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South Bradford Park and Ride Scheme

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Please note that this consultation has now closed. Thank you for taking part. Responses have now been analysed and the results are posted in the Consultation Outcome Report.

To view all updates on this project please visit the Future Bradford website.

Introduction

Manchester Road offers residents, commuters and visitors a convenient way to get to and from the centre of Bradford. Connections run between Halifax, Manchester, Huddersfield, Brighouse and the M606 motorway. At present, an average of 37,329 vehicles travel both ways each day, causing significant congestion, delays and health impacts for local people.

To reduce congestion and offer real, practical alternatives to driving into the centre of the city, Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority are proposing a series of improvements in a project called the South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme. The improvements include:

  1. Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements: New, dedicated bus priority measures along Manchester Road (the A641) to allow for more reliable bus journeys. This includes new bus lanes in operation at peak times, and priority at key junctions.

  2. Active Travel Cycle Route: An improved cycling route including upgrading and adding to infrastructure which forms part of National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66. The route would also link in to the City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme and the West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension, offering cycle commuters a network of routes and greater connectivity into other modes of transport.

  3. Park & Ride: A new Park & Ride facility on the city’s outskirts formed of a car parking area and bus terminal, on land currently used for event parking at the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre. The former Richard Dunn Sports Centre building would remain unaffected by the facility.

The improvements aim to reduce congestion, reduce bus travel times and reduce pollution levels along a key route into Bradford city centre. They will also help to complement the City’s Clean Air Zone and help to deliver a less polluted, healthier Bradford while meeting our target of reaching net zero by 2038.

As well as this, they will complement plans already being worked on in Kirklees, Calderdale, other parts of Bradford, and the Combined Authority on the more southern stretch of the A641, to help provide better connections for the communities between Huddersfield, Brighouse and Bradford.

A stock image of a person boarding a bus at a park and ride.

How can I get involved?

On this webpage you will find information to help you understand what is proposed and what has changed since the first round of consultation that took place in summer 2021.

We recommend you look at the maps, read the plans, and view the frequently asked questions, before you complete our survey.

We will also be holding some face-to-face events where you can find out about the proposals from the project team and ask them questions. These will take place on:

  • Thursday 23 November 2023 between 2-6pm at the Sedbergh Sports Centre, Cleckheaton Road, BD12 0HQ
  • Thursday 30 November 2023 between 1-5pm at City Hall, Centenary Square, BD1 1HY
  • Tuesday 12 December 2023 between 4-7pm at the Mayfield Centre, 35 Broadway Avenue, Bradford, BD5 9NP
  • Tuesday 9 January 2024 between 4-7.30pm at St Matthews Primary School, Ivy House Road, Bradford, BD5 8FG

The proposals

The South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme is made up of three individual parts:

Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements
The targeted bus priority measures along Manchester Road would see buses given priority at key junctions and traffic lights, a bus lane between the junctions of Smiddles Lane and St. Stephen’s Road, and improved access to the segregated busway on Manchester Road.

To support the new priority measures and the City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme, Croft Street Gyratory is also currently being re-designed to facilitate quicker bus movements through this area.

These changes would enable more reliable bus services along the Manchester Road corridor.

The Active Travel Cycle Route

A cycle route would be introduced between the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre site and the city centre as part of this scheme. The new route would provide cyclists and pedestrians with safe, secure space to travel easily and conveniently away from the main roads between the city centre and areas to the south of the city.

The scheme would use and upgrade existing cycling routes which form part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66. A new high-quality cycleway, and shared space, would be constructed to provide links from the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre site where they are currently missing. National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66 also provides onward connections to the Bradford Leeds Cycle Superhighway, the Bradford Canal Road Cycleway and shortly to the West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension to Thornton village.

The Park & Ride

To complement the bus and cycling measures and offer further choices for people travelling into and out of the city centre, a Park and Ride is proposed next to the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre between the M606 motorway and Manchester Road.

Our proposals are for the site to be accessible from Rooley Avenue via the existing car access located on the eastbound carriageway of Rooley Avenue. Buses would access the site via the existing car access located on the southbound carriageway of Manchester Road.

It could provide approximately 650 parking spaces, a terminal building and amenities. The amenities are yet to be decided but could include seating, toilets and cycle parking.

