Connecting West Leeds - Phase 2

Introduction

At Leeds City Council, we want to improve everyday life across the city, tackle climate change, and improve health and wellbeing. To help achieve this ambition, we are investing in transport infrastructure (including road safety) to make Leeds a safe and welcoming network for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

This supports our transport vision for Leeds to be “a city where you don’t need to own a car” aiming to increase walking by 33% and cycling by 400% by 2030.

Our road safety investment aims to improve safety for all road users and will help support our ‘Leeds Safer Roads Vision Zero 2040’ plan - which aims to have zero deaths on Leeds roads by 2040.

Connecting West Leeds (CWL) is one of many infrastructure projects we are doing as part of this ambition and is funded by the Levelling Up Programme.

The following boards show our plans to improve the A6120 Leeds Outer Ring Road (ORR) between Horsforth and Pudsey, detailing the current issues, proposed improvements, and the benefits of making these changes.

We ran a consultation for Connecting West Leeds Phase 1 of this scheme in November and December 2021. These are shown by the orange line on the map below. For more information on phase 1 works visit this webpage.

Phase 2 includes further proposals to improve the A6120. These are numbered 4 to 8 on the map below:

• Section 4: Calverley Lane accessible bridge
• Section 5: Rodley roundabout to Dawsons Corner mixed use path
• Section 6: Rodley roundabout traffic light improvements
• Section 7: No right turn safety measures
• Section 8: Accessible ramp to Leeds-Liverpool canal

We are also planning to complement these with planting and landscaping improvements and a reduction in the speed limit between A6120 Horsforth roundabout and A647 Stanningley Bypass at Henconner Lane Bridge. Speed reduction proposals will include enforcement by fixed or average speed cameras.

Current Issues and Aims of Improvements

The A6120 Outer Ring Road (ORR) faces a number of issues currently:

• A long-standing speed-related collision problem.
• The location of the A6120 means it physically cuts across local communities particularly between Farsley and Calverley.
• Residents of these communities have reduced accessibility to the transport network, employment, education, and leisure amenities.
• It’s unattractive and unusable for people wanting to walk or cycle.

The aims of the Connecting West Leeds proposals:

• Fewer road casualties.
• Increased walking and cycling levels within West Leeds, especially for short journeys.
• Improved safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.
• Improved access to jobs, education, healthcare, and leisure opportunities.
• Lower emissions.
• Shorter journey times, including buses.
• Improved access to greenspace.
• Improved local air and noise quality.
• Health improvements through active lifestyles of walking and cycling.

Before you see the proposals and feedback, we would like to know how you use the area and the A6120 Outer Ring Road (ORR). Please answer the following questions before moving onto the specific improvement sections of the survey. You can choose to respond to as many or few of the specific sections as you like.

If you wish to feedback on all of our proposals you can do so by clicking next at the bottom of this page. Alternatively you can skip to a specific section or group of sections by using these links:

• Feedback on section 4: Calverley Lane accessible bridge.
• Feedback on section 5: Rodley roundabout to Dawsons Corner mixed use path.
• Feedback on section 6: Rodley roundabout traffic light improvements.
• Feedback on section 7: No right turn safety measures.
• Feedback on section 8: Accessible ramp to Leeds-Liverpool canal.
• Feedback on section 9: Planting and landscaping.
• Feedback on section 10: Reduction of speed from Horsforth roundabout to Stanningley Bypass at Henconner Lane Bridge.

Section 4: Calverley Lane accessible bridge

There is currently no safe crossing of the A6120 ORR between Farsley and Calverley.

A new bridge across the Outer Ring Road (ORR) is proposed, to link the communities of Farsley and Calverley. This will be located across the A6120 ORR at the junctions of of B6156 Calverley Lane, as shown below:

The bridge will enable people walking, wheeling* and cycling to safely cross this busy carriageway. Each end of the bridge will be accessed via a spiral ramp, approximately four metres wide. The design will also include stairs at either end for those people who would prefer not to use the ramps. It is very unlikely that construction of the bridge will impact any trees.

Proposed bridge design:

A similar bridge design to our proposals can be seen here:

Image Credit: JR Smart, Capital Quarter – 2015.

Current Issues:

• No safe way to cross the A6120 Outer Ring Road.
• Farsley and Calverley physically disconnected.

Opportunities:

• Build an accessible bridge across  the A6120 Outer Ring Road at the junction of B6156 Calverley Lane.

Benefits:

• Provide a safe crossing point for people walking, wheeling, or cycling.
• Improve the connection   between the communities of Farsley and Calverley. 
• People feel more encouraged and safer to walk, wheel or cycle.
• Unlikely to impact any trees.

