FAQs

The Thornton Road Improvements Project is a series of walking, cycling, landscaping and junction improvements to the Thornton Road corridor.

It includes the previously consulted on ‘West Bradford Cycle Superhighway Phase 2’ and the ‘Four Lane Ends Corridor Improvement Scheme’ as well as additional improvements to the area as a whole.

The funding we have received to deliver this project has come from central government and has been ringfenced, so we are only able to spend it on walking, wheeling and cycling transport projects like this one. We would not be able to spend any of the funding on day to day Council services, like bin collections or social care.

The project is being managed by Bradford Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The project has been proposed for several important reasons:

• Addressing gaps in cycling infrastructure: The west side of the city centre is currently not well-served in terms of walking and cycling provision. There aren't any dedicated segregated cycling routes in place, which has led to an over-reliance on private vehicles for short journeys. The proposed cycleway would improve and open new travel options for people to get about, and will offer a cheap and convenient way to travel while enhancing links to job and educational opportunities.
  
  
• Managing a major transport corridor: Thornton Road is one of Bradford District's major transport routes with an average daily traffic flow of 23,147 vehicles. It provides a vital connection from the city centre to residential, education, and employment areas in west Bradford. By providing real alternatives to the car, we can reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, improve air quality, and enhance health outcomes.
  
  
• Demographic opportunity: Research shows there is a good opportunity to encourage uptake in walking and cycling in the area if the right facilities are in place. Around 30% of the population living within 1km of Thornton Road are under the age of 20, and 70% are under 50, which are the key demographics most likely to adopt walking and cycling (based on 2017 figures). Additionally, around 30% of households along the Thornton Road corridor do not have access to a car or van.
  
  
• Promoting active lifestyles: Providing better cycling routes will give people the opportunity to lead more active lives, helping to improve health and wellbeing within our communities. The proposals particularly focus on making it safer for people to get around near the schools along the Thornton Road corridor, making it safer and easier for children and parents to walk, wheel, or cycle for local school journeys. By 'wheeling' we mean scooters, wheelchairs, mobility aids, and people with pushchairs.
  
  
• Integration with other initiatives: The Thornton Road Improvements Project would complement other transport schemes in the district. These include the completed transformation of Bradford city centre, the Manchester Road Bus Improvements Scheme, National Cycle Network Route 66, Phase 1 of the West Bradford Cycle Superhighway (nearing completion), and the A650 Connect: Wakefield Road and Tong Street Scheme (being consulted on in 2025).
  
  
• Reducing emissions: Bradford recently introduced a Clean Air Zone, but more action is needed to help the city progress towards becoming a carbon-neutral, prosperous, and healthy place to live and work. With transport being a major contributor to air pollution and carbon emissions, the Thornton Road Improvements Project would make journeys to the city centre quicker, more reliable and more sustainable, which can help improve air quality along the route.

As a result of previous consultations held, several changes have been made:

• The cycleway would now end at Spring Head Road instead of continuing into Thornton village (though this extension is hoped for in the future)
  
  
• Additional and improved pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities have been added
  
  
• Cycle parking has been incorporated along the route
  
  
• Some bus stops would be moved to improve safety, convenience and accessibility.

The project would include:

• Two existing junctions converted to 'CYCLOPS' junctions to improve safety.
• New and improved crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Enhanced public spaces with additional planting and landscaping along the corridor
• New segregated cycleways on both sides of Thornton Road (2.9km eastbound and 2.6km westbound)
• Changes to 13 bus stops to improve safety, convenience and accessibility.
• Changes to some parking restrictions
• Changes to side roads to improve safety and traffic flow

Cyclists would benefit from 2.9km of new segregated cycleway eastbound and 2.6km westbound along Thornton Road, designed to the latest LTN1/20 cycling standards. The route includes two new CYCLOPS junctions that provide safer passage by routing cyclists around rather than through busy intersections, 11 new cycle crossings, 13 junctions with improved cycle facilities, and some 'bus stop bypasses' that route cyclists behind bus stops to avoid conflict. Cycle parking would also be provided at key locations along the route.