The former Richard Dunn Sports Centre building, which is Grade II listed, as well as the remaining land, would remain unaffected by any work to the car park on land situated next to it.

We are still at very early design stages with the possible Park and Ride and so have designed a layout plan which shows what the site could look like if our aspiration for a Park and Ride service goes ahead.

Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) is funding the development work for the Park and Ride scheme and delivery of the Active Travel Route and the Bus Enhancements. The delivery of the Park and Ride (car park) will be covered by alternative funding.

An overview map of the bus priority improvement measures on Manchester road, the active travel route running adjacent to the bus route, and the proposed park and ride at the Richard Dunn site.An overview map of the bus priority improvement measures on Manchester road (in orange), the active travel route (in white) and the proposed park and ride at the Richard Dunn site.


How have the plans changed since our last consultation?

In summer 2021, we consulted on proposals for a full Park and Ride scheme. Since then, the project team has been able to review all comments from local residents, businesses and stakeholders, and created a set of new proposals. Due to significant levels of inflation, we have also had to assess the original proposals against the budgets available and as a result of all this work, we are proposing the following changes:

  • A fully segregated, two-way bus expressway along the middle of Manchester Road was previously proposed as part of the initial consultation. However, due to inflation increasing the price of materials, we have had to re-design the bus proposals to maximise the benefits funding can deliver. This means the expressway will not be taken forward. As part of the bus expressway, bus hubs were proposed along Manchester Road, but these will also not now be taken forward. Existing bus stops will be used instead.

  • The cycle route was originally proposed as a segregated cycleway along the length of Manchester Road itself. However, given space and inflation constraints, combined with the benefits of moving the route away from the main road (and so upgrading and integrating into NCN Route 66, giving less confident cyclists a greater feeling of safety), it is now proposed to move the cycle route to make use of quieter side streets with lower volumes of traffic. The route will still meet best practice and LTN120 standards where possible.

  • The proposals as a whole were formerly planned and consulted on as a full Park and Ride next to the Odsal Stadium. However, following feedback received in the first round of consultation, it has been decided to deliver the three aspects. The Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements and the Active Travel Cycle Route would be delivered in the first phases, and a second phase would deliver Bradford’s ambition for a Park and Ride facility.

Benefits

Bradford has already made great strides towards improving the city’s air quality by introducing a Clean Air Zone.

Together, the improvements which form the South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme aim to reduce congestion and offer greater options for people travelling into and out of the city centre. They will help reduce the local and regional impacts of the current level of traffic using Manchester Road, by giving viable alternatives in both the bus network and cycle provision, allowing people to make a choice. By implementing largely segregated cycle ways along the length of the route, the scheme will increase safety for people cycling and encourage those who were previously concerned about safety to take up cycling, which is an inexpensive and convenient mode of transport.

The improvements also have potential to be of significant benefit for Bradford’s visitor economy in the future, with the Park and Ride facility offering greater flexibility for people attending events, concerts, or activities at the range of venues in the city centre.

These improvements will help to create a transport network fit for the 21st century as well as addressing key challenges around capacity, connectivity, sustainability and air quality.
A person using a cycle lane.

Have Your Say

We are interested in receiving feedback from local residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders on how these three schemes may affect them. All of this feedback will be taken into consideration before consulting again on the next stage of the schemes – this will not be your final chance to have your say on these proposals.

You can leave feedback in whatever way works best for you. Fill out our survey below or contact us at:

Email: info@future-bradford.co.uk

Freephone: 0808 196 9119

Freepost: Freepost BFD Highways.


The consultation has been extended and will run for nine weeks. The closing date for comments is midnight on Monday 15 January 2024.

If you have any questions about this survey or the project itself, ask us a question.

If you or someone you know is unable to access information online, please get in touch with us using the contact details above. We can arrange a different way to provide information – such as sending more information in the post – so that you or they can get involved.


Next Steps

Once this public consultation is complete, the plans for the South Bradford Park and Ride Scheme will be further developed; all feedback received will be considered and an Outline Business Case will be produced. This will go to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for consideration in early 2024.

Once the Combined Authority has provided feedback on the Outline Business Case, a Full Business Case will then be developed alongside further engagement, and submitted for final approval before any work begins.

If approved, the scheme would be constructed during 2025 and 2026.


