cmj, I fail to see how the proposed link road can make a bad situation worse. It would remove a considerable amount of through traffic that would normally have to queue along Victoria Avenue, Yeadon and at Rawdon and make life much better for the people who have to pass through those areas each day. It will undoubtedly knock 10 minutes off the journey to the airport when approaching from the A65 too. It may also remove some of the traffic using the A6120 Ring Road between Horsforth and Lawnswood, as traffic bound for Otley/Pool/Harrogate will have an alternative to using the A6120 and A660/A61. However, what worries me is that I see no plans to improve the traffic situation in Pool in Wharfedale, or at the Dynley Arms, both of which are problems already. Both need sorting as part of this. That is the joined up thinking that is often sadly lacking in Leeds when it comes to transport infrastructure.
Another example would be the trolley bus scheme. Not only does a trolley bus do nothing that a normal or hybrid bus cannot do, (so in my view is a complete waste of time that will devastate the environment along its route as hundreds of trees are removed, buildings demolished etc) but only in Leeds would we run such a scheme to terminate at Holt Park ASDA, when there is an International Airport 3 miles up the road. Anywhere else but Leeds, the trolley bus would terminate at the airport. It was the same with the ill fated Super Tram scheme.
The latest situation only shows how ill educated some of our councillors and MPs are when it comes to transport. They openly object to the road scheme (to appease their voters) and campaign for a rail link which is not technically possible and if it were, it would be a minimum of 10 years away. Clearly nothing to do with improving transport around the airport, just about being seen to keep their vociferous voters happy. What is clearly needed is an improvement in the road structure in NW Leeds generally, incorporating the airport, and some form of rail link to LBA. The quickest and cheapest way to achieve that is, without question, a parkway station on the Harrogate Line and link bus (extended car park shuttle) up to the terminal. That could be in place at a fraction of the cost and half the time, and would link LBA to most of the country via Leeds and also from York/Knaresborough/Harrogate. Both the road and Parkway Station can be provided for less than the cost of a tram train system, which isn't even being trialled until 2017 between Sheffield and Rotherham. Instead of just doing more surveys and studies, many of which seem to contradict each other, we need to be making things happen now. Instead of a road scheme, we need to progress that and the parkway station at the same time, perhaps with a park and ride as part of the scheme. In the meantime, the tram train option can be progressed for the future. If it is feasible and affordable then a link from the Parkway Station up to the airport and on to Guiseley can be added later.
Someone in the Council/METRO etc just need to get a grip!! At least the latest report which confirms heavy rail is not viable and that both road links and rail links are needed is talking some sense at last. Hopefully it will be the last report of its kind and we might actually get a decision.
