Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Providing an accessible, attractive and cleaner alternative to car journeys is at the heart of Leeds City Region’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) - a major new programme of transport infrastructure investment secured as part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal.

The programme will be funded through £317 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) plus local match funding of up to £140 million.  

In partnership with local authorities, the Combined Authority will deliver transformational infrastructure, which will dramatically improve people’s access to walking, cycling and public transport.

It is estimated TCF schemes will improve journeys by bus, rail, bike and on foot for up to 1.5 million people, take up to 12 million car trips per year off our roads and reduce CO2 emissions from car travel by up to 15,000 tonnes by 2036.  

Communities across Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York are set to benefit from the schemes, which include new or improved bus and rail stations, cycling and walking infrastructure, and new Park and Rides.

The programme will deliver:

• two new Park & Rides
• one new rail station
• four new foot and cycle bridges
• six new or improved bus stations and interchange hubs
• new high quality cycle routes along six corridors
• bus priority along six key bus routes to create more reliable and faster bus journey times
• 800 new cycle parking spaces
• seven improvements to Rail Station Gateways
• new Real Time Information and improved passenger experience across the network.  

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is working in partnership with local authority colleagues from Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire, Selby, Wakefield and York councils on the TCF programme.

It is estimated TCF will:

• improve journeys by bus, rail, bike and on foot for up to 1.5 million people
• take up to 12 million car trips per year off our roads by 2036
• make 33 million rail journeys easier by improvements to rail stations
• increase bus, rail, and walking and cycling trips by up to 6%, 4% and 7% respectively by 2036
• reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1.5% / 15,000 tonnes from car travel by 2036
• create more than 1,000 jobs and add up to £1 billion to the economy by 2036
• support connectivity to 650 housing sites and 220 employment sites

As part of the West Yorkshire devolution deal, the Combined Authority secured £317 million from the DfT’s TCF programme to deliver schemes in the low-cost scenario.

Since then, the Combined Authority has approved the use of future gain share funding, alongside other income streams, to deliver the high-cost scenario up to an additional £140 million.  

This additional funding will help us deliver more transport improvements, which will benefit communities across West Yorkshire. 

This work is more important than ever, not only as we look to address the health and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in helping us achieve our aim of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

We need to reduce car trips by 21% and increase cycling trips by 2,000%, walking trips by 78%, bus strips by 39% and rail trips by 53% if we are to achieve our ambitious net zero targets in this time frame. 

The programme will connect people to economic and education opportunities through accessible, affordable, attractive and cleaner transport, boosting productivity and helping to create healthier and happier communities for the future.  

Through the programme and building on the significant progress already made, we are working in partnership to transform our town and city centres for walking and cycling, improve bus reliability and journey times, and investing in our region to prepare for HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

Communities across Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York are set to benefit from the schemes, which include new or improved bus and rail stations, cycling and walking infrastructure, and new Park and Rides.

The programme is focused on connecting people in the communities of greatest economic need with job and training opportunities.  This will, in turn, help boost productivity, living standards and air quality.   

There are 22 packages of schemes, comprising 35 individual projects, within the overall programme.

Different schemes are at different stages, right through from the development of business cases and designs, to gearing up for public consultation, with Halifax Bus Station redevelopment due to start on site in spring 2021.  

Find out more information at westyorks-ca.gov.uk/TCF 

The schemes funded through the DfT need to be delivered by spring 2023, with schemes financed by local match funding being delivered beyond these timescales.

To date, there has been minimal impact of the programme as a result of COVID-19.  The majority of the projects are at the early stages of development and much of the work required can be carried out virtually.   As the schemes move to the next stage of delivery, we will continue to monitor the impact and identify any risks to delivery.  

We are also looking at best practice ways of delivering public consultations and engagement activity to ensure all members of the community get the opportunity to have their say on TCF schemes during COVID-19.  

The full implications of COVID-19 on the region, the economy and the transport system are still to be understood and the impact on the Combined Authority’s programmes and schemes to date has been mixed. 