Please note that this consultation has now closed. Thank you for taking part. Responses have now been analysed and the results are posted in the Consultation Outcome Report.

To view all updates on this project please visit the Future Bradford website.

Introduction

Manchester Road offers residents, commuters and visitors a convenient way to get to and from the centre of Bradford. Connections run between Halifax, Manchester, Huddersfield, Brighouse and the M606 motorway. At present, an average of 37,329 vehicles travel both ways each day, causing significant congestion, delays and health impacts for local people.

To reduce congestion and offer real, practical alternatives to driving into the centre of the city, Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority are proposing a series of improvements in a project called the South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme. The improvements include:

  1. Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements: New, dedicated bus priority measures along Manchester Road (the A641) to allow for more reliable bus journeys. This includes new bus lanes in operation at peak times, and priority at key junctions.

  2. Active Travel Cycle Route: An improved cycling route including upgrading and adding to infrastructure which forms part of National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66. The route would also link in to the City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme and the West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension, offering cycle commuters a network of routes and greater connectivity into other modes of transport.

  3. Park & Ride: A new Park & Ride facility on the city’s outskirts formed of a car parking area and bus terminal, on land currently used for event parking at the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre. The former Richard Dunn Sports Centre building would remain unaffected by the facility.

The improvements aim to reduce congestion, reduce bus travel times and reduce pollution levels along a key route into Bradford city centre. They will also help to complement the City’s Clean Air Zone and help to deliver a less polluted, healthier Bradford while meeting our target of reaching net zero by 2038.

As well as this, they will complement plans already being worked on in Kirklees, Calderdale, other parts of Bradford, and the Combined Authority on the more southern stretch of the A641, to help provide better connections for the communities between Huddersfield, Brighouse and Bradford.

A stock image of a person boarding a bus at a park and ride.

How can I get involved?

On this webpage you will find information to help you understand what is proposed and what has changed since the first round of consultation that took place in summer 2021.

We recommend you look at the maps, read the plans, and view the frequently asked questions, before you complete our survey.

We will also be holding some face-to-face events where you can find out about the proposals from the project team and ask them questions. These will take place on:

  • Thursday 23 November 2023 between 2-6pm at the Sedbergh Sports Centre, Cleckheaton Road, BD12 0HQ
  • Thursday 30 November 2023 between 1-5pm at City Hall, Centenary Square, BD1 1HY
  • Tuesday 12 December 2023 between 4-7pm at the Mayfield Centre, 35 Broadway Avenue, Bradford, BD5 9NP
  • Tuesday 9 January 2024 between 4-7.30pm at St Matthews Primary School, Ivy House Road, Bradford, BD5 8FG

The proposals

The South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme is made up of three individual parts:

Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements
The targeted bus priority measures along Manchester Road would see buses given priority at key junctions and traffic lights, a bus lane between the junctions of Smiddles Lane and St. Stephen’s Road, and improved access to the segregated busway on Manchester Road.

To support the new priority measures and the City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme, Croft Street Gyratory is also currently being re-designed to facilitate quicker bus movements through this area.

These changes would enable more reliable bus services along the Manchester Road corridor.

The Active Travel Cycle Route

A cycle route would be introduced between the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre site and the city centre as part of this scheme. The new route would provide cyclists and pedestrians with safe, secure space to travel easily and conveniently away from the main roads between the city centre and areas to the south of the city.

The scheme would use and upgrade existing cycling routes which form part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66. A new high-quality cycleway, and shared space, would be constructed to provide links from the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre site where they are currently missing. National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 66 also provides onward connections to the Bradford Leeds Cycle Superhighway, the Bradford Canal Road Cycleway and shortly to the West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension to Thornton village.

The Park & Ride

To complement the bus and cycling measures and offer further choices for people travelling into and out of the city centre, a Park and Ride is proposed next to the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre between the M606 motorway and Manchester Road.

Our proposals are for the site to be accessible from Rooley Avenue via the existing car access located on the eastbound carriageway of Rooley Avenue. Buses would access the site via the existing car access located on the southbound carriageway of Manchester Road.

It could provide approximately 650 parking spaces, a terminal building and amenities. The amenities are yet to be decided but could include seating, toilets and cycle parking.

The former Richard Dunn Sports Centre building, which is Grade II listed, as well as the remaining land, would remain unaffected by any work to the car park on land situated next to it.

