Current responses
Name | Party | Twitter handle | Ward | Would you support the motion if elected? | Would you be prepared to propose the motion if elected? | Any other comments? |
Liddy Swales | Green Party | @ | Adel & Wharfedale | Yes | Yes | |
Gideon MW Jones | Green Party | @gideonparanoid | Armley | Yes | Yes | |
James McKenna | Labour | Armley | Yes | Subject to doing some research into the proposal to allocate 10% of all available transport funds and subsequently an extra 1% growth each year , I can happily support the motion and I believe that it , suitable amended if necessary, should be tabled as soon as possible after the May election. | ||
Dan Walker | LibDem | Armley | Partial | I agree with the general thrust of your suggested motion, and would want to push for better facilities for cyclists and walkers, in co-operation with local cycling groups. I trust you will forgive me for not committing to the exact wording at this stage, however. | ||
Jim Miller | For Britain Movement | Armley | Partial | In regard to your “Leeds Space for Cycling” motion, I support 20mph speed limited areas in towns, but I probably could not support the rest of it, for the following reasons: [too long to quote here but including uncertainty how the money would be spent and opposition to subisising private means of transport]. | ||
Alison Lowe | Labour | Armley | Yes | I and the Labour Group (I am sure) would be happy to support the motion. | ||
John Withill | Democrat & Veteran | Armley | No | I am glad provision has been made to segregate cycle traffic on Stanningley Road but ... [lengthy reply but reasons include cyclists being unlicensed and not paying road tax] | ||
Peter Carlill | Labour | @petercarlill | Calverley and Farsley | Yes | No | I welcome any proposals that can help reduce the amount of private vehicles on our roads, help to promote clean air throughout the City, and make our roads safer for all users. I would therefore be happy to pledge support to increase the number of 20mph zones in place, and in principle the proposal to spend 10% of the transport budget on safer and easier cycling and walking, subject to some research into the proposal and of course adequate consultation on individual schemes to ensure they have a positive impact on our communities. |
Mark Rollinson | Green Party | @ | Guiseley and Rawdon | Yes | Yes | |
Louise Jennings | Women's Equality Party | Headingley and Hyde Park | Yes | Yes | ||
Jonathan Pryor | Labour | @jonathan_pryor | Headingley & Hyde Park | Yes | Yes | Motions like this would come as a deputation to Council - Cllrs can’t propose deputationa but I would 100% back a member of the public who did. Additionally I would support the broader aims of this motion in committees and scrutiny boards where topics like this have come up. Indeed when I was involved with the South Bank development, it was exactly this kind of thinking I was working on. |
Tim Goodall | Green Party | @timmogoodall | Headingley and Hyde Park | Yes | Yes | |
Caroline Tomes | Green Party | @carotomes | Horsforth | Yes | Yes | Both as a Green Party member and Public Health professional, I fully support this motion and look forward to working with Leeds Cycling Campaign if elected. |
Ed Carlisle | Green Party | @edleeds | Hunslet and Riverside | Yes | Yes | I'd want to see maximum meaningful dialogue with residents about these. To tap into local knowledge, and to get buy-in. |
Gavin Andrews | Green Party | @ | Moortown | Yes | Yes | I fully support all aspects of the pledge. Campaigning for a step change in safe cycling provision in this city is one of my key motivations for standing for election.
Whether elected or not I intend to also work to better maintain and link up existing off road cycling provision to create / expand the network of Greenways / bridleways / cyclepaths in and around the Moortown and Meanwood area and linking with surrounding areas of Headingley, HydePark, Chapel Allerton, Moor Allerton, Adel. I believe we need to create safe cycling neighbourhoods in addition to the key trunk routes that are identified in the Leeds Cycling Campaign map, so that kids and families can safely cycle to local schools, shops and facilities from their homes, as well as the longer distance journeys on the more major routes. My aim would be for cycling to become something that most people do on a regular basis in the Moortown ward and across Leeds, to make it a normal every day activity for most people and ultimately to take over from the car as the most regularly used form of transport at least for shorter journeys. |
Rob Speed | Conservative | @ | Moortown | Yes | Yes | I would support a motion if proposed by another Councillor, and would be willing to propose it myself, with the following caveats to each point of the manifesto.