Trade Offs:

• Land either side of the A6120 Outer Ring Road is needed to build the bridge.

*Wheeling - Wheeling incorporates many methods for getting around, including using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking aids and traveling with a pram or pushchair.

Section 5: Rodley Roundabout to Dawsons Corner mixed use path

It is currently difficult and an unpleasant environment for people walking, wheeling* or cycling safely between Rodley roundabout and Dawsons Corner. The speed, high volume of traffic and larger vehicles (like trucks and lorries), compounds this.

*Wheeling incorporates many methods for getting around, including using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking aids and traveling with a pram or pushchair

Proposals include both new segregated and shared use paths between these locations. These paths will be provided off the road and so will not reduce the amount of space for vehicles. For safety, kerbs will be introduced in key areas making it harder for vehicles to mount the pavement, protecting users of the path.

Where possible the path will be fully segregated for walking, wheeling, and cycling. Where the path is shared there will be enough room for people cycling to pass others safely.

The path will be located on one side of the A6120 Outer Ring Road with people being able to use this in both directions. The two-way path means cyclists will not have to cross the A6120 Outer Ring Road. It will also link with the proposed bridge at the junction of A6120 Outer Ring Road with B6156 Calverley Lane (see Section 4).

Cross-section of path and highway:

Current issues for people walking, wheeling and cycling:

Current Issues:

• Speed, volume of traffic and larger vehicles deter people from walking, wheeling, and cycling.
• No continuous path.
• Overgrown vegetation affects accessibility.

Proposals:

• A two-way, off the road path between Rodley roundabout and Dawsons Corner. 
• Improved street lighting on the route.
• Improved landscaping.
• Where possible, the path will be segregated between different users.
• No changes to the northbound side of the carriageway

Benefits:

• Dedicated safe path for people walking, wheeling, and cycling. 
• Path will be two-way for cyclists - no need to cross the A6120 to change direction.
• Encourages healthier ways to travel.

Trade Offs:

• Some vegetation loss required to make path. but will mainly be self-seeded shrubs.
• Some trees may have to have their crowns lifted to ensure that there is a required 2.5m clearance.

Section 6: Rodley Roundabout traffic light improvements

Rodley roundabout can experience delays from all directions, particularly during peak times, causing long queues to develop. 

Building on previous signalisation works, we would like to add new, demand-responsive traffic signal technology called MOVA* (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation) to maximise the capacity of the roundabout. Combined with other planned improvements at Dawsons Corner, the ring road will become the preferred route for vehicles accessing the city centre.

*What is MOVA technology?

MOVA technology can better detect and monitor traffic on the approach to a roundabout. This allows the traffic lights to be more responsive to busy sections of the roundabout. The technology will also be able to detect people walking, wheeling, and cycling around the roundabout, improving the safety for people trying to cross.

A recent example of this has been implemented at the junction of Wigton Lane and Harrogate Road (A61N) and Harewood junction (at A61N and A659). This has resulted in reduced congestion at these junctions.

Current Issues:

• Rodley roundabout struggles with congestion during peak times, which impacts air and noise quality.
• Queues of traffic build-up directly outside resident's houses in Rodley.

Proposals:

• New MOVA technology installed at the roundabout. 

Benefits:

• Less congestion at the roundabout and on the A6120 ORR.
• Less air and noise pollution.
• Safer for people crossing the roundabout.
• Easy to implement.
• Physical layout of roundabout will remain the same. 

Trade Offs:

• There may be a short 'bedding-in' period until the technology has fully analysed traffic flows.

Section 7: No right turn safety measures

We are proposing that vehicles will only be allowed to turn left onto the A6120 ORR, from both Calverley Bridge and Calverley Lane North junctions. The current right turn out of these junctions poses a safety risk to all road users, due to vehicles crossing into three lanes of traffic at speeds of up to 60mph*. Instead vehicles will be required to make a left turn only, continue towards Horsforth roundabout and take the fourth exit back towards Rodley roundabout.

The junction will have a 'no right turn' prohibition which legally instructs vehicle drivers to turn left. There is nothing proposed that will physically prevent the turn right. Anyone failing to comply will be liable to a penalty charge notice and licence points being issued by the police. 

Cars traveling on the A6120 ORR will still be able to turn right into these junctions.

We have considered installing traffic signals on the ORR.  This has not been taken forward as it would increase congestion, on an already busy stretch of the ORR.

A central reservation has been considered, however, this would prevent people from turning right from the A6120 into the junctions, so this will not be taken forward.

*As part of this consultation, on this road there is a proposal to reduce the speed limit to 50mph (please see here).

Current Issues:

• Vehicles struggle to turn right out of the junctions.
• Safety risk for all road users.

