Traffic Monitoring November 2017 - 13th anniversary!

As a result of traffic monitoring cables having been installed across the carriageway in various locations along the A639 and A642, this month, the following email has been sent to the Ward councillors, copied to our MP, and the Highways representative from Leeds City Council:   

Councillors

With reference to the traffic monitoring (cables across the carriageway) taking place on the A639 it has been pointed out that yet again the siting of the monitoring equipment on Leeds Hill is not in the optimum location and if the monitoring is for speed measurement, then the results will not be truly representative of the traffic speeds reached along Leeds Hill, and will show lower maximum speeds.  To record the speeds that are being reached the monitoring equipment should be closer to the middle of this stretch of road, as has been proven in the past.

As none of you were involved at the time, in November 2004 when the campaign first got off the ground speed monitoring was undertaken along Leeds Hill.  It was pointed out to the councillors, and MP, at the time that the monitoring was too close to the traffic lights to give an accurate representation of the speeds being reached and sure enough the results showed no significant incidence of speeding.  In spite of continued pressure from councillors and Colin Challen MP (those were the days) it was almost 12 months before monitoring was again carried out, closer to the middle of the stretch, these results showed that 80% of all traffic was exceeding the speed limit, speeds over 60mph and 70mph being reached, this led to senior council officers stating at a meeting that I attended along with former council leader Brian Walker, that there was indeed a 'serious' problem with speeding.  What was supposed to happen next and what didn't happen is well documented.

The main complaint the majority of residents have is noise and disturbance, directly associated with traffic speed (see WHO, and environmental health documentation).  You have confirmed that the matter of speed cameras, which would go a long way to dealing with both the overall traffic speeds and the high speed night time HGV traffic, is dealt with by others and is nothing to do with Leeds City Council.  In his email of 8 February 2017 Nick Hunt confirmed the criteria for static and mobile speed cameras, all of which relates to accidents, injuries and fatalities, fortunately none of which applies.  I should be obliged if you would confirm by email, for the benefit of those who didn't attend the meeting in February, and for our MP, that regardless of what the speed monitoring results show, you as individuals, and Leeds City Council have now done everything within your power to address the problem of speeding along Leeds/Wakefield Road, and that by having failed to make any difference whatsoever we are simply expected to live with it. 

Your lack of concern about the significant disturbance caused as a result of the volume of night time HGV traffic (increasing) warrants being dealt with separately however it has been pointed out in your 'defence' that you cannot have any direct comprehension of how serious this matter is: Carlton - benefits from Ouzlewell Green night time HGV ban; Swillington - full time HGV ban, Farrer Lane, Oulton - no traffic to speak of let alone HGV traffic, and Boston Spa - full time HGV ban.

Regards