Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Bigman]

Totally with you on that one Tarnspotter. The transport infrastructure is creaking around Yeadon. Just try to cross Yeadon High Street on a Saturday!!!! It's even bad at 8pm on a night!!

 

[lbaspotter]

Totally with you on that one Tarnspotter. The transport infrastructure is creaking around Yeadon. Just try to cross Yeadon High Street on a Saturday!!!! It's even bad at 8pm on a night!!

Yeah but lets not forget that Yeadon town street on a Weekend is full of shoppers through the day going about there weekly shop whilst in the evening you have all the revellers enjoying a few pints at the many pubs and other local establishments around the area. Not forgetting the many SJK and other company taxis blocking the roads and peoples cars parked everywhere. So not all the traffic can be blamed on the airport fault.

 

[Bigman]

I agree that parking on Hight Street is a major issue,which I have raised many times with my local councillor, but there are a significant number of airport and non-airport users that use Yeadon as a short cut. You know yourself what Victoria Avenue is like on a Sunday afternoon...nose-to-tail. Airport traffic does contribute significantly to this.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Truthfully I find the one hour parking regs, allow me always to find a spot to park. I am thankful we have a busy community, if only we could get parents to walk their children to school rather then block the roads all would be fine.
Hopefully when the new station at Apperley Bridge opens we will have more carriages on the local train, which are very overcrowded at peak times, this may be to do with platform length though, not sure.
I am afraid you cant have a airport on your doorstep that we all hope will expand gradually over time without some issues on the local infrastructure and changes that some people will not agree with.
I can remember this time last year our local councillors Cambell and Lay say the new restaurant at the airport west business park would be a white elephant and destroy the already fragile high street trade. I have not yet passed without it being full and as this thread has mentioned the high street busy. Already this development has seen the recruitment of 75 staff, all jobs loved by the local population.

 

[Aviador]

I agree that parking on Hight Street is a major issue,which I have raised many times with my local councillor, but there are a significant number of airport and non-airport users that use Yeadon as a short cut. You know yourself what Victoria Avenue is like on a Sunday afternoon...nose-to-tail. Airport traffic does contribute significantly to this.

I have no idea if the original "white paper for airports" is still available on-line but I recall it mentioning the majority of traffic on the A658 was NOT airport related. A quick back of a fag packet calculation based on one car journey per every two passengers only comes in at around 190 cars per hour based on a 24 hour clock so clearly the majority of car journeys come from local traffic. In any case, the new airport link road will act as b Yeadon and Horsforth bi-pass to some extent with traffic that would otherwise go via Rawdon and onwards towards Harrogate will be able to pass the area joining up with the A658 past the airport.

 

[lbaspotter]

This was to be expected but now confirmed, due to less late night/early moring flights operating over the winter season the overnight operation of Yorkshire Tigers @flyingtiger 757 bus service between the Airport and Leeds will be suspended as from the October 2015 service changes. (last day of operation Saturday, 24th)

Winter Timetable:
So commencing from Sunday October 25th the first journey to the airport will depart Leeds Rail Station at 04:04 arriving at the airport for 04:34. Meanwhile the last journey into Leeds will depart the Airport at 00:35 arriving Leeds City Square at 01:00.

Good news is that I hear the overnight journeys have been partially successful this summer meaning bus company Yorkshire Tiger might reintroduce some journeys next year for the summer period.

 

[Aviador]

Doesn't Yorkshire Tiger have an obligation to increase the availability of buses particularly through the quieter periods? From what I remember, the amount of money the airport provides in way of a subsidy increases as the passenger throughput of the airport increases.

 

[lbaspotter]

Doesn't Yorkshire Tiger have an obligation to increase the availability of buses particularly through the quieter periods? From what I remember, the amount of money the airport provides in way of a subsidy increases as the passenger throughput of the airport increases.

That obligation is still been meet by Yorkshire Tiger seen as they are still operating extra buses (non funded) on service 757 in the off peak between Leeds and the Airport.
You'll find that they are only tendered to run hourly in the early morning (04:00 to 07:00) and Evening (18:30 to 00:30) but operate every 30 mins instead whilst Sunday daytime (08:00 to 18:30) sees a 20 min service operated instead of the funded hourly service.