We are working closely with our local authority partners at every level of our appraisal process to ensure delivery timescales have taken into account the current issues and that each scheme is stress tested to ensure its ongoing viability. 

In the wake of COVID-19 it is more important than ever to assess the changes to the landscapes of our towns and cities, and the impact on current and future planned schemes, particularly, but not exclusively, those relating to transport. 

The impact of COVID-19 in relation to travel behaviour into and around towns and cities is assessed as part of each scheme’s appraisal. 

While public transport patronage is currently lower than pre COVID-19 levels, it remains a priority to invest in public transport infrastructure to both help with economic recovery and to have the required infrastructure in place to respond to an increase in demand post-COVID-19. 

A range of options are being developed as part of each business case to determine the best scheme, which will include a range of options up to the high-cost scenario.

As part of the devolution deal, the Combined Authority secured £317 million from the DfT’s TCF to deliver schemes in the low-cost scenario.

Since then, the Combined Authority has approved the use of future gain share funding, alongside other income streams, to deliver the high-cost scenario up to £140 million. 

It will build on the significant investment already made through the Combined Authority’s other programmes, such as the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, Connecting Leeds and CityConnect.

Many of the TCF schemes provide enhancements or extensions to the projects being delivered through these programmes, helping to spread the benefits across a wider geography.  

The programme is focused on connecting people in the communities of greatest economic need with job and training opportunities.  This will, in turn, help boost productivity, living standards and air quality. 

For more information about the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund visit westyorks-ca.gov.uk/projects/west-yorkshire-plus-transport-fund 

For more information about Connecting Leeds visit leeds.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/connecting-leeds-and-transforming-travel 

For more information about CityConnect visit cyclecityconnect.co.uk 

Find out more information about the Transforming Cities Fund programme at westyorks-ca.gov.uk/TCF

Public consultation and engagement activities are taking place throughout 2021.  

Details of the TCF consultations can be found at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk. You can get in touch with the Combined Authority’s Consultation and Engagement team via YourVoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk, 0113 245 7676 or Freepost CONSULTATION TEAM (WYCA).  Please note that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the majority of the Combined Authority’s staff are working from home and there will therefore be significant delays in receiving any postal contributions. If you can, please contact the team using another method to ensure a quick response.

The bid was led by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in partnership with the 10 local authorities across the Leeds City Region. It was developed in two stages, with a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) submitted to the DfT in June 2019. The final bid was submitted to the DfT in November 2019. The bid documents can be found at westyorks-ca.gov.uk/TCF

The bid was developed in partnership with local authorities across the Leeds City Region, including Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, North Yorkshire, Selby, Wakefield and York. The bid was also co-developed with the DfT, which provided feedback on the plans as they emerged. In line with other Mayoral Combined Authorities, we are required to feedback on the progress of the programme’s delivery.  

The programme is focused on connecting people in the communities of greatest economic need with job and training opportunities.  This will, in turn, help boost productivity, living standards and air quality. 

As part of the bidding process, the Combined Authority was asked to develop a series of schemes, which could be delivered under three different cost scenarios (low, core and high).   Each scheme needed to meet the Combined Authority’s priorities, as well as objectives set out by the DfT, such as reducing carbon emissions, and increasing capacity for commuters with better access to employment centres, especially from disadvantaged communities. 

Schemes put forward by local authorities were scored against the objectives before being reviewed as a programme.  Once agreement had been reached between local authority and Combined Authority officers, the programme was signed off by each of the leaders, as well as members of the Combined Authority’s Transport Committee.   

Bradford Council, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, is bringing forward a flagship programme of forward-thinking transport schemes, alongside major public space enhancements, that will help us shape and drive forward Bradford’s future regeneration in the city centre and beyond. Our overarching vision is to create a greener, more sustainable, accessible, and vibrant district that has immediate benefits for people living, working, visiting and studying in Bradford today, that also paves the way for future investment across the district.  

