Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Bigman]

Yes, but this is our opportunity to press for routes such as the 747 to run through to Otley all week and not just Sunday. The Sunday services are a total joke in any case. I for one am glad that we are being asked for our views. With all due respect White heather you do not live in Yeadon and see how bad things are up here.

A lot of people who work at the airport live locally. How are they supposed to get to work without good local transport? I have seen it written elsewhere that the airport is being caned for the number of airport employees who drive to work.

 

[Aviador]

Yes, but this is our opportunity to press for routes such as the 747 to run through to Otley all week and not just Sunday. The Sunday services are a total joke in any case. I for one am glad that we are being asked for our views. With all due respect White heather you do not live in Yeadon and see how bad things are up here.

A lot of people who work at the airport live locally. How are they supposed to get to work without good local transport? I have seen it written elsewhere that the airport is being caned for the number of airport employees who drive to work.

Bigman, with all due respect, not everyone works 09:00 while 17:00 when public transport is relatively frequent. It is impossible for airport employees to get to the airport using public transport. Outside the airport administration itself, the majority of people who work at the airport work shift patterns. Many employees start work at between 02:00 (in the summer particularly) and 05:00. Catching a bus just isn't an option.

 

[White Heather]

Yes, but this is our opportunity to press for routes such as the 747 to run through to Otley all week and not just Sunday. The Sunday services are a total joke in any case. I for one am glad that we are being asked for our views. With all due respect White heather you do not live in Yeadon and see how bad things are up here.

A lot of people who work at the airport live locally. How are they supposed to get to work without good local transport? I have seen it written elsewhere that the airport is being caned for the number of airport employees who drive to work.

Bigman, also with all due respect, my concern on this forum is solely that this review may result in the reduction in bus routes into and out of the airport or a reduction in frequency with some routes by-passing the airport, just at a time when the airport is under huge pressure to ensure there are more buses. I do not need to live in Yeadon or Otley to recognise that these reviews have often been used as an excuse to cut services in the past. It has happened on services to Cookridge where I live. If the outcome is an improvement in services for local people and the airport, I will be happy, but how many reviews can you remember that have led to an INCREASE in services? From my experience, review is another word for cuts and rationalisation. The bus operators just love to ask peoples opinions and then use those opinions as an excuse to reduce or axe services altogether. This is an airport forum so my concerns relate purely to the airport in my post. That does not mean I do not recognise the concerns of local people, but it is surely not an issue for this forum?

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

I have been told that Metro and First Leeds are looking at making the 757 run every 20 mins between Leeds City centre and the Airport, Monday to Saturday Daytime with one bus continuing on an extension on hourly basis to Pool and Otley.

The service will also start running earlier with the first bus leavening Leeds at around 05:00. Buses would run hourly between Leeds and Airport until around 07:00 and the gradually increase to a 20 mins service until around 18:00. After this time buses would only run every 30 mins from Leeds to the airport until around 21:00 with the last 2 buses leaving Leeds at around 22:00 & 23:00. The last bus running into Leeds from the airport would be around 23:50.

On a Sunday it has been mentioned that the service will run hourly from 05:00 till 10:00 between Leeds and the airport. After 10:00 buses would then run every 30 mins from Leeds to Otley via the airport until around 18:00 (The Sunday daytime service would run every 30 mins but would run in conjunction with the service 33/33A to make a 15 Mins service between Rawdon and Leeds).
After 18:00 the service would revert to an hourly operation until last bus at around 23:00.

There are also some talks that the 97 make be making a route change sometime in the New Year, but I don’t know too much about this yet. But it dose look promising

Meanwhile the First Bradford hourly service 737 (Bradford – Shipley – Guiseley – Yeadon – Airport) would be extended from the Airport to run down to Otley to make a combined 30 mins service with the Monday to Saturday daytime 757 service.

The 747 service would continue to operate as now. Every 30 mins Monday to Saturday daytime between Bradford and The airport. Hourly on Sundays with some later journeys add and buses extending to run down Otley via the revised 737 service route

Harrogate and District were looking at operating some extra service on there 767 Airlink route but have reconsidered by all accounts and will instead keep to its existing timetable with buses running every 90 mins.

Also on the cards is a new bus route to York which will either run every 90 mins via the old First York 787 route or maybe via Harewood, Wetherby & Tadcaster. This will be going out to Tender sometime in the New Year.

