£30m cycling boost for West Yorkshire

The Tour de France Credit: ITV Sport

The Department for Transport has announced plans to create the longest continuous cycleway in the north of England - fourteen miles from east Leeds to Bradford City Centre. It plans to regenerate the Leeds Liverpool Canal Towpath in the process, 'connecting key employment and regeneration sites' along the way.

With £18.1m of Department for Transport funding and £11.2m of local funding, the plan is to triple current cycling levels to 12% of all journeys. A new organisation will be established to implement the plans.

Key features of the plans include:

  • Leeds cross city cycle superhighway, including improvements through the centre of Stanningley

  • Leeds City Centre Cycle City Loop; improving the cycle connectivity of the city centre

  • Canal towpath upgrade, high quality resurfacing of the Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath between Armley and Shipley

  • High quality cycle parking in Leeds City Centre to complement existing provision in Bradford, and at key points on the superhighway

  • 20 mph scheme expansion