Reallocating road space to buses and high occupancy vehicles in Leeds

Securing the most efficient use of existing road space to maximise the efficient and sustainable movement of people and goods has emerged as one of the key issues for urban transport planners. For over ten years Leeds has been implementing an integrated transport strategy, a central part of which is to secure greater efficiency from the existing road network. This paper outlines these policies and focuses on the practical aspects of reallocating road space and traffic capacity by reference to three different projects in Leeds. The measures discussed cover traffic management in the city centre and priority issues on major radial corridors, including the various approaches being adopted within a ‘quality bus initiative’ on a busy radial corridor. The example of the pioneering A647 scheme is used to show how high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes can not only assist public transport but also benefit motorists.