Keighley News
ONE-WAY SYSTEM IS TESTED FOR TOWN
11:20am Friday 3rd February 2012
Keighley businesses can no longer afford to put up with the damage to trade caused by traffic congestion, according to the chairman of a body set up to tackle the problem.
Russell Revill was speaking at a joint meeting of the Traffic Advisory Panel and Keighley Town Council’s watch and transport committee.
He said plans to improve central Keighley’s infrastructure must be implemented as soon as possible, and he highlighted the need to speed-up traffic flow through “intelligent thinking”. He said these measures could lead to very real benefits for businesses in the town.
Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, economy and sustainability, told the meeting that council highways officers had now completed work on computer simulations assessing options for traffic improvements.
However, he said these studies did require further work, for which funding had been identified.
Bradford Council senior traffic planner Joe Grint explained that his colleagues had worked with the Traffic Advisory Panel and carried out traffic surveys.
He outlined proposals for a clockwise one-way traffic flow around the East Parade, Hanover Street, Cavendish Street triangle, noting that initial studies had suggested this could create a ten per cent reduction in congestion across the town centre.
He said a larger one-way system encompassing North Street, Hard Ings Road, Bradford Road and Worth Way had been considered and computer-tested, but was found not to provide a viable improvement.
The meeting’s opening addresses were followed by a more general discussion session, during which Coun Judith Brooksbank said that the proposed one-way flow along East Parade may have additional benefits for residents of Parkwood Street.
She warned that this street was currently used as a “rat run” by motorists wanting to avoid the town centre. Mr Grint said Parkwood Street was being taken into account by highways officers.
Traffic Advisory Panel member Paul Marklew suggested one way of reducing the attraction of Parkwood Street to through traffic would be to make Woodhouse Road one-way from the Timothy Taylor brewery entrance uphill towards Hainworth Wood Road.
He said this would prevent traffic cutting through from Parkwood and Woodhouse to South Street.
Coun George Metcalf requested that the “no right turn” from Cavendish Street into Lawkholme Lane rule be properly enforced to alleviate congestion near Keighley Bus Station’s entrance.
Mr Grint said Bradford Council had no power to enforce moving traffic offences, but it was agreed that this matter would be passed on to the police.
Speaking after the meeting, watch and transport committee chairman Coun Graham Mitchell echoed Mr Revill’s concerns, and pointed out: “When we think of congestion we tend to think of motorists being held up in traffic, but this is actual businesses being affected.
“When buses and lorries are sitting in these traffic queues they’re still using up fuel and using up time. Keighley’s business economy can’t put up with this very much longer.”