Road from Horsforth to Menston second most congested in Leeds (From Wharfedale Observer)

Road from Horsforth to Menston second most congested in Leeds

12:00pm Thursday 11th March 2010

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A campaign to end the gridlock on one of the worst affected roads in Leeds is being launched.

And local people are being urged to turn out to lobby for changes to tackle congestion through Aireborough and Horsforth before the situation gets any worse.

Aireborough Civic Society and Apperley Lane Residents Association want a detailed plan of action to improve the A65 – which they say is the second most congested road in Leeds – from Horsforth to Menston.

They are also campaigning for action to clear congestion on the A658 Bradford to Pool road.

The two groups are organising a public meeting in Rawdon this month – and they are stressing the need for local people to turn up and make their voices heard.

Local MP Paul Truswell will chair the meeting, and invitations have also been sent out to councillors, highways officers and Metro, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority.

Campaigners say nothing substantial has been done to alleviate the problem despite a number of housing developments in recent years and the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport.

They say the only significant improvement they are aware of has been the Guiseley roundabout – and now they say residents are having to cope with rat running, unreliable bus services, parking in streets close to local railway stations, and increasing numbers of cars and taxis on the roads.

They say congestion now regularly occurs all day on Saturdays and Sundays on the A65 at Yeadon, and during rush hours on Monday to Friday.

Campaigners say there are now long tailbacks at many junctions, including Horsforth roundabout, Rawdon crossroads, Kirk Lane, Greengates, Apperley Lane, Green Lane, Murgatroyds and the Carlton crossroads.

The civic society says: “We have been told that the A65 is the second most congested road in Leeds. Although some changes have been made between the Horsforth roundabout and the centre of Leeds, nothing is planned for this area despite plans to increase the size of Leeds Bradford Airport and the many housing developments built in this area with more planned.

“Congestion is getting worse, especially at weekends. It seems that we have been forgotten about. Aireborough Civic Society hopes that the public meeting on Tuesday, March 23, will be the start of a campaign to improve the transport infrastructure along the A65 and A658. Solutions are needed and plans need to be drawn up now.

“We should like Metro to work with Leeds City Council and Bradford Council to produce a detailed report for both roads so that congestion hotspots are identified and improvements made. This information should be made easily accessible to the public so that we can all campaign for improvements.”

Campaigners are also calling for more bus lanes.

The society says: “It is in everyone’s interest that more people use public transport instead of driving, but at the moment buses are under-used because they get caught up in congestion and therefore take too long and are unreliable. Bus lanes are the only answer, but they should only be for buses at busy times and all traffic at other times, eg A65 travelling to Leeds before Horsforth roundabout.

“Some congested junctions would appear to be quite easy to improve, eg at Rawdon crossroads during the morning rush hour traffic travelling into Leeds queues, while the filter for the right turn on to the A658 for traffic coming from Leeds is green for long periods with very little traffic turning right. It would appear changing the traffic light timings would solve the problem.”

Civic society spokesman Clive Woods said: “Congestion is perhaps the biggest local problem in that it affects everyone.

“For far too long it would appear that the congestion problems in this area have been ignored. Other parts of Leeds have had bus lanes (A64), guided bus ways (A61) and Stanningley roundabout was improved. Burley Road has new bus lanes. As far as we are aware nothing is planned for this area.”

Metro chairman Ryk Downes said officers would be going to the meeting to discuss the issues.

He pointed to the £20m bus lane initiative for the Kirkstall stretch of the A65 which has been confirmed this week, but he said the civic society wanted more.

Horsforth councillor Brian Cleasby also stressed his sympathies with the groups and argued that a big part of the problem was the way local employment land has been used for housing – forcing people to travel longer disatances to work.

Coun Cleasby, succeeded this week in getting Leeds City Council’s scrutiny board to agree to look at the way employment land is being given over to housing.

In calling for an inquiry he told the board: “There are only four crossing points in the Upper Aire Valley – Hollins Hill at Guiseley, Apperley Bridge at Rawdon, the ring road, and at Kirkstall lights. All of these roads are inadequate for the traffic now forced to use them as more and more residents are forced to travel to access employment. The ring road and Kirkstall lights are also congested by traffic simply entering the City on this corridor.”

Yesterday he said: “We have got to stop causing people to have to drive around our city. I have every sympathy with the Aireborough Civic Society.”

Mr Truswell said: “I have long advocated a joined up approach to the whole issue of development in the A65 corridor and its impact on local neighbourhoods. I very much welcome the initiative being taken by Apperley Lane Residents Association and Otley and Yeadon councillor Colin Campbell said: “Congestion is a problem throughout the whole of north-west Leeds made worse by the Government’s insistence that a large number of houses are built in the area. We need a radical overhall of public transport to encourage people to use an alternative to cars.”

The public meeting will take place at Trinity Church, Rawdon, on Tuesday, March 23 at 7.30pm.

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