 

[rmac]

Could the great city of Leeds not fund an airport "luxury" bus from the Bus station, city rail station and perhaps a couple of points in the city directly to the airport running hourly and in addition to the twice hourly 757 ? Also could the York and Harrogate combined route not continue onto Bradford and possibly Huddersfield with a National Coach type of operation, i.e. limited stops. This would provide a comfortable service for passengers not only for the airport but travelling across the region. The greater numbers hopefully generated by such a route would help to subsidise those only going to the airport, in other words the whole route becomes more viable as it becomes attractive to a greater number of travellers. By starting in Hudderfield or maybe Halifax some might consider using LBA over MAN if it was easier and cheaper to get to by public transport. Nevertheless the points raised by lbaspotter are a step in the right direction if implicated.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks for that information LBAspotter!

rmac,

I have to agree that some kind of service similar to what you are suggesting would be advantageous. It's embarrassing when you have to explain to passengers that there's no direct buses to Halifax or Huddersfield.

 

[Bigman]

I appreciate what you say White Heather (as I do on many subjects) and I do also share your sentiments that reviews in the past have tended to lead to cutbacks. Let's hope we see this reversed, and if what lbaspotter says is right things seem to be about to turn in the right direction.

Aviador - you pretty much proved my point in that the current transport set up makes it damn near impossible for airport employees to get to work when they need to. Maybe what it needs is a shuttle bus running between Guiseley Station-Yeadon-Airport-Horsforth station or such like that can act both as a shuttle from the stations and also provide good local links to the airport.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi All Bad News to report regarding first bus services in Leeds

For anyone wishing to travel on all First Leeds bus services and including the, 757 Airlink service from Leeds to and from the Airport and Otley on Monday, December 7th, Saturday 12th and Saturday 19th 2009 may find it difficult to reach as it has now been comfirmed that First Bus Drivers in Leeds will be walking out to take strike Action.

Its has not been comfirmed yet but the next dates for strike action after these first 3 dates could include Wednesday, December 23rd and Thursday, December 24th 2009 (Christmas Eve) So watch this space for further details.

This will also effect service 33/33A and 97 in the Yeadon Area.

NOTE: First Service's 737, 747 from Bardford will continue to be operted as normal on the effected days of the strike as these routes are operated by First in Bradford Drivers.

 

[lbaspotter]

Good news to report First bus drivers will not be going on strike this coming Monday.

Source = http://www.wymetro.com/news/releases/091126Firststrike.htm

First Leeds strike suspended.
Strike action by First Leeds drivers, planned for next Monday, has been suspended.
3 December 2009

Strike action by First Leeds drivers, planned for next Monday, has been suspended.

There will be a further ballot of drivers next week.

Should the drivers vote for strike action , Metro will provide travel information on which services are running, through this web site and MetroLine, as well as through local radio and TV programmes.

We will also be providing information through our Messenger service and updates to people who follow MetroTravelNews on Twitter.

Sign up for Messenger

 

[Bigman]

I popped in to the walk in session at Yeadon Town Hall last night. Proposals are as follows:

757 to terminate at airport - earlier and later buses being looked at
967 to be extended from Otley to the airport to keep Otley served
747 to be dropped to hourly and also re-routed and will no longer serve Kirk Lane or Rawdon Lights (not good!!)
969 - new hopper service between Guiseley-Yeadon-Airport
No current plans to reinstate the York service (I thought this was one of the provisos of the airport expansion approval??)

I strongly suggested that the proposed new hopper service be extended to Horsforth railway station. I also suggested that they look at extending the 762/5 services (which currently run from Keighley to Ilkley via Silsden) to the aiport via Otley, thus creating new links to the airport.

More worryingly, I saw a METRO response letter today to an annoyed customer which hints that the 33A service may be canned altogether. I wasn't happy to say the least.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

The First Leeds bus drivers strike is back on. Drivers have been balloted and have voted to reject the new pay deal which was put to them on last week.

So first 2 strike dates are as follows. This Saturday, December 12th and Next Saturday, December 19th

First Services, 15, 72, 508, 737, 747, X6, X11 and X64 will not be effected as these routes are operated by either Firsts drivers based at York, Bradford or Halifax.

First in Leeds plans to operate a skeleton services throughout Leeds on the days of the strike. More details will appear shortly but will mainly consist of the over ground colour coded routes runing half hourly along with the Airlink 757 service.

See Press Release from Metro as follows below,

Planned Strike action by First drivers in Leeds expected on Saturday 12 December 2009


Bus drivers at First's two bus depots in Leeds have today, Tuesday 08 December 2009, taken part in an industrial action ballot and have voted to reject the new pay deal which was put to them on last week.

First is now planning to meet with Unite officials on Thursday 10 December 2009 to try and avert proposed strike action on First buses in Leeds which will take place on Saturday 12 December 2009.

