By Daniel Wood
The regional body has launched its application for government cash to fund projects across the county.
Transport chiefs in West Yorkshire have submitted their bid for funding to upgrade the county’s creaking infrastructure. Huddersfield train station, Huddersfield bus station, Dewsbury bus station, and Heckmondwike bus hub could all potentially be upgraded if the application is accepted.
The Leeds City Region organisation says if it gets £½ billion cash it has applied for, it will create two new park and rides, six new and improved bus stations, 800 new cycle parking spaces, six key priority bus routes, improvements to seven rail stations and one new station.
Dewsbury is penciled in for a new bus station and high-quality walking and cycling routes to the town centre and Kirklees College.
The new bus hubs planned for Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike will include improvements to bus reliability and cycling and walking routes on the A638 between Dewsbury and Bradford and from Batley towards Leeds on the A653.
A new segregated cycle route between Huddersfield Town Centre and east Huddersfield is also proposed.
Clr Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leader of Bradford Council said: “Through this ambitious City Region Transforming Cities Fund bid we are setting out how we plan to improve people’s access to employment, education and training and our businesses’ ability to grow, invest with access to a valuable and skilled local workforce.
“Crucially, it addresses the challenges currently experienced by our most disadvantaged communities where people are cut off from opportunities because they don’t have access to affordable and sustainable travel.
“This bid will provide local people with a real alternative to traveling by car, enabling them to make sustainable journeys that are better for their physical and mental well being and our environment and it will enable us to reshape our town and city centres by putting people at their heart.”
The new facilities would improve the journeys of 1.5m people and take 12m car trips off the road, according to officials.
They are predicted to create 1,100 jobs by 2036 while giving a £1bn boost to the economy.