Posted on October 27, 2010

Whilst the Leeds Trolleybus is not quite dead yet – the probabilities are against it; taking two-thirds of the national budget for such schemes is a tall order.  We want to suggest a way forward.

Be Strategic!

In looking at any proposal there is a fundamental need to be strategic – especially if we are to attract both public and private sector funding.  We are referring to the route.  Any network needs to work beyond the boundaries of Leeds – it’s obvious really we need a connection to Bradford.  Other similar connections could work on a park and ride basis where commuters from the south and north could be convinced to switch modes to public transport.

By doing this the argument to central government is one of linking labour to jobs – labour that needs jobs too!  Just look at the tram routes of Sheffield, Nottingham, Croydon and Birmingham.  Some of these proposals came after Leeds Supertram and are now built.  A bid from two local authorities coming together will work for central government.

The Mode(s) (Proposition)

It is also worth thinking about what will make people make the modal shift.  Will a trolleybus make the commuters from Ilkley, Harrogate and beyond get out of their cars?  The frequency and quality of service needs to be exceptional.  There are others that can answer this question; it may be that we need to switch to different modes for certain routes.  For instance West Yorkshire still has a number of suburban rail lines which could be exploited further through investment.  This could include new stations as well as improved rolling stock and better frequency.  It could be argued that this is already happening with the stations proposed at Kirkstall Forge and Woodside Quarry – we need to expedite these.

Funding

Realistically Central Government Funding is needed.  However there are some opportunities that are emerging from the actions of the coalition.  These include more flexibility for local authorities in terms of borrowing and the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) mechanism (borrowing against future rates revenues).  Some elements of a  strategic transport plan could therefore be financed by the Council and then the monies repaid overtime from new development and the rates revenue that comes from that development.  Leeds and Bradford Councils are already working together on the Leeds/Bradford Corridor.  Lets designate this as a TIF project and fund a trolleybus route connecting the two City Centres.  The corridor has several development opportunities along it and these need to be prioritised too.

Resolve

We cannot be beat by this.  Both Cities need high quality public transport.  Both are choked at peak times and having a range of responses may be the way forward.  Being bold and taking the government’s own suggested solutions, we must deliver a number of these improvements.