Major Bradford transport schemes could move a step closer (From Ilkley Gazette)
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Bradford Councillors to discuss big plans
8:00am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News
By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter
Busy Tong Street
Major transport schemes for the district which could be funded through a new £1billion West Yorkshire transport fund are to be discussed.
The schemes include a rail link from the city centre to Leeds- Bradford Airport, improvements to the city’s two railway stations and moves to cut congestion on Tong Street, along the Shipley-Bradford corridor and in Keighley town centre.
Details of the investment scheme will be discussed by Bradford Council’s executive next week. Members will be asked to approve the further development of the plan to deliver transport improvements over a decade.
Leaders of the five West Yorkshire councils have joined with York to push ahead with the regional fund which could help create between 25,000 and 30,000 new jobs. The aim is to develop a fully-integrated transport system for West Yorkshire, generate increased investment and create more jobs for the region, regardless of local authority boundaries.
At the moment around 60 initial schemes have been identified at a total cost of around £4billion, so work is underway to test them and consider their impact in terms of value.
The results of this testing – taking into account the costs of each scheme, level of outside contributions required, and potential revenue returns – will be reported back to leaders later this year. It is then expected that final approval of the fund would take place in spring 2013.
Funding for the programme is likely to come through an increase in the locally-raised transport levy, top-slicing the Local Transport Plan and Department for Transport local major scheme funding. Other potential sources of funding include the community infrastructure levy, section 106 planning agreements, the European Regional Development Fund and local business rates, although these have not been included as confirmed contributors, the report to the executive states.
Possible Bradford schemes also include:
* a South Bradford Link Road
* Bradford to Huddersfield A641 corridor improvements
* an upgrade to the Caldervale railway line
* improvements to Hard Ings Road in Keighley
* bus frequency increases and fare reductions
* a regional railway station parking package.
Councillor Val Slater, the Council’s executive member for housing, planning and transport, said: “Significant work has already been undertaken on the plan. All the authorities involved now need to commit to the next stages.
“The development of an integrated and progressive transport system for the region is the key to increasing economic prosperity and sustainability.
“There will also be benefits of faster journeys, decongestion and improved air quality.”
Early discussions over the £1bn West Yorkshire-wide transport fund were exclusively revealed in the Telegraph & Argus just over a year ago. It was confirmed in July that leaders intended to put in place the transport investment fund.
Comments(20)
legallyblonde
says...
9:22am Wed 3 Oct 12
thatsnotmyname
says...
9:28am Wed 3 Oct 12
I can't think of any other major city where you 'come to the end of the tracks'.
futurethinking
says...
9:52am Wed 3 Oct 12
Still, all of this investment is fantastic, although long overdue. I'm guessing the South Bradford link road is some kind of Tong Street bypass? Hard ings road is well overdue, I don't understand how you can find the money to build miles of bypass either side, and then have a ridiculous short section of single carriageway in the middle.
Andrew_ide
says...
9:53am Wed 3 Oct 12
1. Tong St - needs to be a dual carriage-way from Dudley Hill to the Driglington by-pass.
2. Canal Road through to Baildon needs to be a dual carriage-way.
3. Why not make Saltaire Road from the roundabout to Fox Corner and then Kirkgate Shipley upto Bradford Rd a one-way system to ease traffic flow & congestion.
4. Cross Rail link with the station being the hub of whatever happens to the hole.
5. Be creative, double yellow lines are not just ignored but they are abused by some blue badge users who park anywhere without a care for road safety. How about having stretches of double yellow lines that have dashes of blue lines on them to show blue badge holders can park there for safe parking and access.
Just a few ideas, but if things don't change the road network will continue to strangle the city and drive-away investment.
Andrew_ide
says...
9:53am Wed 3 Oct 12
1. Tong St - needs to be a dual carriage-way from Dudley Hill to the Driglington by-pass.
2. Canal Road through to Baildon needs to be a dual carriage-way.
3. Why not make Saltaire Road from the roundabout to Fox Corner and then Kirkgate Shipley upto Bradford Rd a one-way system to ease traffic flow & congestion.
4. Cross Rail link with the station being the hub of whatever happens to the hole.
5. Be creative, double yellow lines are not just ignored but they are abused by some blue badge users who park anywhere without a care for road safety. How about having stretches of double yellow lines that have dashes of blue lines on them to show blue badge holders can park there for safe parking and access.
Just a few ideas, but if things don't change the road network will continue to strangle the city and drive-away investment.
Albion.
says...
10:55am Wed 3 Oct 12
PlatPlat
says...
11:13am Wed 3 Oct 12
Improving roads only goes so far, since doing so attracts more traffic and we're back to square one. Improving bus journey times, reliability and connections will do a lot more to help.
Albion.
says...
11:21am Wed 3 Oct 12
PlatPlat wrote:A lot more than that makes bus travel unattractive, I know several who tried it and went back to using their cars, saying "never again", It would make a difference but not enough of one I think.
