Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Aviador]

I've used the A658 at Pool bank a few times since the work begun and to be honest, there hasn't been much of a delay. I would stick to your usual route if I were you.

 

[White Heather]

If you are heading to LBA via the A660 Otley Road, to the Dyneley Arms, the culvert works won't affect you as they are down to the right whilst you will be turning left up towards LBA. Depending on the time of day I think there is certainly potential for delays of some sort at the junctions with Roundhay Park Lane and also at the A61 Harrogate Road roundabout, but I haven't been that way yet so haven't experienced it. If you know the way you can by pass all this part of the Ring Road by turning off down the A58 at Wetherby Road Roundabout, then right up to Oakwood, Right again along Princes Avenue and along Street Lane, and then just follow that road across the Harrogate Road at Moortown and A61, re-joining the Ring Road at Moor Allerton. That would take around 15 minutes, but not sure how that will compare to just sticking with the Ring Road.

 

[airforced]

I'll have a look at the suggestion WH but seeing as I've been using the route I mentioned for years now I, initially at least, am a little reluctant to chance a detour which may or may not be necessary (or may get me lost)! But thanks for thinking about it for me anyway.

 

[leedslad]

Presumably the mentioned report available on the council meetings website . .
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/airport-connectivity-measures-up-for-discussion

 

[leedslad]

https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=102&MId=8192&Ver=4

 

[lbaspotter]

Looks like both Keighley Bus Company (62) and Yorkshire Tiger (757) are making some changes to there airport bus services as from October 28th..

PB1078487/77 Registered
YORKSHIRE TIGER LIMITED
Route: Leeds to Lds Bfd Airport
Service number: 757 (757)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 28 Oct 2018

PB0001748/11 Registered
KEIGHLEY & DISTRICT TRAVEL LTD
Route: Keighley Bus Station to Leeds Bradford Airport
Service number: 62
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 28 Oct 2018

 

[Seasider]

For my trip to Dusseldorf this week I decide to use public transport which usually isn't an option. Train to Leeds and then the 757 bus. Tuesday wasn't a problem but the return yesterday was "not very good".
My flight was slightly delayed and I just missed the 2.50pm bus. As it was raining heavily the bus shelter was full and I asked people to move down so others could shelter. After about 10 mins people at the front moved out towards another minibus obviously not waiting for the 757. I was now at the front of the queue. I noticed a Yorkshire Tiger bus "Out of Service" parked where Sentinel pick up. As it got to 3.10pm the next bus hadn't turned up and the bus moved. I said it was probably coming to operate the 3.10 service. It didn't, the 3.30pm bus didn't turn up either and it was 3.40pm before a bus arrived but it was a standard bus - no luggage space. It was very difficult to get on the bus and find somewhere to sit and put your luggage.
We eventually departed at 3.50pm, one hour after the previous bus and it is supposed to be a 20min service. Not a good advert for public transport to 3 German visitors waiting to get into Leeds. When I eventually arrived at Leeds City Station, my train was delayed 12 mins which was the same time for my connection in Hull. Eventually it arrived 45 mins late and I missed my 2nd connection and finally arrived home over 5 hours after landing.
If I had used my car (I am fortunate to have that option), I would have been home within 2 hours of landing. Next time my flights are timed so that I can use public transport, I will think very hard indeed whether it is worth it or not.

NB My overall delay using public transport was 2 hours.

 

[White Heather]

There has been a lot of complaints about the service being provided by Yorkshire Tiger and I know LBA management have had discussions to express their displeasure but still it continues. They are not doing themselves any favours and I cannot help thinking they are now no better than First. In fact, on my First route, we seem to have more buses than we know what to do with. It isn't uncommon to see 3 at once and they are large buses (brand new StreetDecks in the new Leeds City livery). I am not sure when the route is open to re-tendering again but I won't be too disappointed if it goes to another operator. The 757 is one route that should not leave customers standing waiting given it presents a poor image of the country to visiting foreign nationals. Perhaps Keighley and District will have a go at it next time but I guess the problem is that only Yorkshire Tiger have buses designed with the airport in mind.

 

[lbaspotter]

Not sure the 757 will go to tender any more as I'm sure the route is run commercially now without any funding from Metro. That's unless some early morning, late evening and Sundays are still funded?
Also would First Bus want to return to the airport, especially after being kicked out last time around by the old airport management, that was after starting a competing fast limited stop service to Leeds against Tiger due to losing the tendering process..

 

[White Heather]

Not sure about First but of course, LBA management now, compared to then, are totally different. It seems though that Yorkshire Tiger are struggling to keep the required buses on the route. Their performance was even mentioned by LBA management at a Consultative Meeting earlier this year and they were very concerned at that time and had already spoken to the bus company about it.