Proposals:

• The existing junctions will be reconfigured to allow left turn only from the junctions onto A6120 ORR.

Benefits:

• Safer for all road users of the A6120 ORR.

Trade Offs:

• Vehicles have to make a slightly longer journey.

Section 8: Accessible ramp to Leeds-Liverpool Canal

There is currently no level access to the Leeds-Liverpool canal from the A6120 ORR. This means it can be difficult for some people to access the towpath.

We are proposing to build an accessible ramp, constructed on an earth embankment, to link the A6120 ORR to the canal path. This will feed into the new walking, wheeling and cycling path located on the A6120 ORR which is planned for construction as part of our Phase 1 works. The embankment will allow the track to be gradually sloped to address the difference in level between the outer ring road and the canal towpath. The ramp will be approximately 97 meters long by 4.5 meters wide. 

To deliver the proposals, there will be some loss of trees to be able to provide a compliant and accessible ramp to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. This is currently being considered by Leeds City Council and will be clearly communicated prior to any construction work starting.

Any trees that are removed will be replaced by three new trees to one removed.

Where possible, we will re-use materials from the construction of the Calverley Lane accessible bridge (Section 4) in order to mitigate carbon impact.

The canal towpath is a busy route for trips to and from Leeds urban area and Apperley Bridge and beyond. It is also a busy leisure destination and will increase accessibility to the canal from Horsforth and Farsley.

Location and current accessibility issues:

Similar embankment ramp can be seen here. Our proposals would have a wider and less steep ramp than the one shown here. (Image Credit: Worsley, Manchester, Sustrans): 

Current Issues:

• No level access to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
• Inaccessible for people wheeling and cycling.

Proposals:

• Build a fully accessible ramp 

Benefits:

• Will improve connections to the canal towpath for all.
• Safer and more accessible.
• Encourages healthier ways to travel.
• Re-use materials from bridge to build embankment.

Trade Offs:

• Loss or impact to trees (these will be replaced by a 3 to 1 ratio).

Section 9: Planting and Landscaping

We are planning to complement our proposals by providing some planting and landscape improvements. These will link with existing green routes and infrastructure adjacent to the River Aire and Leeds-Liverpool Canal. This will enhance the environment, particularly for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

We are developing landscape designs that retain existing trees and shrubs, but also increase opportunities for biodiversity and visual screening. New and existing trees and shrubs will also help to capture carbon and trap air pollution. Where space allows, new trees and shrubs will be planted to create larger areas of green space.  

Planting new trees at a three to one ratio to those removed and including sensitive landscape design, the scheme will also help support the development of new and improved green spaces in the local area.

Example of landscaping surrounding mixed use path:

Example of landscaping surrounding the bridge:

Tree planting:

Section 10: Reduction of Speed Limit

Historically, there have been road safety concerns along the length of the A6120 ORR, including a recent online petition to reduce speed. Between 2014-2018 there were ten serious and 70 slight injury collisions reported, with one serious injury collision involving a cyclist. Recently there have been two fatalities in the area, one of which occurred on the A6120 ORR in May 2022.

Traffic flow data for the outer ring road from Department of Transport (DfT, 2019), shows almost 38,000 motor vehicles used the road between Horsforth and Rodley, with nearly 32,000 vehicles using the road between Rodley and Dawsons Corner.

As a result, we are proposing to reduce the speed limit to 50 mph from A6120 Horsforth roundabout to A647 Stanningley Bypass at Henconner Lane Bridge. This will result in one consistent speed limit along this route.

The measures proposed seek to improve safety for all road users and will help support Leeds City Council's ambitious 'Leeds Safer Roads Vision Zero 2040' plan - which aims to have zero deaths on Leeds roads by 2040.

When looking at reducing the speed of a road we need to follow the Department for Transport's 'Setting Local Speed Limit' guidance. The guidance supports a reduction to 50mph, instead of 40mph. This is because the road is classed as a dual carriageway ring road with little roadside development. Enforcement will be through average or fixed speed cameras along the route.

Following a review using DfT guidance above, the speed limit on the section of A647 Bradford Road between Dawsons Corner and Thornbury Barracks roundabout will stay the same as this is considered to be appropriate for the function, existing speed and characteristic. Proposals for average or fixed speed cameras could also include this length of road, depending on funding.

Current issues:

• Long-standing speed and road safety concerns.
• Serious risk to lives.
• Current speed of carriageway makes an unpleasant environment for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

Proposals:

• Reduce speed limit to 50mph.
• Potential speed camera enforcement.

Benefits:

• Improved safety for all road users including people using the adjacent mixed use path.
• Improves air and noise quality.

Trade Offs:

• Slightly slower journey times due to lowered speed limit.