Sustainable travel modes include walking, cycling, wheeling, public transport and car sharing.
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A Travel Plan is a package of measures designed and implemented to encourage and enable safe, healthy and sustainable travel choices.
Sustainable travel modes include walking, cycling, wheeling, public transport and car sharing.
There are various ways for you, your colleagues, friends and family to travel more sustainably in Leeds, using the following modes:
You can plan a journey online, download or pick up a printed timetable, speak to an advisor on the telephone or get face-to-face advice at Leeds Bus Station Travel Centre. MetroLine call centre advisors can provide you with detailed information on West Yorkshire bus and train journey times. Call 0113 245 7676 from 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 8pm on Sundays. It is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Details of West Yorkshire bus and train services can be found in handy timetables. Download them from the Bus Travel and Train Travel sections of the Metro website at www.wymetro.com.
For real-time information on when your next bus is due text the eight digit number (starting with 450) shown on the bus stop to 63876. You will receive an SMS reply informing when your bus is due to arrive at the stop, or the scheduled arrival time.
Alternatively, find your next bus at www.wymetro.com
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For national travel and real time travel information visit the National Rail website.
Coach information is available online for National Express and Megabus.
A weekly, monthly or annual MetroCard can help regular travellers cut the cost of travel in West Yorkshire. Find out the benefits at www.m-card.co.uk.
The quick and easy way to travel in West Yorkshire with travel tickets bought and stored on an iOS or Android smartphone Buy and store, daily, weekly, and monthly bus only and bus and rail tickets for travel on any bus or train, anywhere in West Yorkshire - for a quicker, easier and more convenient way to travel.
Download the MCard Mobile App from the Google Play store.
Download the MCard Mobile App from the Apple store.
Park and ride can be cheaper and more convenient than parking in the city centre. Three sites are currently operating at Elland Road, Temple Green and Stourton.
Cycling is a great way to keep fit and gives you the flexibility to time your journey, putting you in control. Get ahead of traffic jams and save on fuel and parking costs.
For cycling information visit our cycling pages.
Travelling on foot is a practical and healthy alternative to using the car for shorter journeys. It is a great way of increasing your daily activity.
There are lots of journey planners that give walking times and directions including Google Maps.
Active Leeds has a number of walking groups across the city, more information about these groups can be found on the Active Leeds website..
For walking information visit our walking page.
Car clubs offer an alternative to car ownership (or ownership of a second car) by providing you with the opportunity to drive maintained, reliable cars and only pay for the time you actually use them. This could be for as little as one hour or a few days. Pay per trip car clubs allow individuals and organisations to have access to a car without being tied to ownership.
Cars are booked online by members and once your booking is made, you simply walk to your reserved car and drive away.
Enterprise is the provider of back-to-bay car clubs in Leeds. Cars are located in dedicated parking spaces in various locations across Leeds. For more information about Enterprise Car Club vehicles in Leeds visit www.enterprisecarclub.co.uk.
More information about car clubs is available from CoMoUK, the national charity dedicated to the social, economic and environmental benefits of shared transport. Read the overview and benefits of shared cars on the CoMoUK website.
Car sharing is when two or more people, usually heading to the same destination, travel together by car for all or part of a journey. You can share a car trip for any purpose such as getting to work, doing the weekly shop, travelling to a festival, or visiting friends.
Various ride matching services are available.
Register with car share and ride matching services and read about the benefits on the CoMoUK website.
For drivers of electric vehicles (EV) Zap-Map is a useful to locate charging points and for tips on buying and getting the best from your EV or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Arriva, First and Northern Rail all offer discounted tickets for commuters. Businesses can sign up for free to each of the schemes allowing staff to access the benefits.
Arriva Bus - Employer Travel Club in Yorkshire
First Bus - Commuter Travel Club
Northern Railway - Corporate Season Ticket Scheme
A Cycle to Work scheme is an employee benefit scheme that enables employees to hire bicycles for active travel and/or cyclist’s safety equipment from their employer, or from a third party, in return for a deduction from their earnings known as salary sacrifice.
It provides financial benefits to both employers and employees. The employee pays less tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs), and the employer is able to save on employer NICs on the amount sacrificed. Individuals can save 25% to 39% on a bike and accessories.
There are lots of different providers of these schemes to choose from. Guidance for employers can be found on GOV.UK .
City Connect is an ongoing partnership programme led by West Yorkshire Combined Authority to support active travel (walking and cycling) in West Yorkshire. Current offers include:
For updates, information and ideas on promoting sustainable travel in Leeds, follow Connecting Leeds on:
Twitter: @ConnectingLeeds
Facebook: /ConnectingLeeds
You can also:
The Travel Plan Network is a free membership scheme for any employer in West Yorkshire who is committed to encouraging their staff to travel to work sustainably.
Members and their staff can access various benefits including:
There are also discounts available for a Corporate Annual MCard, Business Travel Pass and First Annual Corporate ticket.
More information on the Travel Plan Network, benefits, discounts and how to apply can be found on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) website.
Policy and guidance about when a Travel Plan is required to be submitted in support of a planning application is included in Leeds’ Transport SPD. The main aim of Travel Plans secured through the planning process is to enable occupiers or users of a development to travel more sustainably.
The Transport SPD was adopted by the council on 3 February 2023. The full version is available to view:
Adopted Transport SPD (PDF, 13MB)
The aim of a school Travel Plan is to encourage and facilitate safe, healthy and sustainable travel to school. For help developing, updating or implementing your school's travel plan please contact us at schooltravelplans@leeds.gov.uk.
We have a Sustainable Education Travel Strategy. The strategy has the overall aim of enabling and promoting the use of safe and sustainable travel to all children and young people of Leeds and increasing the number of children and young people walking, cycling and using public transport to access schools and colleges.
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