Meanwhile services 737 and 747 which link the Airport with 30 mins service to Bradford and hourly service to Harrogate don't make enough money to stand up financially wise for Yorkshire Tiger to take the risk and operate extra commercial (non funded) journeys at this time.

I also hear Yorkshire Tiger and another unnamed company have been asked to work out how much it will cost them to reinstate and operate an limited Airport to York bus service next summer. This service would be operated only over the peak summer seasonal period to start with so to access the routes performance.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

As a regular user of the airport bus to both Leeds and Bradford dojng my normal commute from and too yeadon, have to say passengers too and from the airport are no longer a rare breed as they seemed to be a few years back.
Quite a number went to the airport from Bradford interchange on my last trip, a number having arrived by rail.
Forum sites like this one and Trip Adviser etc are plugging the local transport options. lets hope the numbers are high to keep the service in place.
In Spain the airport route down to Torremolinos and Benalmadena from malaga has been pulled due to low numbers, these valuable services need our custom.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

The airport in Malaga is now served by a very fast and efficient rail service between Malaga and Fuengirola, including Torremolinos and Benalmadena at 20 minute intervals for most of the day. Having been there for the last week or so, I am unsurprised that the preferred mode of transport is now rail - the bus service on the local roads is terrible.

(I've copied your post to the Malaga thread, Aviador)

 

[Aviador]

On a recent holiday to Spain we were talking to some people from Nottingham who said they used Leeds Bradford Airport often. They said the Italian flight options were often better from Leeds than from EMA and BHX.

Although how you get to an airport is important, it's not as important as some would have us believe. Generally people put the price of their flight and time of their flight over travel times to and from the airport. In many cases (the majority in fact) travel times to the airport will be relatively short with the majority of flight checking in during off-peak periods when the roads are less busy.

A quick example:

Busy departure time with many flights departing around 07:00

07:00 departure check-in at 05:00
Sheffield city centre to Leeds Bradford Airport typically 1 hour 15min

09:00 departure check-in at 07:00
Sheffield city centre to Leeds Bradford Airport typically 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 mins

Very few flights are scheduled to depart between 10am and midday when check-in would be generally be required between 8am and 10am when the rush hour is in full swing.

An example drive time to the airport during the morning rush hour from Sheffield city centre to Leeds Bradford Airport is 1 hour 40 minutes.

During the daytime the drive time increase to an average of 1 hour 40 minutes. The worst drive time would be setting off at 15:20 with a journey time of up to 2 hours for a 17:20 check-in.

A quick look at drive times for arrival flights are similar with the majority of flights landing when the roads are quieter.

Interestingly the drive time setting off at 8:20 in the morning from Sheffield to Manchester airport is up to 1 hour 40 minutes rising throughout the day to up to 2 hours setting off at 3:20 in the afternoon.

(I have submitted a similar post in another forum in case anybody thinks I've copied this from there!)

 

[lbaspotter]

BBC Look North are reporting this evening that Leeds City Council have been meeting today to discuss the plans for the new proposed A65-A658 link road to Leeds/Bradford Airport.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34391811

Link road plans for Leeds Bradford Airport

[hi-lighty:2lj2afuw]Proposals for better access to Leeds Bradford Airport include a new link road[/hi-lighty:2lj2afuw]

Plans for a new link road connecting Leeds with the city's airport have been revealed.
Leeds City Council has drawn up three options for improving access to Leeds Bradford Airport.
Two proposals include building a new link road from the A65 between Rawdon and Horsforth while the third involves upgrading the existing route.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has earmarked £38m for the scheme but the costs are yet to be finalised.
A public consultation is expected to be launched in November with a view to construction starting in 2019.
'Considerable difference'
Councillor Richard Lewis said a new link road would help tackle congestion, delays and the use of rat-runs on the current road network.
"We have a need for better road and rail links and a link road is clearly one we can do most easily and see the benefits," he said.
"Anyone who uses the A65 knows how congested it is. These proposals can make a considerable difference."

