Cycle superhighway: Leeds city centre £7.9m route opens

The "missing link" in a major cycle route linking Bradford and Leeds has been officially opened.

The 2.5 mile-long section of segregated road for cyclists in Leeds city centre connects with existing sections of the 14-mile cycle superhighway.

It covers Wellington Street from the west and along Marsh Lane, York Street, Duke Street and Kirkgate from the east.

Developer City Connect said the £7.9m scheme makes it "safer, easier and quicker" to travel by bike in Leeds.

An estimated one million journeys have been made on the cycle superhighway since it opened in 2016, a spokesperson said.

In most cases a kerb is alongside the cycle track or the track is set higher than the road, allowing segregated travel from motorised traffic.

Councillor Peter Carlill, of Leeds City Council, said: "Drivers email me all the time about the amount of cars on the road, whether that's parking or being stuck in traffic.

"Every cyclist we get on this is a reduction in the number of cars in the area, so it benefits them too."

Councillor Kim Groves, of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: "These new sections of cycle superhighway provide an important missing link in Leeds's cycling network, making it safer, easier and quicker to travel by bike."

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