It’s easy to feel like our individual choices don’t have much impact, but when you look at a traffic jam in rush hour, with each person in their car looking more impatient than the last, it’s worth imagining how things could look different if some of them had travelled by different means – the local air quality, congestion, and road safety could all be much improved if some of those drivers were walking, cycling or using the bus for the same journey.
As it stands, 60% of 1 – 2 mile trips in the UK are made by car. These same journeys could be walked in 30 – 40 minutes, and would take just 10 minutes to cycle! So whether you don’t have a car, or want to try using it less – there is a wealth of support available in Leeds for walking and cycling. Check out the links below to find out more, as well as some top tips to make using the bus easier, and resources for car sharing.
• Check out the Walk it Ride it website – this is focused on East Leeds but links to a range of great walking and cycling resources across the whole of Leeds
• Living Streets offer a great set of tips to try walking 20 minutes a day for its many health benefits
• Build your cycle confidence by booking a free lesson with Cycle North
• If you don’t want to buy your own bike just yet, you can hire a bike by the minute from Leeds City Bikes.
• Buy an affordable refurbished bike from Leeds Bike Mill or The Bikes College or Seacroft Cycles
• Learn to fix your bike at the Pedallers Arms bike repair co-operative, or by attending one of Leeds Bike Mill’s maintenance classes.
• Explore a wealth of information on the Active Leeds website, including casual rides for all abilities, disabled cycling, womens rides and more
• WYMetro is the regional authority’s resource for all things buses and trains. Use their Journey Planner to find the best route, and make sure to check for discounts and saver rates on your tickets and passes
• Use the YourNextBus website to see exactly when your bus is due – search by postcode or bus stop to access updates on bus arrival times across West Yorkshire
Do you use your car every day, or just occasionally? The average car is parked 95% of the time, so why not save money and space by sharing a vehicle?
Save over £1000 per year by sharing your commute with others –
• Check out the Liftshare website and filter the journey type by ‘shift journey’ to find regular commuting routes
• Use Park and Ride to avoid bringing your car into Leeds City Centre
• Search for local rental cars using this easy comparison site
• Follow the Better Buses for West Yorkshire campaign who are campaigning to bring buses back under public control
• Learn about the group campaigning against the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport; GALBA
• Check out the dedicated work of local cyclists running Leeds Cycling Campaign