The proposals being brought forward by Bradford Council will reduce reliance on car travel and contribute to reducing congestion across the district, providing cleaner air, protecting the health of local people, creating greener, more attractive public spaces and providing opportunities for regeneration. These changes will support Bradford’s ambition of becoming the UK’s leading ‘clean growth’ district and act as an enabler to the City of Culture BID.

Bradford’s Transforming Cities Fund schemes form an important part of a wider programme of forward-thinking transport and regeneration schemes being brought forward across the district that are helping us shape and drive forward Bradford’s regeneration in the city centre and beyond. 

Through TCF, new public spaces and planting will be created in the city centre, to improve the look and feel of the area and make the city centre an increasingly attractive place to spend time. It will also support more cycling and walking in the city centre to better connect different areas while reducing the impact of major roads that currently dominate parts of key areas in the city centre. Achieving this is crucial to attracting more people to live, work and socialise in the city centre – increasing vibrancy, and attracting new employers to the district, bringing jobs and investment.

Bradford’s TCF programme is also essential to reducing the current reliance on car travel and subsequent congestion across the wider district, ensuring our air is cleaner air to protect people’s health. This will be crucial in fulfilling our ambition of becoming the UK’s leading ‘clean growth’ district and the wider region’s ambitions of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

Investing to improve sustainable transport options in Bradford is in everyone’s interests, making it easier for more people to get about, allowing us to grow the economy and create jobs, increase the vibrancy of our city centre, and support our City of Culture BID. 

The designs of cycle routes at bus stops will be in accordance with the latest design guidance, such as LTN 1/20. Each bus stop location design will be carefully considered as part of the more detailed design phase, and many factors will be considered such as the type of shelter, the busyness of the bus stop, and the type of cycleway which is proposed.

The West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension is an ambitious proposal to better link Bradford city centre to key areas of west Bradford via a new largely segregated cycle route along Thornton Road. The scheme would provide cyclists with a safer space to travel easily and conveniently between the city centre and areas to the west of the city.

The proposed main route runs along the length of Thornton Road, passing the University of Bradford and Bradford College, and Girlington, Crossley Hall and Lower Grange, before reaching the village of Thornton. 

Bradford Council are also exploring options to connect the cycle route with the Bradford Royal Infirmary via a northern spur. Various route options for the spur are currently being explored and will be further developed after the initial consultation.

The scheme will also tie into the Great Northern Railway Trail, utilising the current southern spur from Thornton to Queensbury, supporting the longer-term ambition to provide a direct route from Bradford to Halifax via the potential Queensbury Tunnel cycle route.

At some major junctions along the cycle route, cyclists could be given priority over motor vehicles to allow them to travel more quickly between the city centre and Thornton village. Some side roads may need one-way restrictions or closures along Thornton Road to support the changes.

The Transforming Cities Fund has been brought forward by government in order to improve access to jobs and encourage low-carbon, sustainable modes of transport such as cycling, walking and public transport. With this in mind, a major aim of the West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension is to provide people living along the route with a greater number of transport choices, making it easier for residents in the west of Bradford to make short, local journeys, as well as journeys into the city centre by cycling and walking. 

By providing people with a greater number of options to get around, this will help to reduce the number of car trips made along this corridor and in the local area, helping to reduce carbon emissions and congestion along Thornton Road as well as well as improving air quality and journey times and reliability for public transport. The new cycle route further west also offers the benefit of boosting leisure cycling in the district through better connections to the Great Northern Railway Trail.

The West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension will complement other TCF and highways schemes planed for Bradford to help create a transport network fit for the 21^st century, addressing key challenges around capacity, connectivity, sustainability and air quality. 

The scheme also aims to support residents living in the west of Bradford to live healthier lives by providing people with the opportunity to be more active, while helping to reduce air and noise pollution in the area. Poor air quality currently leads to around 40,000 premature deaths per year in the UK.