1). The creation of a comprehensive network of radial and orbital routes, either segregated or giving cyclists clear priority, and properly maintained and swept. My response: I would support/propose this point unchanged. 2). Residential areas must be made safe for families through properly enforced, ubiquitous 20mph speed limits. My response: (Caveat) Residential area is unclear. For example, in my ward (Moortown), Street Lane is 30mph and is a residental street. Stonegate Road is 40mph and is also residential. If you mean 'B' roads, or roads that do not currently support 1,000 vehicle journeys per day (as in they are not arterial or feeder roads), then I accept that a 20mph speed limit is acceptable. If a separate cycle lane is provided, then a greater speed limit (of 30+mph) is acceptable. 3). Leeds City Council must commit to ambitious targets for cycle mode share, with timescales and practical implementation plans. My response: Conceptually supported, however 'ambitious' as a definition is ambigious and not specific enough. Is 'a 10% increase in cycle path miles over the next 5 years' ambitious? is 11% abitious? 15%? This needs to be a specific target, and I suggest that 5% per year over the next 5 years is ambitious (especially as 5%/year represents compoud growth.) 4). Leeds City Council must commit to targets to increase the number of children cycling to school, and actively lead in achieving these. My response: I totally agree with this, although whether people walk or cycle to school is down to their preference. To dictate that they must cycle rather than walk is rather prescriptive. What I would say is that we must reduce the numbers of children arriving by car. For able-bodied/capable pupils of high school age travelling under 1 mile, this should be in low single digits. For those (able-bodied/captable) between 1 and 3 miles, this should be below 10%. 5). Highways and Transportation policy must commit to put into practice the Council’s stated strategies on prioritising walking and cycling. This must include using existing road space for cycling, and consequent reduction in vehicle capacity. My response: I agree with the increase with the strategy to improve the prioritisation of walking and cycling. However, I suggest we keep vehicle capacity as is rather than reduce it. We have no concept of what the future holds. Should fully automated electric vehicles become the norm in 20 years, where deliveries are brought to our door or a local collection point, we will need that capacity. Reducing the capacity is counter-productive in the long run. Yes, it's wonderful to think that reducing capacity will increase public transport requirements or encourage more people to take up cycling, but this isn't looking at the problem in a holistic manner. We may indeed need that capacity for cyclists! 6). Leeds city centre must be made convenient for walking and cycling. This will include provision of convenient cycle parking, and convenient routes into and through the centre of the city. My response: The city centre is already convenient for walking, although I would like to see every road within the inner ring road boundary to have a cycle lane and a rethink of traffic light timings for all traffic to improve flow. Additionally, we should provide secure, sheltered and lit cycle parks. For example, the old International Pool site could be repurposed for exactly this. It is currently an open car park. If this were to be converted into a sheltered cycle park for hundreds of cycles, this may encourage people to cycle into the city more often. 7). Wherever possible, Leeds city parks and gardens should contain paths suitable for family cycling. My response: I agree with this proposal unchanged. 8). West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council highways enforcement must use their powers effectively to address dangerous and antisocial vehicle use. My response: I agree with this proposal unchanged. In fact I would go further, and allow cyclists/dashcam video evidence to be used to prove/disprove incidents. The penalty for aggressive driving/cycling should be a minimum of two weeks mandatory impounding of that vehicle, with release fees (fines) to recoup costs. Drivers/cyclists will then have two weeks without their vehicle in which to consider their actions, with an additional financial penalty being added to their cogitation. Thank you for inviting me to participate and giving me the opportunity to respond. |
Chris Bell | Green Party | @ | Morley South | Yes | Yes | Cycling is an efficient and cost effective way of getting around and helps to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. The Council should do everything within its powers to encourage mass take up of cycling in Leeds and continue to press on with an agenda to make cycling a safe and pleasant activity around Leeds.
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Richard Lewis | Labour | Pudsey | No | No | I am commenting on behalf of the Pudsey Ward Labour team (Mick Coulson, Lou Cunningham and myself). We are fully committed to expanding cycling and walking within the city to reduce road congestion, improve road safety, improve the health and well-being of Leeds citizens through improving air quality and increasing healthy modes of travel. The Labour administration in Leeds introduced the cityconnect scheme, the most ambitious cycle route in the country outside of London and an exemplar for many other councils, providing a segregated cycle route between Seacroft and Bradford via Leeds city centre. The scheme also put major investment into cycle training and upgraded the Leeds-Liverpool canal towpath between Shipley and Leeds to improve pedestrian and cycling usage. Conservatives have consistently attacked the scheme for short term political gain. The Labour administration recently agreed to the roll-out of 20 mph zones to the residential areas of the city that have not been covered previously. The administration has also signed a memorandum of understanding with bike share firm OFO to introduce a scheme, initially for the inner city. Labour has always looked to bid for any new funding streams to increase overall spend on healthy travel. Given the continuing reductions in Government funding to all councils and in ring-fenced transport funding in particular, we think it would be dishonest to commit to the targets contained in the motion without knowing what our future spending options will be and the adverse impacts such commitments might have on other areas of council spend. However, we are confident that Labour would engage with the cycling and walking lobbies to arrive at a target for investment in healthy modes of travel that would be both deliverable and ambitious for the city. | |
Martin Hemingway | Green Party | @yorksgreenmarti | Weetwood | Yes | Yes | I gave these commitments when speaking at the campaign election hustings in 2017 and am happy to repeat them here |
Chris Foren | Green Party | @ChrisForen | Woodhouse & Little London | Yes | Yes | I'm a daily cyclist and I want segregated cycle lanes throughout Leeds. Cycling needs to feel safe before ordinary people take to their bikes. Last year I wrote a piece for Leeds Cycling Campaign calling for segregated cycle lanes on the Otley Road from the outer ring road to the city centre. |