I say this as a driver. The main problem we have is congestion holding up buses. This makes bus journey times unattractive considering the extortionate fare levels nowadays. Therefore more people use cars unnecessarily.
Improving roads only goes so far, since doing so attracts more traffic and we're back to square one. Improving bus journey times, reliability and connections will do a lot more to help.
bradfordrich
says...
11:28am Wed 3 Oct 12
futurethinking wrote:No one announced the electrification of the Caldervale route, it is to be upgraded with new signally and speed limit reducutions. it is the main transpennine route that is to be electrified!!
I thought railway electrification on the Caldervale line is due to be done anyway, as announced by the tories earlier this year. Still, all of this investment is fantastic, although long overdue. I'm guessing the South Bradford link road is some kind of Tong Street bypass? Hard ings road is well overdue, I don't understand how you can find the money to build miles of bypass either side, and then have a ridiculous short section of single carriageway in the middle.
Cross rail will NEVER happen
PlatPlat
says...
12:48pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Albion. wrote:Perhaps, but people are happy to put up with similar conditions on the railway and I think the main difference between the two is journey time.
PlatPlat wrote: I say this as a driver. The main problem we have is congestion holding up buses. This makes bus journey times unattractive considering the extortionate fare levels nowadays. Therefore more people use cars unnecessarily. Improving roads only goes so far, since doing so attracts more traffic and we're back to square one. Improving bus journey times, reliability and connections will do a lot more to help.A lot more than that makes bus travel unattractive, I know several who tried it and went back to using their cars, saying "never again", It would make a difference but not enough of one I think.
Albion.
says...
1:13pm Wed 3 Oct 12
PlatPlat wrote:Many of them actually drive to and from the train, and work where there is little or no parking available. Buses will never be able to compete on times.
Albion. wrote:Perhaps, but people are happy to put up with similar conditions on the railway and I think the main difference between the two is journey time.
PlatPlat wrote: I say this as a driver. The main problem we have is congestion holding up buses. This makes bus journey times unattractive considering the extortionate fare levels nowadays. Therefore more people use cars unnecessarily. Improving roads only goes so far, since doing so attracts more traffic and we're back to square one. Improving bus journey times, reliability and connections will do a lot more to help.A lot more than that makes bus travel unattractive, I know several who tried it and went back to using their cars, saying "never again", It would make a difference but not enough of one I think.
mad matt
says...
2:32pm Wed 3 Oct 12
RomeoTango
says...
3:26pm Wed 3 Oct 12
By the way, London has several terminal stations....Kings Cross, Paddington, Liverpool Street.
Yorkshire Lass
says...
4:32pm Wed 3 Oct 12
thatsnotmyname wrote:Why waste money doing that? Its only a ten minutes walk. Don't forget that the Exchange Rail Station used to be across the road where the law courts are now before the Interchange was built in the 70s. Both the exchange and Forster Square station were very busy in those days but looks like Leeds took over that business many years ago.
Cross link between foster sq and the interchange. If Bradford wants its city to take off in the next decade or two this is a must.
I can't think of any other major city where you 'come to the end of the tracks'.
johnhem
says...
4:49pm Wed 3 Oct 12
i would'nt use a bus even if i had a bus pass, too dirty, smelly, late, blob, expensive and some drivers are customer unfriendly. add correct fare only buses and inconsiderate passengers.. phones/music, feet on seats and unwashed and plain uncivilised. so much for public transport.
oh nearly forgot, lunatic routes too. must have been planned by the council, no-one else could get them so so wrong... could they?
Tell_Titus
says...
4:59pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Yorkshire Lass wrote:It's a ten minute walk granted but an unnecessary journey all the same. This could have been achieved before the Broadway redevelopment in the 60's. Even now there are only the law courts and a lot of waste ground separating the two stations. It could be done and would open up many routes; Halifax/Manchester to Skipton/Ilkley for starters.
thatsnotmyname wrote: Cross link between foster sq and the interchange. If Bradford wants its city to take off in the next decade or two this is a must. I can't think of any other major city where you 'come to the end of the tracks'.Why waste money doing that? Its only a ten minutes walk. Don't forget that the Exchange Rail Station used to be across the road where the law courts are now before the Interchange was built in the 70s. Both the exchange and Forster Square station were very busy in those days but looks like Leeds took over that business many years ago.
Leeds may have taken over some of the business but would that have happened if the Cross Rail scheme was implemented in the 60's? There’s a lot of freight traffic that travels through the Aire valley and the Cross Rail scheme could provide more freight revenue to complement the regular passenger traffic.
Marty12
says...
6:39pm Wed 3 Oct 12
I can see clearly now...
says...
7:05pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Paul Marfell
says...
3:03pm Fri 5 Oct 12
Joedavid says...
8:25am Wed 3 Oct 12