Thornton Road is one of the city’s major radial routes with an average daily traffic flow of over 23,000 vehicles. It provides a connection from the city centre to residential, education and employment areas in west Bradford, including the University of Bradford, Bradford College and Bradford Royal Infirmary. The University of Bradford currently has a cohort of approximately 9,000 students, with living accommodation incorporated both on the campus and off site (immediately adjacent to the route), and Bradford College has 20,000 students. Both attract a large number of students from across the wider district, as does the hospital. 

The west side of the city centre area serves multiple communities but has poor provision for walking and cycling, with no dedicated segregated cycling route currently in place. This has led to a reliance on private vehicles to carry out even short journeys, with Thornton Road acting as one of the main arterial commuter routes into the city centre.

These factors suggest there is significant scope to increase the numbers of people who cycle to get about the area, and the route will provide a missing link in the strategic cycling network across the district.  

Bradford is the UK’s the youngest city, and we are striving to become the UK’s leading ‘clean growth’ district. Making Bradford more sustainable is crucial to our future success, however, we currently lack the necessary infrastructure to enable people to make sustainable travel choices. 

Thornton Road is one of the city’s major routes, with over 23,000 vehicles driving along it every day. It provides a connection from the city centre to residential, education, and employment areas in west Bradford, but is transport poor in terms of walking and cycling. Approximately 30% of the population living within 1km of Thornton Road are under the age of 20 – and 70% are under the age of 50. So, it is thought that more people could walk and cycle more if it is easier and safer to do so.

With no dedicated segregated cycle route in place at present, many people who access the city centre rely on using a car. By linking the city centre with key areas in west Bradford, including the University of Bradford, Bradford College and Bradford Royal Infirmary, the scheme will increase the number of realistic options for people to use to get about Bradford without a car. The scheme has also been designed to complement previously delivered strategic cycling schemes to the east, north and south of the City through CityConnect and other funding programmes.  

This will help to reduce congestion along the Thornton Road corridor, helping public transport to become more reliable and reaching our carbon reduction targets, continuing to grow our economy and creating jobs through clean growth.

Encouraging more people to walk, cycle or use public transport to travel into and around the city centre will ultimately help improve localised air quality, especially if these trips have previously been made by private car. The TCF programme has also been developed closely alongside wider plans to improve air quality across the city and contribute to Bradford’s move towards becoming net zero carbon.  

The West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension is an ambitious proposal to better link Bradford city centre to key areas of west Bradford via a new largely segregated cycle route along Thornton Road. The scheme would provide cyclists with a safer space to travel easily and conveniently between the city centre and areas to the west of the city.

The proposed main route runs along the length of Thornton Road, passing Girlington, Crossley Hall and Lower Grange, as well as the University of Bradford and Bradford College, before reaching the village of Thornton. 

Bradford Council are also exploring options for a northern spur off the proposed cycle route along Thornton Road, which would connect the route into Girlington and the Bradford Royal infirmary.

The scheme will also tie into the Great Northern Railway Trail, following the current southern spur from Thornton to Queensbury, supporting the longer-term ambition to provide a direct route from Bradford to Halifax via the potential Queensbury Tunnel cycle route.

At some major junctions along the cycle route, cyclists could be given priority over motor vehicles to allow them to travel more quickly between the city centre and Thornton village. Some side roads may need one-way restrictions or closures along Thornton Road to support the changes.

The provision of the proposed high-quality segregated route will follow the latest national guidance on cycling infrastructure to provide a safe and attractive route for all users.

Bradford Council are also exploring options for a northern spur off the proposed cycle route along Thornton Road, which would connect the route into Girlington and the Bradford Royal infirmary, as part of future scheme development.

The scheme will also tie into the Great Northern Railway Trail, following the current southern spur from Thornton to Queensbury, supporting the longer-term ambition to provide a direct route from Bradford to Halifax via the potential Queensbury Tunnel cycle route.