We are still at very early design stages with the possible Park and Ride and so have designed a layout plan which shows what the site could look like if our aspiration for a Park and Ride service goes ahead.

Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) is funding the development work for the Park and Ride scheme and delivery of the Active Travel Route and the Bus Enhancements. The delivery of the Park and Ride (car park) will be covered by alternative funding.

An overview map of the bus priority improvement measures on Manchester road, the active travel route running adjacent to the bus route, and the proposed park and ride at the Richard Dunn site.An overview map of the bus priority improvement measures on Manchester road (in orange), the active travel route (in white) and the proposed park and ride at the Richard Dunn site.


How have the plans changed since our last consultation?

In summer 2021, we consulted on proposals for a full Park and Ride scheme. Since then, the project team has been able to review all comments from local residents, businesses and stakeholders, and created a set of new proposals. Due to significant levels of inflation, we have also had to assess the original proposals against the budgets available and as a result of all this work, we are proposing the following changes:

  • A fully segregated, two-way bus expressway along the middle of Manchester Road was previously proposed as part of the initial consultation. However, due to inflation increasing the price of materials, we have had to re-design the bus proposals to maximise the benefits funding can deliver. This means the expressway will not be taken forward. As part of the bus expressway, bus hubs were proposed along Manchester Road, but these will also not now be taken forward. Existing bus stops will be used instead.

  • The cycle route was originally proposed as a segregated cycleway along the length of Manchester Road itself. However, given space and inflation constraints, combined with the benefits of moving the route away from the main road (and so upgrading and integrating into NCN Route 66, giving less confident cyclists a greater feeling of safety), it is now proposed to move the cycle route to make use of quieter side streets with lower volumes of traffic. The route will still meet best practice and LTN120 standards where possible.

  • The proposals as a whole were formerly planned and consulted on as a full Park and Ride next to the Odsal Stadium. However, following feedback received in the first round of consultation, it has been decided to deliver the three aspects. The Manchester Road Targeted Bus Improvements and the Active Travel Cycle Route would be delivered in the first phases, and a second phase would deliver Bradford’s ambition for a Park and Ride facility.

Benefits

Bradford has already made great strides towards improving the city’s air quality by introducing a Clean Air Zone.

Together, the improvements which form the South Bradford Park & Ride Scheme aim to reduce congestion and offer greater options for people travelling into and out of the city centre. They will help reduce the local and regional impacts of the current level of traffic using Manchester Road, by giving viable alternatives in both the bus network and cycle provision, allowing people to make a choice. By implementing largely segregated cycle ways along the length of the route, the scheme will increase safety for people cycling and encourage those who were previously concerned about safety to take up cycling, which is an inexpensive and convenient mode of transport.

The improvements also have potential to be of significant benefit for Bradford’s visitor economy in the future, with the Park and Ride facility offering greater flexibility for people attending events, concerts, or activities at the range of venues in the city centre.

These improvements will help to create a transport network fit for the 21st century as well as addressing key challenges around capacity, connectivity, sustainability and air quality.
A person using a cycle lane.

Have Your Say

We are interested in receiving feedback from local residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders on how these three schemes may affect them. All of this feedback will be taken into consideration before consulting again on the next stage of the schemes – this will not be your final chance to have your say on these proposals.

You can leave feedback in whatever way works best for you. Fill out our survey below or contact us at:

Email: info@future-bradford.co.uk

Freephone: 0808 196 9119

Freepost: Freepost BFD Highways.


The consultation has been extended and will run for nine weeks. The closing date for comments is midnight on Monday 15 January 2024.

If you have any questions about this survey or the project itself, ask us a question.

If you or someone you know is unable to access information online, please get in touch with us using the contact details above. We can arrange a different way to provide information – such as sending more information in the post – so that you or they can get involved.


Next Steps

Once this public consultation is complete, the plans for the South Bradford Park and Ride Scheme will be further developed; all feedback received will be considered and an Outline Business Case will be produced. This will go to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for consideration in early 2024.

Once the Combined Authority has provided feedback on the Outline Business Case, a Full Business Case will then be developed alongside further engagement, and submitted for final approval before any work begins.

If approved, the scheme would be constructed during 2025 and 2026.


Page last updated: 08 Apr 2024, 10:54 AM