People who walk and wheel would benefit from four new formal crossings, 13 improved signalised crossings, safer CYCLOPS junctions with dedicated crossing points, improved pavements, additional landscaping along the route, and safer, more convenient and more accessible bus stops.

By ‘wheeling’ we mean scooters, wheelchairs, mobility aids and people with pushchairs.

The impact on car users would be minimal, as the cycleway would mainly use space from pavements, verges, and particularly wide traffic lanes.

Junction capacity would be increased for cars at the Thornton Road/Cemetery Road/Allerton Road junction.

Some changes include narrowing junctions and implementing continuous footways across side road junctions, left turn bans at the Thornton Road/Cemetery Road/Allerton Road junction, one-way restrictions on part of School Green, closure of Vine Terrace East at its junction with Thornton Road, and minor adjustments to some parking areas.

There would be some changes to parking:

• The unrestricted parking area west of Green Top Street would be shortened to accommodate the proposed improvements.
  
  
• The unrestricted parking area between School Green Avenue and Hoyle Ing Avenue would be shortened to improve the pedestrian crossing next to Hoyle Ing Avenue.
  
  
• The informal parking spaces on Thornton Road, directly outside the School Green shops, would be removed to accommodate the cycleway. Instead, formal parking spaces would be added on School Green close to the shops – space would be made for the parking spaces by making School Green one-way.

The cycleway would largely be accommodated by taking space from wide pavements and verges, as well as where the road is particularly wide along Thornton Road, with minimal impact on general traffic lanes. Some changes to junctions and side roads are proposed to improve safety and overall traffic flow.

The proposed changes to side roads include:

• Where possible, side road junctions would be narrowed and a continuous footway installed to give people who walk, wheel and cycle priority over cars, and make side road junctions safer.
  
  
• Vine Terrace East would be stopped up from its junction with Thornton Road.
  
  
• School Green would become one-way northbound for a short section from its junction with Thornton Road.
  
  
• At the Thornton Road/Cemetery Road/Allerton Road junction, both left turns from Thornton Road into Allerton Road or Cemetery Road would be banned.

Continuous footways are based on an approach applied in The Netherlands which gives priority to pedestrians at the approach to side road junctions rather than to motor vehicles as is currently the case.

Footpaths would run continuously across junctions at the same level as the pavement, and road traffic will have to travel over the raised footway via ramps to exit the junction. This would slow traffic down to enhance safety

There are a number of properties along Thornton Road which have dropped kerbs and driveways which have been installed without having obtained the relevant planning permissions.

While designing the project, we have made every effort to accommodate the dropped kerbs and driveways which do not have planning permission. As a result, the vast majority of these would be able to be retained when the project is completed.

However, in a few cases, the project cannot accommodate dropped kerbs and driveways which do not have planning permission and Bradford Council would need to take enforcement action. If you live in a property where your dropped kerb and driveway cannot be accommodated, you will receive a separate letter from our planning enforcement team to let you know.

If you live in a property with an unauthorised drop kerb please be aware that the planning enforcement team may begin legal proceedings against you should a breach be identified and it be determined that it is expedient to do so.

If you wish to apply for planning permission for a dropped kerb and driveway, you can visit the Bradford Council application webpage which can be found here: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/transport-and-travel/highways/dropped-kerbs-and-crossovers/

If you have a dropped kerb and driveway which does have the relevant planning permission, then this will be accommodated in the project.

Where we can accommodate driveways, the cycleway buffer which is the piece of kerb between the cycleway and the road which separates cyclists from cars, would be dropped to enable cars along Thornton Road to maintain access to their driveways.

Some trees would need to be removed to accommodate the cycleway. Nine trees would definitely need to be removed, with a further 20 possibly needing to be removed. We won’t know whether we need to remove the additional 20 trees until we are on-site constructing the scheme, as it would depend on root structures under the ground.

