Plea for action on busy streets (From Ilkley Gazette)

Plea for action on busy streets

4:00am Sunday 23rd September 2012 in Local news

Action is being called for to tackle congestion on the A65 which turns Guiseley into a “huge traffic jam” several times a day.
Guiseley and Rawdon councillors Paul Wadsworth and Pat Latty spoke out at a full Leeds City Council meeting to raise concerns about the amount of traffic on the main road between Horsforth and Menston.
Coun Wadsworth, pictured, said: “Traffic levels along the A65 have increased dramatically in recent years and the major cause of this congestion is the increased development.
“Unfortunately the problem has been exacerbated by a lack of co-ordination around traffic signals, so they are working independent of each other.
“Each junction has also been installed on a piecemeal basis, with little or no consideration of the impact on the next one, such as a pelican crossing placed only 20 yards from where the school crossing patrol stands.
“All this means that speeds can be as low as 11-20 mph on the road, and a journey from Rawdon to Leeds that should take 18 minutes can extend to over 40 minutes at busy times.
“We want to see a thorough survey of the A65 between Horsforth and Menston.”
Coun Pat Latty said Aireborough had been the focus of intense development for many years. “As a result we have a road that cannot handle all the people who came to Aireborough with high hopes of a quieter life,” she said.
“The parking problems these extra people have generated are proving unsolvable and have also turned Guiseley into a huge traffic jam.”