Park & Ride celebrates first anniversary
Elland Rd Park and Ride celebrates first anniversary
Leeds Park and Ride celebrates 150,000 passenger journeys on its first anniversary.
One year on, Elland Road Park & Ride is saving thousands of Leeds city centre journeys every week. Over 68,000 cars have parked at Leeds� Elland Road Park and Ride in its first year of operation, with over 150,000 passenger journeys made and almost 2,000 cars parked.
The anniversary coincides with the start of national Catch the Bus Week, which aims to encourage people who don�t normally take the bus to give it a try. Overall feedback shows that 99.5% of Park and Ride users would recommend it to others, and a recent survey shows that over 80% of the scheme�s users previously travelled in by car.
Park and Ride expansion
In the light of the Elland Road scheme�s success, plans are in the pipeline to give its temporary, 400-space overflow car park a permanent surface. Also consultation is underway on proposals for a further 1,000-space park and ride at Temple Green in east Leeds.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee Chair Cllr Keith Wakefield said: �By taking thousands of cars a week off city centre roads, the Elland Road Park and Ride is making a significant contribution to reducing congestion in Leeds. And those people using the service instead of driving into the city centre are saving themselves time and money.
�From a starting point of around 200 cars in its first week to 2,000 per week in the space of 12 months, the Elland Road service has been so successful we have plans to extend it and also develop a second site at Temple Green as the appetite for people to use park and ride in Leeds is clearly there.�
Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council�s executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said:
�The success of the Elland Road scheme shows we are starting to convince people to leave their cars outside of the city centre. With the right delivery, location and branding we have been able to prove that people are willing to travel the last few miles on a bus, making a really big contribution to air quality and reducing traffic for buses and other road users.
�The change is not just for the city centre; this scheme has also contributed to a better look and feel for Elland Road. We have shown that park and ride can work in Leeds and will be considering our options for similar schemes in the city. This only works when we get the incentives, advertising and delivery right, so we should be as sure-footed as we look beyond Elland Road.�
Paul Matthews, Managing Director for First in West Yorkshire said: "Elland Road Park & Ride is a good example of how transport organisations work together to reduce congestion and to keep people moving.
"Buses play an important role in Leeds' economic development and all our team are very proud of the achievements in serving over 4000 passenger journeys a week with great value, high quality Wi-Fi buses. We look forward to welcoming even more customers on board.�
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