However, the scheme would deliver an overall biodiversity net gain through additional planting and landscaping along the corridor. Around 95 new trees would be planted, alongside other planting and landscaping, making the corridor more pleasant.

In addition to this, the overall package of schemes which are being and have been delivered through the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) have delivered an overall biodiversity net gain for the district. The schemes delivered through TCF include: 

• The Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme
• The Bradford Interchange Improvements Scheme
• The Manchester Road Bus Improvements Scheme
• The West Bradford Cycle Superhighway Scheme

A CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction completely separates people walking, wheeling and cycling from vehicles to reduce the risk of conflict or collisions. The main difference is that cyclists are offered a safer route around the junction rather than through it. The junction features a cycle path "ring" that acts like a roundabout with signal-controlled crossings, allowing cyclists to navigate the junction safely while pedestrians use an inner "ring" of crossings.

There are pedestrian crossings on all sides of the junction to provide pedestrians and people who wheel a safe place to cross the cycle lane.

For motorists, the junction functions similarly to other signalised crossroads. Motorised traffic stops at the lights whilst cyclists and pedestrians have their green light signal and once pedestrians and cyclists have passed, motorised traffic will get the green signal to continue driving and will be able use the junction like normal.

These two junctions would be those connecting Thornton Road/Cemetery Road/Allerton Road (Four Lane Ends) and Thornton Road/Chat Hill Road/School Green.

A total of 13 bus stops along Thornton Road would be moved slightly to improve safety, convenience and accessibility.

At some bus stops, there would be 'bus stop bypasses' where a cycleway is routed behind a bus stop, keeping cyclists, pedestrians and bus passengers separate.

The vast majority of affected bus stops would only move by a few meters to improve access and road safety.

The westbound Rhodesway bus stop would move around 40 meters. This bus stop currently blocks cars from getting around buses when they stop, and the bus stop would be moved so that traffic can continue to flow while buses are picking up and dropping off passengers. This bus stop would also be upgraded to have a shelter with seating as part of the project.

The project is funded through a combination of the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF), West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund and City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, subject to the project being approved

The junction of Cemetery Road/Thornton Road/Allerton Road (Four Lane Ends) is being funded by the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund.

The development of rest of the project, between this junction and Spring Head Road, is being funded through TCF.

Further extensions of the network of cycleways in west Bradford would be delivered through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).

The money we have received to develop and deliver this project has been received through central government via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The money we have received is ringfenced to spend on transport and active travel schemes and cannot be spent on anything else, like delivering other council services.

Bradford’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) 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.

The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is targeted at enabling key development areas and will help to create about 20,000 new jobs. A number of strategic transport projects will be delivered to facilitate growth identified in the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP), which encompass:

• Orbital road improvements
• Radial improvements on corridors for better public transport options into our urban centres
• Road and rail improvements between district hubs to provide capacity and better connectivity
• Enhanced rail station gateways with increased car parking capacity for park and ride.

The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) is aimed at providing an integrated and inclusive transport network and was made possible thanks to the West Yorkshire Mayoral devolution deal. In 2023, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority was awarded additional funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund which will further build on the CRSTS programme.

You can provide feedback on the planned works by attending public consultation events, participating in the online survey at https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/thorntonroad/surveys/thornton-road-improvements-project , writing to us at BFD Freepost, emailing us at Thornton.road@future-bradford.co.uk, or calling us on 0808 196 9119 (9am-5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays). You can also request materials in alternative formats, including printed copies of materials, alternative languages, and braille.

The consultation period starts on Wednesday 25 June and concludes on Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 11.59pm.

Once this consultation closes, we’ll carefully review all feedback and publish a summary report online.

If approved, construction is expected to begin towards the end of 2025 and take approximately 18 months to complete.

You can get in contact with the project team via the following methods:

• Email: Thornton.road@future-bradford.co.uk
• Freephone: 0808 196 9119
• Write to: Freepost BFD Highways