistently applied across the whole West Yorkshire geography
  • Recognises the wider travel for work area of the Leeds City Region
  • Responds to West Yorkshire partner councils’ local plan and growth aspirations
  • National Infrastructure Commission provided expert challenge to the approach and methodology  
  • Strong evidence base – with input from West Yorkshire (and North Yorkshire) partners
  • Spatial plans will show which transport mode (or modes) is understood to provide the most appropriate solution for a particular geography
  • Interventions address cross-boundary connectivity gaps

Challenges  

  • High car dependency and traffic congestion impacting on economic performance  
  • Disadvantaged and peripheral communities excluded from economic opportunity  
  • 89% of Transport CO2 emissions from road transport, particularly private cars
  • Some of the worst air quality in the country – caused by vehicle emissions
  • Low levels of physical activity

Policies and strategies

Who’s helping make this happen

  • Transport Committee
  • Local Authority partners