A scheme to improve access to Leeds Train Station started on site on Monday 16th August. It is a direct
response to the aspirations raised at the city centre vision conference 2008, to
improve access between the station and city centre for pedestrians and cyclists.
It will improve access between the station and east side of City Square
by widening the footpath and the waiting area for pedestrians on either side of
Bishopgate Street. Provision for cyclists will be improved by adding a new
eastbound cycle route towards Boar Lane.Currently thousands of
pedestrians crossing Bishopgate Street between the station and Boar Lane are
squeezed into a very small congested space. For cyclists, the only cycle route
is on Boar Lane travelling west towards Wellington Street and the station
Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive member
with responsibility for development & regeneration said:
“Here we have a large volume of pedestrians and cyclists trying
to get across in a very confined area surrounded by a lot of traffic. This
scheme will significantly improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists at one
of the most important locations in the city centre.
“We have planned for
the more disruptive part of the roadwork to take place during the school
holidays which is a quieter time on the roads. However, in the meantime, we do
ask that motorists bear with us as once the scheme is complete it will
significantly improve access around that part of the city centre.”
The
work will involve:
• increasing the width of the crossing on Bishopgate
Street and converting it to a Toucan (pedestrian and cycle crossing), with
shared footways at the approaches;
• increasing the space available to
pedestrians waiting to cross by reducing traffic lanes from three to two on
Bishopgate Street. This reduction in lanes is made possible because over
20% of traffic travelling through the city square area is through traffic .
Encouraging this traffic to use more suitable routes such as the Inner Ring Road
will remove traffic from City Square providing a better visitor experience, hence achieving
the objectives of the last city conference.
• creating a new eastbound route
for cyclists from the Toucan crossing to Boar Lane;
• the existing cycle
track will be retained for cyclists on Boar Lane travelling west towards
Wellington Street and the railway station via the existing advanced stop line on
Bishopgate Street;
• traffic signal changes to support the work.