We want West Yorkshire to be known globally for its strong economy, plentiful jobs, and high quality of life in a healthy, green environment. To make this happen, we need an integrated, reliable and sustainable transport system that makes getting around the region simple, fast, and stress-free.
Life takes us to different places for work, business, leisure, and family – so travel must be easier, faster, and more affordable. West Yorkshire’s mix of vibrant cities, towns, rural areas, and natural beauty makes it special. But some places are too hard or costly to reach, and fares and information are too complex. This limits opportunities. The Mayor is bringing buses under public control and developing plans for a future Mass Transit system. This will help create a joined-up new transport network called the Weaver Network, where walking, cycling, and public transport are attractive choices.
The Mayor's West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan will help us create a region that's prosperous, well-connected, safe, inclusive, sustainable and happy. A place where everyone can thrive.
Through the Weaver Network our ambition is to make buses as attractive as possible in comparison to private car use. As the most used public transport mode in West Yorkshire, many already rely on buses for work, education, leisure, and social trips, but we can do better. On 14 March 2024, Mayor Tracy Brabin decided to bring buses under local control through franchising. This is the biggest transport shake-up in decades, putting communities at the heart of an integrated network that truly meets their needs.
As we improve trains, buses, walking, cycling and roads through the Weaver Network, we’re also looking ahead to what else could improve West Yorkshire’s transport offer. That’s why we’re exploring Mass Transit options to take our network even further.
Introducing Mass Transit would add a new mode of travel to complement the rest of the network. It will transform how people move around West Yorkshire - help cut carbon, connect more people with more places, and support a growing, sustainable economy.
This will help people reach town centres, schools and shops safely and more easily – and make the journey more enjoyable. Around two-thirds of journeys are short ones. By boosting sustainable travel we can lower car use, ease traffic, make neighbourhoods more pleasant, and enhance health. This will bring benefits to our places, our environment and our economy.
The Weaver Network will better join up walking, wheeling and cycling with other modes of transport like the bus or train. So you can easily whizz home on a bike after grabbing the train or walk home after your bus journey. Our ambition is to make walking and cycling the most appealing way to travel short distances across West Yorkshire.
As West Yorkshire grows, we need to improve capacity, reliability, and accessibility on our local rail networks. This includes better links with buses, walking, cycling, and future transport options through the Weaver Network. We also aim to enhance ticketing, information and interchange facilities to ensure consistency across the West Yorkshire rail network.
Rail is vital for a cleaner, greener and well-connected region. It supports local and inter-regional services and provides an attractive longer-distance service option across the North and the wider UK. Hundreds of thousands depend on it for work, education, leisure, and social trips. We’re committed to making rail travel easier, greener and better for everyone.
Our aim is to provide people better public transport options, so they don’t have to rely on a car to get around. Still, we understand that that some people will still need to use them.
Our plans for cars and private transport embrace changes like a robust Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network. This will help reduce the environmental impact of car travel.
We also want to improve the safety of our roads through Vision Zero. This ensures that motorists and other road users feel safer. Our goal is safer journeys, less congestion, quicker travel, and fewer serious accidents, and for everyone to have attractive travel options beyond private vehicles.
The Local Transport Plan sets out the steps to implement the Weaver Network – a leading transport network for West Yorkshire. It will benefit people, places and our planet by embedding sustainable transport choices and enabling the economy to grow.
The Local Transport Plan outlines key priorities for building a leading transport network. This network will be well-connected, reliable and more sustainable, helping the West Yorkshire economy to grow.
You can view some of the projects currently in progress by visiting our projects page.