[hi-lighty:2lj2afuw]The options include a new link from the A65 or upgrading the existing route[/hi-lighty:2lj2afuw]

he first option includes building a more direct route from the A65, which runs along the east of the airport and joins the A658 Harrogate Road from the north.
The second runs to the east of Rawdon and only provides direct access to the airport where it joins Harrogate Road from the south.
The final scheme would see the existing A65 and A658 around Rawdon and Yeadon upgraded with new junctions and wider roads.
Work is expected to finish by 2022 and full details of the plan can be found on the council website. http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Link%20Roa ... tement.pdf

 

[White Heather]

Only option A makes sense. What is the point in moving all the traffic on to the new link road and dumping it all on Victoria Avenue? Part of the reason for the scheme is to divert traffic away from Yeadon, not put more there. Option B and C would do nothing to provide a link to the new business area proposed for the rear of the old Avro Factory either. Option A has very little impact on housing either - although a significant impact on green belt. However - the council appear set to sacrifice green belt to support airport development so I doubt they will worry too much about it. Shame for Horsforth Golf Course though if Option A is the outcome as the course will be split in half by the road.

 

[Bigman]

I totally agree White Heather. Option A has to be the best option. As you say, the junction at Murgatroyds cannot really take much more.

What really hacks me off is that yet again the good old Beeb were playing on all the negatives, with some lass walking a dog in a field having a go about what it will do to the landscape.

What didn't help IMHO was that a certain airport Marketing Director made it clear that they would not stump up any brass towards the scheme. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!!

 

[Aviador]

It's great to see things finally moving with a completion date for the new link road already set in stone.

Clearly option A is the only realistic option with a completely new road with the most direct route to the airport. Option B is basically an upgrade of Bayton Lane essentially with a new section linking to the A65. This would inevitably lead to a significant increase in Yeadon and Guiseley bound traffic avoiding the A65. Option C would require significant compulsory purchase of land if that option was to ever work and it would lead through areas already severely congested.

Personally I would like to see a second phase of the new road (A option) linking to the bypass between Otley and Burley in Wharfedale which would effectively complete a Yeadon (19,668*), Guiseley (11,960*) and Menstion (4,369*) bypass. Otley had a population of around 14,000 when it got a bypass, Aireborough has a population in excess of 35,000 and it's still waiting for an alternative route past the area. *town population source

Bigman

As far as I know, Doncaster airport hasn't contributed financially to the FARRS scheme there and Manchester airport isn't contributing to the M6 link road there either so I don't think we should expect Leeds Bradford airport to make a contribution to this either. I do think the council should insist the airport makes significant improvement to the terminal facilities though.

 

[Bigman]

I agree with you there Aviador. Any investment is welcome!!

 

[cmj]

The cynic in me thinks that the new link road is more about allowing more housing development in the area than easier access to the airport.

 

[Aviador]

You may have a point there cmj

 

[White Heather]

The final option chosen will demonstrate the answer to that question. Option A is airport related and has no real impact on planned housing. Options B and C run close to where there are plans for housing, but are pretty useless for the airport and its development.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

As a Yeadon resident I was throwing items at my television due to their biased report. Why cant they put someone on as well who is fully behind the proposal.
I hope we will see hundreds of new homes built if the right road proposal is taken forward. Just as long as the new owners sigh a pledge they will support airport expansion for the next 99 years, not become "NIMBY's. We need lots more homes in the area as we do on a national basis. Frankly there are far to many golf courses, losing Horsforth totally would not really be an issue.
For the last 5 years we are seeing often the paper headline "Golf Clubs in crisis as membership numbers plummet" People are far more likly to be found in the Gym today then on a golf course.
Golf clubs are closing on a weekly basis in the u.k.
Frankly none of the three plans for me go anywhere near sorting the issue out.
Why no link to the new Greengates station?
Its a start but we need to tweak it for a proper solution.