The continuing case for urgently commissioning an independent traffic Impact Assessment study ... (4) HOW WILL A STUDY HELP? • A planned increase of 20% more houses has been proposed without conducting a formal assessment of its overall impact on Otley’s road network. • The effect of increased traffic on a road network can be predicted using an appropriate traffic model as can the effect of mitigation measures. • With such a model the overall consequences for Otley of the 20% more housing, the relief road and the consequential gravel extraction could be assessed - as could the effect of an individual development. • The overall effect of the relief road could be predicted - as could the consequences of other potential road improvements in Otley. • The model could also predict the increase in commuter traffic on (say) the A660. (3) WHY IS A STUDY NEEDED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS? • An additional 1,177 houses in Otley (a 20% increase) are planned without corresponding improvements in Otley’s road network. • The proposed relief road from Stephen Smiths to the Leeds Road roundabout forms an integral part of the East of Otley development. • While the relief road is predicted to divert most of the east-west through traffic from the town centre, it is not designed purely as a by-pass (as is the existing Rotary Way). • Because of the two intermediate roundabouts (giving access to the East of Otley development) and the gradient up to the Leeds Road, the relief road will be a relatively slow route for HGVs. • The relief road will provide ready access to 1.6Mtons of gravel reserves located near Migley Farm and allow this gravel to be extracted and easily transported to Leeds (without the need to travel through Otley or Pool). • The resulting new flow of gravel lorries will use the relief road and the already very congested A660 to travel into Leeds (and back). • The East of Otley development itself, with 550 houses plus an additional 25% development area all accessed off the relief road, will also generate a considerable volume of additional new traffic on the relief road. • East of Otley traffic heading into Otley will use the relief road then (typically) either Pool Road or Leeds Road. (2) WHY IS AN OTLEY TRAFFIC MODEL NEEDED? • Otley’s road network is not designed for modern traffic conditions. • Substantial delays frequently occur. • Otley’s commuter routes into Leeds and Bradford are heavily congested. • The gravel lorries traveling into Leeds from Greenhow add to the problems. • The traffic restrictions recently introduced on Mill Lane (because of the Garnett’s development) have substantially increased the traffic queues north of the bridge. • The new one-way traffic scheme by the library has resulted in traffic problems on a sufficient scale for the scheme to have been modified to try and reduce the consequences. • Two recent Otley traffic scheme - both with substantial unforeseen consequences! • Insufficient regard to local knowledge may have been a factor. • However, the underlying reason for the unforeseen consequences seems to be insufficient understanding of current traffic flows within Otley as-a-whole. (1) WHAT KIND OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT? • An independent impact assessment study of the overall effects of the planned Otley developments (i.e. 20% more housing and the consequential gravel extraction) • But this will not happen – partly because of the direct cost of the required study and partly because of the indirect costs of the consequential demands for appropriate infrastructure upgrades. • A more limited study urgently needs to be commissioned based on an traffic model and focused only on Otley’s road network and (say) the A660 commuter route into Leeds … • Otley’s road network is already under pressure as are our essentially road-based commuter transport links. • To be of real value, any impact assessment must be robust. • There are established methodologies for predicting future traffic flows. • Such a study will ignore closely related issues (such as air quality, parking and the effect on other road users and pedestrians) but will provide quantitative results that will be indicative of some of the wider consequences. • Otley town council has recognised the value of commissioning such a study and have obtained quotations. NB: With a planned 20% increase in Otley housing a comprehensive impact assessment should take place covering all aspects of Otley’s infrastructure (including schools, GPs, dentists, employment, environment and all aspects of transport).
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 15:29:07 +0000
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