If the strike goes ahead, First will look to run a skeleton bus service on major routes in Leeds. First's services in Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield and all other public transport services in Leeds and West Yorkshire will not be affected and will run as normal.

For further updates about the strike action, and which services will be operating on strike days, visit First's website.

 

[White Heather]

So if you want to catch a bus into Leeds Bus Station, from somewhere such as Castleford for example, you would have to leg it all the way across Leeds to the railway station to get the airport bus, or get a second bus across town, or get the train. Seems stupid to me. Surely the airport bus needs to connect to the city bus interchange. Makes no sense unless they choose the enhanced option.

 

[Aviador]

I think the FREE city bus operate from the bus stand alongside the 757 bus stand at Leeds City Station doesn't it? The FREE city bus goes to the Bus Station and it only takes about ten minutes to get there. It runs every few minutes from 06:30 till 19:30 Monday to Saturday so for those wanting to utilise public transport that's not too bad.

Click here for a PDF of the FREE Citybus route

 

[rmac]

I see East Midlands Airport are promoting direct trains to East Midlands Parkway for the airport shuttle from Sheffield which is not good news for DSA. However when will LBA and others put together a shuttle service from Horsforth or Guiseley stations to the airport and advertise it. The propoals for a Guiseley station to airport bus service is a step in the right direction but if it does start it needs promoting, especially on the LBA website.

 

[White Heather]

I have raised the issue of a shuttle bus from Horsforth and Guiseley stations to the airport at the last couple of Consultative Committee meetings and my comments have been minuted. In the absence of a scheduled bus service from Horsforth, I suggested the airport provide a shuttle bus similar to what they use in the car parks, (which is an Optare Midi bus similar to what First use on the 747 route) which should be bookable on the airport web site. This would allow passengers to book it to meet their specific trains, at an advertised cost. Since may of the Harrogate and Leeds bound trains arrive at Horsforth at similar times, the shuttle bus could pick up any passengers booking the service for both trains at the same time in many cases.

I pointed out that this would at least show willing on the part of the airport, to move towards increasing public transport useage until such time as bus services to the airport were enhanced. They didn't say much other than to acknowledge it was a good idea and worth considering.

If there is a downside to this, it remains that the car park to the station is tiny and invariably too full to accommodate even a midi bus as used by the airport car park shuttle. Getting out of the car park to turn right up Station Road also has to be one of the most tricky manoevres in the area - one to be avoided if at all possible. There is also no footbridge for passengers alighting from the Harrogate trains to cross the tracks to get to the car park area, resulting in them having to leave the station, cross the road bridge and then go down the ramp into the car park at the other side - which is not ideal if you have luggage.

I totally agree though that the airport web site should include full details of all bus services to and from the airport and show a route map highlighting bus stops where that bus can be caught. Given the state of the existing web site, it would probably blow the thing up if they tried, but hopefully the long awaited new web site (if it arrives) might be able to show this or something similar.

 

[Aviador]

More roadworks are expected to effect the A658 near the airport over the next few weeks. Leeds City Council is planning on upgrading the lighting through the airport tunnel.

 

[White Heather]

Not before time either they have deteriorated badly over the past few years. When the tunnel first opened it was lit very brightly, but now it is really poorly lit - like most tunnels in Leeds! Those on the Inner Ring Road and Ingram Road are a disgrace.

 

[Aviador]

The Service 757 will only operate every two hours on New Year's Day.

Yet another public transport let down and another good reason why council boffins can't get people to use public transport. :nea:

 

[lbaspotter]

The Service 757 will only operate every two hours on New Year's Day.

Yet another public transport let down and another good reason why council boffins can't get people to use public transport. :nea:

This has always been the case with the service 757 on both Boxing Day and New Years day. As things stand they is just no demand for it to be run under a commercial service as I doesn’t make enough money for the company to run extra non tendered services on these two days of the year. Hence they only run every two hours as the Metro tender states for which they get paid and this only requires 1 single deck bus for the whole day of operation and only 2 drivers’ shifts for the whole day.

Also there are no other bus services running in west Yorkshire on New Years day. Where as on Boxing Day a special bus service did run throughout west Yorkshire

 

[White Heather]

Bring back Leeds City Transport!!

And West Yorkshire.

And Samuel Legards! :smile:

At least in those days the buses were there to provide a service and not just make a profit. It was the worst thing that ever happened in my humble opinion when the WYPTE took over in 1974 as it has led over time to the current situation, whereby First Bus have a virtual monopoly in West Yorkshire, with only Arriva providing any serious opposition and then mainly in the Wakefield area. Government rulings about routes having to be profitable have exacerbated the situation as buses are no longer a public service as such - simply a means of making profit