 

[Aviador]

@Seasider sorry to hear you had a poor public transport experience at LBA. I don't know the cause of the poor service provided by Yorkshire Tiger but the weather was atrocious yesturday and I know there were a number of flooded roads. When I went to work at 4.30 the traffic was horrendous.

 

[Seasider]

I have emailed Yorkshire Tiger and have received the standard reply that they are looking into it. They have a lot of "comments" to deal with at the moment so will take longer than usual to reply, but should be within 20 working days! Now buses run 7 days a week ...

I am using the airport again at the beginning of November and it would be possible to use public transport. Will I?

 

[leedslad]

Council website stating another consultation due on road and rail options but not till next year...

I'd urge anyone commenting to support option A to also make this observation...

If one day there is indeed a plan to directly link the terminal to a rail halt on a branch line, or introduce a people mover/driverless tram then the potential route needs to be Masterplanned now. If they build the new road and block access from the railway to the terminal then they are making any future connection far more expensive. An underpass for such route must be included in the construction of any new road to avoid such cost

 

[Bigman]

I don't care what they do. Just get on and build something!! All talk and no trousers and there will still be nothing done in 5 years time!!

 

[paully]

I`m with you Bigman..Its Council speak for lets have more consultations..kick the can down the road. Then when the can has been kicked they pull out the hoary old chestnut of..sorry its had to be taken out of this years budget plans..now maybe next year..blah blah..
Cynical....moi???

 

[lbaspotter]

https://news.leeds.gov.uk/further-p...rth-west-leeds-connectivity-and-growth-plans/

Leeds , 24 September 2018
Further public consultation to take place on Leeds Bradford Airport and north west Leeds connectivity and growth plans



Public consultation and engagement on proposals to improve transport connectivity to Leeds Bradford Airport and in the north west of the city is to take place in the new year.

Senior councillors on Leeds City Council’s executive board agreed a recommendation to carry out the engagement on the proposals to improve road and rail access to the airport to support its future growth, as well as job creation in the area and addressing current congestion issues in north west Leeds.

Leeds Bradford Airport is a key economic asset for Leeds and the wider region, supporting over 5,000 jobs and contributing £336million to the city region economy each year. It is one of the fastest-growing airports in the UK, with passenger numbers predicted by the Department for Transport to rise from four million in 2017 to 7.1million by 2030 and over nine million by 2050.

To support this expected growth at the airport and to support job creation in the wider north west Leeds, the council working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds Bradford Airport and key stakeholders has put forward the following key investment proposals:

- Improving road access through one of three options, building a new LBA Link Route a) From the A65 running along the eastern side of the airport before joining the A658; b) From the A65 running to the south west of the airport before joining the A658; or c) Upgrading existing junctions on the A65 and A658 in Rawdon and Yeadon along with localised road widening

- A new airport parkway rail station, located on the existing Leeds-Harrogate Line, with a short connecting spur road to the airport to provide a shuttle bus connection similar to that at Luton Airport. This would also serve as a park and ride service for destinations on the Leeds-Harrogate Line and beyond

- Releasing 36 hectares of land next to the airport for employment growth and job creation in north west Leeds

The three LBA Link Route road proposals, which were shortlisted following an analysis of a range of possible options, were first announced at the end of 2015. An initial public consultation on them resulted in feedback which focused on calls for improved rail access to the airport rather than road improvements. Other concerns raised were around the lack of detail given, the need to tackle local congestion issues and environmental factors.

Improving rail access to the airport has long been an ambition for Leeds, but the location of Leeds Bradford Airport and its topography meant any direct rail connection would be very difficult to achieve and would be prohibitively expensive.

The potential for a parkway station nearby to serve the airport by rail and both Leeds and Harrogate has now come about as part of the Connecting Leeds transport strategy, with the city receiving funding of £173.5m from the government to invest in transport network improvements.

Offering rail connectivity to the airport does not, however, remove the need for better road access. From looking at other regional airports, such as Manchester Airport which has direct rail and tram links, 84 per cent of passengers still travel to the airport by car or taxi. Therefore a combination of both road and rail access improvements is considered essential to supporting the growth of Leeds Bradford Airport.

In response to the issues raised in the initial road links consultation, a range of junction and capacity improvements are being considered to tackle congestion and improve journey time in the area.

All of the key details on the proposals to be considered together will be available in the consultation, to take place early in 2019.

Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Councillor Richard Lewis said:

“The latest figures from regional airports including Manchester show that 84 per cent of passengers travel to the airport by car or taxi despite there being direct rail links. Therefore, as Leeds Bradford Airport continues to grow, it is vital that we look at ways to alleviate increased traffic on the road network in north west Leeds as well as plans for a rail connection.

