Tbus

[cmj]

Originally Posted by SalsaShark

Isn't the planned route for the TBus that it would run behind Headingley Arndale Centre on a new segregated route, and then re-join Headingley Lane somewhere around Richmond Road or Buckingham Road, thus skipping the Headingley bottleneck?

That only skips some of it - it'll still get stuffed up from whatever point it re-joins the A660 to Hyde Park corner.

[cmj]

Originally Posted by bewildereduk

The main crux of the city to Headingley route is mainly the section from the Original Oak to the junction with North Lane. Its a complete bottle neck and there is no way you could get three lanes down that stretch of road

I don't think there's much directly in the way - some of the houses on the road would lose a bit of garden, I guess.

[Leeds No.1]

Yes that is part of the plan, although as mentioned, it doesn't cut the problem north of Hyde Park Corner.

An alternate plan for that Headingley section was to route general traffic behind the Arndale and use the current main road as a semi-pedestrianised NGT route. I personally think this would be a much better plan in terms of improving the urban environment.

[bewildereduk]

I'm talking about the stretch from the Oak to the crossroads near the Arndale where the likes of Halifax, The Box etc are all situated. Theres no gardens that could be removed whatsoever and that stretch of road is very narrow

[tomd89]

The route is due to go behind the Halifax and The Box etc and continue behind the Arndale then joining up with Otley Road. The alternate option of routing the road round the back and having the NGT with buses and local access traffic on the existing road is much better.

[Skychaser 2005]

3 days to go then if the Govt are sticking to their original timetable for an announcement

[yorkshireriderleeds]

I see the NGT decision is due anytime according to the local media. There are two interesting developments which could help bring back trolleybuses in Leeds, firstly if Metro take back control of the local bus network next week and secondly if Leeds gets to raise its own funds for transport. Let`s see what happens!

[Skychaser 2005]

Originally Posted by yorkshireriderleeds

I see the NGT decision is due anytime according to the local media. There are two interesting developments which could help bring back trolleybuses in Leeds, firstly if Metro take back control of the local bus network next week and secondly if Leeds gets to raise its own funds for transport. Let`s see what happens!

Sounds interesting and just what I have been saying today as others say it is a dead dodo. Where did you get the media info from, can't see anything in local press/websites etc?

[yorkshireriderleeds]

It was in tonight`s YEP, linked in with the Metro Quality Contracts story on page 4. It is worth noting that as the third largest English city, politically it could be very damaging to kill off NGT! The coalition have to go to the polls in two and a half years, the Lib Dems could be wiped off the political map in Leeds. Let`s see what happens. I personally want to see trams in Leeds.

[LeedsLad]

Don't think it'll damage the Conservatives too much - don't think T-Bus was to run through any Tory areas anyway?!

[Leeds No.1]

Tbus won't run through any Tory areas, but it will have great effects on Tory areas. Leeds votes Conservative more than any other major northern city, and Leeds NW has been Conservative previously. If the LDs fall through there's no reason why Leeds NW couldn't go back Tory.

The P&R site at Bodington will also be attempting to attract commuters from some key Conservative areas, and those Tory-voting commuters currently have to struggle with increasing traffic congestion on the A660.

We've got someone on the inside remember. Alec Shelbrooke is PPS to Theresa Villiers.

[Aaronj09]

I think the Conservatives would be more likely to give funding to Tbus if Leeds NW was Tory again! The Lib Dems are a third rate party, I wouldn't be surprised to see their seat go.

[yorkshireriderleeds]

I wouldn`t be so sure of that! The conservatives failed to give Leeds finance for supertram in the 90`s and Labour pulled the plug too. Now we have a coalition and things are no better! Dreadful state of affairs. I agree Greg Mulholland will be swept away at the next election.

[Aaronj09]

That's because Leeds City Council did not ask for a tram in the 90's. They could have, they should have, but they did not.

[oyster]

Originally Posted by yorkshireriderleeds

I agree Greg Mulholland will be swept away at the next election.

I would have thought Mulholland's seat would be fairly safe given the demographics of NW Leeds - the Lib Dems were comfortably re-elected in the local elections earlier this year here in Otley (part of the NW Leeds constituency). I'd say Mulholland comes across as one of the city's most vocal and proactive MPs, so it would be a shame to see him ousted.

[Leeds No.1]

Mulholland is a good MP, just a pity he's under bad leadership.

I think Leeds NW will stay LD for the next election - it won it with a comfortable majority. In the long term though, anything can happen in Leeds NW. It could even be Green in the future if the Greens promote themselves enough.

[SalsaShark]

I agree that Greg Mulholland is a very good MP, but unfortunately most people do vote for a party rather than making their decisions based on the individual. (This possibly explains why my MP is the dreadful Rachel Reeves who would do Labour more favours if she'd just keep her mouth shut).

As for whether Leeds NW would stay Lib Dem in the next election, it'll largely depend on the boundary changes and where Greg Mulholland ends up standing.

The initial proposed boundary changes that went to consultation (which are hilarious in places, and so hopefully will go through further changes) carve up the current Leeds NW across several constituencies. So, would Greg Mulholland stand for 'Leeds North' (which includes Headingley, Hyde Park, Kirkstall and Chapel A) with his student vote and his previous council seat? Or 'Guiseley & Yeadon', which includes Otley where he lives? Or the ridiculous proposed 'Leeds North West and Nidderdale' (which includes Bramhope, Adel, Nidd Valley and Roundhay... yes, Roundhay!) where most of the voters won't have previously encountered him at all?

Gut feeling - if the Lib Dem national party's popularity doesn't shaft him, the boundary changes will. A shame really as I think he's one of the few good ones...

[ps60]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Mulholland is a good MP, just a pity he's under bad leadership.

I think Leeds NW will stay LD for the next election - it won it with a comfortable majority. In the long term though, anything can happen in Leeds NW. It could even be Green in the future if the Greens promote themselves enough.

Leeds NW might well be more likely to go Labour in the event of a Lib Dem meltdown. And if Cameron continues to remain as incompetent as he is, Labour will make sizeable gains in West Yorkshire.

[Leeds No.1]

You're right, the proposed boundary changes are ridiculous.

Areas north and west of Harrogate would be in Leeds NW, like Killinghall and Pateley Bridge.

[riclam]

Originally Posted by yorkshireriderleeds

I wouldn`t be so sure of that! The conservatives failed to give Leeds finance for supertram in the 90`s and Labour pulled the plug too. Now we have a coalition and things are no better! Dreadful state of affairs. I agree Greg Mulholland will be swept away at the next election.

Actually Metro and yorkshire rider were successful in getting funding for new trolleybus in bradford in the late 1980s, however due to believing the new buses they were getting at the time were comparable in terms of speed and quietness to trolleybuses as well as deciding at the last minute that the chosen bus manufacturer for the new trolleybuses was incapable of producing them despite facts to the contrary they pulled the plug on the idea.

If they dont get funding this time it is their own fault I think