The Thornton Road cycle route would tie into the improvements being brought forward in the city centre to create a better environment for cycling and walking between leisure and retail areas.   This would provide connections into our existing, wider cycle network including routes to Shipley, Leeds and south Bradford as well as National Cycle Network Route 69 allowing people to make longer journeys safely by cycle.

By supporting the creation of a cohesive cycling network across the district, the scheme would help to make Bradford a more sustainable city, which is crucial to our future ambitions to become the UK’s first clean growth district. 

As part of the Bradford City Centre Cycling and Walking Improvements scheme, cycle lockers will be  provided at key city centre locations, providing secure bike storage. Cycling stands are also already available in various locations across the city centre.

The TCF programme includes complementary activities to encourage the take up of cycling, walking and public transport, led by the Combined Authority. This package of activity includes initiatives to provide improved cycle parking at businesses, schoools and local community facilities.

Additional cycle parking is also going to be provided in prominent locations funded through the Active Travel Fund. 

Encouraging more people to cycle is a priority for National Government who have recently shared their commitment to improving cycle infrastructure in the recently released ‘Gear Change’ paper. Our aim is to make cycling safer and to provide improved routes that are clearer for people to follow because that is what they have told us is stopping them traveling by bike. 

Especially for shorter trips, cycling is an efficient and quick way to get around, and evidence shows that many more people would cycle were the right facilities provided.

Getting as many people as possible to cycle is in everyone’s interests, whether they cycle or not, if we are to grow our economy without adding to emissions and poor air quality and reduce the impact of traffic congestion. 

A spur route refers to a shorter route which forms a branch from a longer, more major route. In the case of this scheme, the largely segregated Thornton Road cycle route from the city centre to Thornton village is the main route, and there are two ‘spurs’ proposed off this route. The first ‘southern spur’ will connect Thornton to Queensbury via the existing Great Northern Railway Trail, and the second northern spur would connect Thornton Road to the Bradford Royal Infirmary.  

No – the Queensbury Tunnel is a separate scheme and the TCF funding does not allow for the opening of Queensbury Tunnel. 

The Department for Transport is funding further work to develop options for how the tunnel could be part of a new green transport link between the historic northern hubs of Bradford and Halifax, in a bid to boost connectivity and to further explore the engineering requirements and costs associated with ensuring the tunnel is safe for any future construction.

There is a long way to go before the Council arrives at a decision about the Queensbury Tunnel project and what that scheme would entail. This is a longer-term aspiration.

It has not yet been decided if the spurs to the BRI, as well as improvements to the Great Northern Trail, will be carried out at the same time as the Thornton Road cycle scheme is built. This will depend on the more detailed scheme design which will be completed after this consultation.

In order to support the scheme, at some major junctions along the cycle route, cyclists could be given priority over motor vehicles to allow them to travel more quickly between the city centre and Thornton village. 

Some side roads may need one-way restrictions or closures along Thornton Road to support the changes. However, as yet, no decision has been made on which side roads will be restricted or closed.

Modelling is yet to be carried out to assess the impact on traffic volumes. The design process for these changes is still ongoing and modelling of the changes to traffic will be carried out in due course.

The nature of the changes that may affect you depends on your location, however, access for businesses and residential access will be maintained. Please send us further details of the specific location of your property/unit and we can provide more details.

If we can improve infrastructure for cycling, we enable more people to cycle, which helps improve neighbourhoods, reduces congestion on the roads and improves air quality. For the past 50 years or so, most of transport investment has focused on the road network for cars. This funding is specifically targeted at addressing this imbalance and improving more sustainable transport options – something that is crucial if we are to grow our economy and create jobs without adding to congestion and pollution.  

We want to make cycling a viable option for people and to deliver routes which are safer, convenient and continuous so that cycling becomes an attractive option for travelling to a destination, particularly when it comes to getting people to work at rush hour. Giving cyclists priority at some junctions will help achieve this.

Overall, it is likely there will be a loss of some parking as a result of the scheme. However, the location and number of parking spaces lost has not been confirmed and will be looked at as part of the more detailed scheme design.