“Leeds Bradford Airport is already a huge economic asset for the Leeds City Region and the link road and parkway station plans will form part of a further benefits package to support the local area by connecting to the proposed LBA Employment Hub. I would urge as many people as possible to take part in the upcoming public engagement so to help shape both schemes as they progress.”

To see the report considered by the executive board go to https://bit.ly/2oXcZoX (agenda item 14).

Notes to editors:

Improving access to Leeds Bradford Airport was one of the key priorities identified in the Transport Conversation survey held in 2016 which saw more than 8,000 responses received.

All of the three options as part of the LBA Link Route planning have also considered cycle and pedestrian provision along with methods of minimising any environmental impact.

For more information on Connecting Leeds visit www.leeds.gov.uk/connectingleeds or follow @ConnectingLeeds on Twitter.

 

[lbaspotter]

A658 Road Closure Notice - Culvert Repair Works
From 22:30 Wednesday September 26th to 04:30 Thursday, September 27th

https://news.leeds.gov.uk/pool-bank-new-road-wednesday-night-temporary-road-closure/

Pool Bank New Road Wednesday night temporary road closure

On Wednesday 26 September the A658 Pool Bank New Road north-east of the Dyneley Arms junction between the A660 Leeds Road and Pool-in-Wharfedale will be closed overnight.

From 10.30pm on Wednesday the road will close to allow the safe removal of concrete safety barriers and the site cabins, in anticipation of completing all the works by the end of the week.

The full road closure is being carried out at night to minimise impact and disruption. Signage and diversions will be in place while the work is undertaken, directing traffic via Otley town centre.

The road will re-open again from 4am Thursday 27 September. Once complete, the road will return to its current operation as a single lane operating in both directions, managed by temporary traffic signals, with a reduced 30-miles per hour speed limit in place.

It is expected the road to be fully re-opened in both directions to all traffic on 30 September after being re-surfaced, white lined and tidied up.

The project, which began in May, undertook repairs and strengthening to a 100-year-old water culvert running underneath the A658 north-east of the Dyneley Arms junction between the A660 Leeds Road and Pool-in-Wharfedale.

https://news.leeds.gov.uk/pool-bank-new-road-wednesday-n

ight-temporary-road-closure/

 

[White Heather]

Leedslad, last year I spoke to one of the Leeds Council Planners at the airport consultative meeting and made this very point to him. He gave an assurance that, assuming option A was chosen (and let's face it, no other option will enable the provision of the reported park and ride facility adjacent to the LBA Parkway rail station), then the design of the new airport link road, and the access routes to the parkway station/park and ride, and that from the station to the airport (for the car park shuttle buses that will pick up the passengers as an extension to the current car park service), will all be planned in an integrated fashion, so as to avoid unnecessary changes later with resultant expense.

At last week's meeting we were advised that the current target for completion of the parkway station is 2022. However, the road isn't scheduled until 2024, which already is 2 whole years later than they originally stated. Why am I not surprised? After all, this is Yorkshire and why do something quickly if you can take the best part of a decade to do it?

On that basis, the station would have to be built first and then the park and ride developed alongside the new road, if Option A is chosen. If Option A is NOT chosen, then I don't see how a Park and Ride can be provided as there is no suitable access to it. We were also told that during this interim period, Leeds Council are doing detailed designs for all 3 road options, showing exact routes, position of cuttings, junctions etc. so that when they next go out to consultation, there will be detailed plans to examine, rather than just lines drawn on a map.

LBA are concerned at the time slippage and are hoping to get the road scheme accelerated, but I wouldn't hold your breath given the requirement to go out to consultation, and then (more so if Option A is chosen), there will be the sometimes long and painful compulsory purchase of land to go through before any building takes place. Anyone who saw Look North last night will have seen the farmer whose land is impacted making threats to fight the scheme, which is more likely to cause delay than prevent it. Money talks and no doubt, in her case, it will do eventually.
_

 

[lbaspotter]

This is a well worth watch.

It's video taken from the Leeds City Council Executive Board Meeting which was held (Wed, 19th Sep 2018 - 1:00 pm) and discusses the proposed Leeds Bradford Airport Transport Infrastructure Package.

https://leeds.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/373574

The report can be found here:
https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=180540

 

[leedslad]

Thanks Heather though my point isn't really about access for a shuttle bus via a roundabout or something.

My point is about thinking even further ahead. One day it may be possible to link the Parkway Station to the terminal via people mover or driverless tram. However that won't be possible if they plonk a road in the way. On that basis they should be incorporating an underpass into the road design from day one to accommodate it.

Otherwise you can just imagine in a decade or so... 'We'd love to link to the terminal but the cost of tunnelling under a live road is just too high to justify'

Same goes for heavy rail link