Leeds trolleybus scheme delayed further

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 9:13 pm

Perhaps you saw me ranting? Two stops in Headingley about 100 yards apart, hardly any stops to slow the bus down, significant green space developed on. The rep couldn't deny that a bus could use the trolley bus lane just as effectively without the trolley-phanalia and that reducing the number of stops would speed any bus up. His main argument was it would reduce vehicle emissions and more people would use it cos wires and are a bit like a tram and are more popular. Spoke to the councillor Walshaw who insisted we needed a mass transit system in Leed (OK) and that it would be popular for people driving through Headingley and agreed there would be minimum benefit for people living here, but would be popular cos it was like a tram. He said it would be extended but had no details. Total waste of money, degradation of the local environment, very little gained.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 9:34 pm

Cardiarms wrote: Perhaps you saw me ranting? Two stops in Headingley about 100 yards apart, hardly any stops to slow the bus down, significant green space developed on. The rep couldn't deny that a bus could use the trolley bus lane just as effectively without the trolley-phanalia and that reducing the number of stops would speed any bus up. His main argument was it would reduce vehicle emissions and more people would use it cos wires and are a bit like a tram and are more popular. Spoke to the councillor Walshaw who insisted we needed a mass transit system in Leed (OK) and that it would be popular for people driving through Headingley and agreed there would be minimum benefit for people living here, but would be popular cos it was like a tram. He said it would be extended but had no details. Total waste of money, degradation of the local environment, very little gained. As Paul Weller once sang "the people want what the people get".Why can Metro and our erstwhile councillors not see that this is just a very expensive bus that requires miles of expensive one-off dedicated infrastructure to be significantly less flexible than the buses we already have, whilst delivering no benefits other than zero-emissions at the point of use? (Although quite a lot of emissions from Ferrybridge and Drax will be required...)This is one of several major infrastructure schemes being forced onto the citizens of Leeds despite no-one outside the corridors of power in LS1 wanting them. The only answer is to vote every single politician out of office and elect a completely new council, because the ones we have sure as heck aren't listening.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 10 Jan, 2013 9:43 pm

raveydavey wrote: Why can Metro and our erstwhile councillors not see that this is just a very expensive bus that requires miles of expensive one-off dedicated infrastructure to be significantly less flexible than the buses we already have, whilst delivering no benefits other than zero-emissions at the point of use? ( Because they are deeply ashamed of themselves, and rightly so.They know full well they have been worse than PATHETIC at delivering a decent transport system to this City for the last two decades. They know they are useless, spineless, 2nd rate, and this cheap folly bus rubbish they know is all they can ever achieve.So they are trying to make it look like some amazing scheme to try cover up they're diabolical running of this city. Even though they know themselves it is useless.They have to save face at all costs, even if it's to the long term detriment of this City. They can't afford to loose their little perks can they? Sod the citizens of Leeds. Sadly for them not everyone can be so easily fooled by glossy pictures as they'd hope.. It's a bus on wires, nothing more, nothing less.Folly bus must not be allowed to be built!

Post by **cnosni** » Fri 11 Jan, 2013 12:04 am

Great point well put Phil,which brings me back once more to a point i have made a few times.We get very little from Whitehall and therefore if we want the real mass transport schem that teh city desrves then we should be barve enough to say,like they did in South Yorkshire with their tram system,that we will do it ourselves and this will be from raising council tax to pay for it,say over a 20-25 year period.I dont like paying taxes,but i dont like sitting in traffic either,and i would be happy to pay a little more for something that would greatly enhance living in Leeds for everyone.

headingleylad · Post by **headingleylad** » Fri 11 Jan, 2013 1:00 am

Got the impression that the representatives at the meeting had lost their enthusiasm, and their heart had gone for the system, as they put up no arguments against points I made.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 11 Jan, 2013 1:09 am

headingleylad wrote: Got the impression that the representatives at the meeting had lost their enthusiasm, and their heart had gone for the system, as they put up no arguments against points I made. That deserves a

Loiner1960 · Post by **Loiner1960** » Sat 12 Jan, 2013 11:45 am

Seems there is nothing new under the Sun.From 1944, before the Arndale Centre was even conceived. LCC wanted a by-pass. Now lots of buildings would be knocked down, people displaced and all to allow a little bit quicker ride into town. Kill Headingley. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... er=7315All this and the Inner Ring Road is now falling down. I often ride,I am a biker, through Leeds and try to remember when there were houses and shops and communities where there now is sterile tarmac and concrete. Stop trying to solve a problem of congestion.Let it jam up. Let the whole thing clog up. Eventually it might dawn on people that there are other ways. An example is Christmas shopping. How much more is done via the interweb. Shops reporting lower sales. City centre's with stores closing. It might just be the way. Oh and I need transport as living South of Leeds is like being in a different country. Few direct links by public transport. Expensive and slow.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 12 Jan, 2013 11:54 am

Britain's last trolleybus 1972.Speaks for itself really

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 12 Jan, 2013 5:09 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Britain's last trolleybus 1972.Speaks for itself really That's a heck of a starting handle on that bus Phill... So, we're going back to the future with technology that the world famous backward looking city of Bradford got rid of 40 years ago. More great work from Metro.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 12 Jan, 2013 7:37 pm

It says in the Y.E.P the other day Ravey it's mainly European ex block countries who only have them like Hungary. What that means is those poor countries really that the communist types once had a stranglehold of. Not a very good incentive it has to be said with a degree of embarrassment from a proud Leeds Loiner lol