By improving cycling and walking infrastructure, it is hoped those who are able to cycle and walk for longer distances will find it easier and safer to leave the car at home. If we can get people to make journeys via cycling, walking and public transport, this frees up the road for everyone, ensuring quicker journey times for all.

With national legal targets and local policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and a requirement to improve air quality, if we do not improve travel options for more sustainable means of travel, we will be unable to grow our economy and increase prosperity in the district. Addressing these points is therefore in everyone’s interests, whether you are able to walk or cycle, or not. 

Currently there are no plans to remove disabled parking anywhere along Thornton Road.

The cycleway is being designed using the latest guidance in LTN 1/20 whose design principals are based around accommodating a wide range of cycles including trikes and cargo bikes. LTN 1/20 states that inclusive design and accessibility should run through all of these core design principles, and designers should always aim to provide infrastructure that meets these principles and therefore caters for the broadest range of people.

While e-scooters are a less carbon emitting form of transport, it is currently illegal to operate privately owned e-scooters on public roads or pavements, they would therefore not be allowed on the Thornton Road cycle route.

This scheme doesn’t include any major changes for public transport and instead is focused on walking and cycling infrastructure to encourage more people to travel on foot or by cycle rather than by car when making shorter journeys. In turn, this should free up more road space for buses to provide more reliable journey times. A number of bus services also already operate along Thornton Road. 

Infrastructure improvements for bus services will be made elsewhere in the city, however, under other Bradford TCF schemes, including to and from the city centre and as part of the South Bradford Park & Ride and Expressway proposals, as well as the City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme.

We are working closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the bus operators on the development of the TCF proposals. There may be some changes to the locations of bus stops and the types of bus stops provided, with a view to improving provision where possible.

Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, we will be unable to hold face-to-face consultation events during this consultation. We are, however, embracing a wide range of communication methods including postcards, leaflets and a dedicated consultation website for people to see the plans, provide their views and give feedback.

Bradford Council has so far developed early-stage proposals for the Superhighway project, as well as the other three TCF schemes aimed at improving the options in Bradford for sustainable travel and improving the local environment. We want to find out the public’s views on the scheme before progressing to the detailed design stage. We want to ask for feedback on the proposals via the public consultation to ensure that we have considered all opportunities and possible issues when looking at how and where to deliver these changes. Your feedback will help us to understand where we can make improvements to the proposed schemes and allow us to be confident that our proposals are comprehensive.

After the public consultation, the plans for the four schemes will be further developed in line with the feedback received and an Outline Business Case for Bradford TCF will be produced, which will go to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for consideration later in the year. Once the Combined Authority have fed back on the Outline Business Case, a Full Business Case will then be developed and submitted for final approval, ahead of scheme implementation. There is a tight turn around for delivery of the TCF schemes, with all schemes required to be completed by spring 2023. Therefore, we hope to be able to begin work on the first elements in early 2022.

The current consultation is the first opportunity to comment on the form of the proposals planned for Superhighway Extension scheme. People can comment by email, post, freephone telephone or online. Through the consultation, we want to gather the views of all interested and affected parties.  

After the consultation, we will test and refine our plans to secure the confirmation of funding for each project. Later in the process, there will then be additional consultation to support the further design of the scheme, ahead of finalisation and implementation. Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide comments at this stage of the process also. 

After the public consultation, the plans for the scheme will be further developed in line with the feedback received and an Outline Business Case for Bradford TCF will be produced, which will go to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for consideration later in the year.

Once feedback on the Outline Business Case has been received, a Full Business Case will then be developed and submitted for final approval, ahead of scheme implementation. 

The DfT element of the funding for the TCF programme has a spend deadline of spring 2023. Work is progressing to deliver schemes within this funding deadlines. We hope to be able to provide more details on proposed implementation timescales in the autumn once designs are progressed further and the scheme business case is completed for approval by the Combined Authority.