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xyz/POPE _ A650 Bingley 5YA _ final

Post Opening Project Evaluation A650 Bingley Relief Road Five Years After Study

POPE Five Years After Study

A650 Bingley Relief Road

August 2009

POPE Five Years After Evaluation: A650 Bingley Relief Road

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ContentsSection Page Executive Summary xi

1. Introduction 1Scheme Location 1Geographic and Socio-economic Context 2Problems along the route prior to the Scheme 3Scheme Objectives 3Scheme Detail 4History of the Scheme 5A650 Bingley Relief Road – Resident Survey and Report 6Praise for the Scheme 8Contents of this Report 9

2. Traffic Analysis 10Data Sources 10Purpose of the Traffic Counts 10Count Locations 10Analysis Methodology 13Change in Traffic Volumes 13Summary of Traffic Volume Changes 18Conclusions Regarding Traffic Volume Changes 18Public Perception of Changes in Traffic levels 19Background Traffic Growth 19Observed Traffic Growth in Great Britain 20Changes in Traffic Compared to Expected and National Growth 20Definition of Screenlines 20Analysis of Screenlines 21Screenline 1 – East of Keighley 22Screenline 2 – West of Bingley 22Screenline 3 – East of Bingley 23Screenline 4 – South of Shipley 23Forecast vs. Outturn Flows 23Reasons for Forecasting Inaccuracy 26Conclusions Regarding Model Accuracy 27Definition of Route Stress 27Changes to Route Stress 27Journey Time Survey Data Sources 28Difficulties with Journey Time Analysis 30Comparison with June 2003 Journey Times 30Comparison with May 1999 Journey Times 32Conclusions Regarding Journey Times 33Journey Speed Analysis 33Public Perception of Vehicle Speeds 35Key Points from Section 3: Traffic 35


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3. Local Impacts 37East – West Screenline 37Canal Screenline 37Analysis of Screenlines 37Proportion of Traffic Using B6265 (old road) 41Public Perception of Traffic in Bingley Town Centre 42Public Perception of Traffic in the Town Centre 43Impacts in the Keighley Area 45Key Points from Section 4: Local Impacts 46

4. Safety 47Data Sources 47Study Area 47Evaluation of Accident Numbers 48Locations of Accidents 49Resident Comments on Safety at the Slip Roads joining Relief Road 52Forecast and Outturn Accidents 52Evaluation of Casualty Numbers and Severity 53Accidents Involving Non-motorised Users (NMUs) 54Locations of Accidents Involving Non-motorised Users 55Public Perception of Safety for Non-Motorised Users 58Accident Rate 58Casualties per Accident 59Accident Causation 60Public Perception of Safety for Drivers 61Security 62Security Indicators for Roads 62Public Perception of Security 64Key Points from Section 5: Safety 65

5. Economy 67Introduction 67Methodology 67Evaluation of Vehicle Hour Benefits 67Evaluation of Safety Benefits 69Present Value Benefits 70Scheme Costs 71Benefit Cost Ratio 72Key Points from Section 6: Economy 74

6. Environment 75Documentation Obtained 75Site Inspection 75Consultations 75Traffic 75Evaluation of Noise 76Consultation on Noise 77Evaluation of Local Air Quality 78Consultation on Local Air Quality 78


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Forecast Greenhouse Gases 79Evaluation of Greenhouse Gases 79Evaluation of Landscape 80Consultation on Landscape 83Evaluation of Heritage 84Consultation on Heritage 84Evaluation of Biodiversity 85Consultation on Biodiversity 87Evaluation of Water 89Consultation on Water 90Evaluation of Physical Fitness 91Consultation on Physical Fitness 92Evaluation of Journey Ambience 93Consultation on Journey Ambience 94Key Points on Section 7: Environment 95

7. Accessibility and Integration 97NMU Features of the Bingley Relief Road Scheme 97Public Perception of Facilities for Non-Motorised Users 98Public Perception of Cyclist Facilities 100Pedestrian facilities in the Town Centre along Main Street 101Public Transport 102Quality of Life and Social Exclusion 103Severance 104National Context 106Keighley SRB (Single Regeneration Budget) 107Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Planning Guidance (RPG 12) and Regional Spatial Strategy 107West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan 1: 2001 - 2006 107Bradford District Transport Strategy 2006 – 2021 107‘Connecting Airedale’ Transport Improvement Project 107Bingley Town Centre Masterplan 108Consultation with Chamber of Trade and Commerce 109Consultation with Bingley Town Centre Manager 109Consultation with Freight Transport Association 110Public Perception of Economic Growth in the Bingley Area 111Key Points from Section 8: Accessibility and Integration 112

8. Appraisal and Evaluation Summary Tables 114Appraisal Summary Table (AST) 114Evaluation Summary Table (EST) 114


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AppendicesAppendix A 118A.1 Questionnaire 118

Appendix B 121B.1 Data Summary 122B.2 Traffic Forecasts 123B.3 Calculation of Route Stress 126

Appendix C 127C.1 Calculation of Accident rate 128C.2 Chi-Square Statistical Test 129C.3 Casualties per Accident 130

Appendix D 131D.1 Vehicle Hours Calculation 132D.2 Extrapolation of Benefits 134

Appendix E 136E.1 Box 1 – List of Environmental Information Requested 137


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Glossary of Terms Term Abbreviation Description where appropriate

Annual Average Daily Traffic AADT Average of 24 hour flows, seven days a week, for

all days within the year.

Annual Average Weekday Traffic AAWT As AADT but for five days, (Monday to Friday)

only.

Accessibility -

Accessibility can be defined as ‘ease of reaching’. The accessibility objective is concerned with increasing the ability with which people in different locations, and with differing availability of transport, can reach different types of facility.

AM - Denoting the morning peak period

Appraisal Summary Table AST

This records the impacts of the scheme according to the Government’s five key objects for transport, as defined in DfT guidance contained on its Transport Analysis Guidance web pages, WebTAG

Airedale Route -

A route following the line of the River Aire. Sections 1 and 2 between Kildwick and Crossflatts opened to traffic in 1988. Bingley Relief Road (the section between Crossflatts and Cottingley Bar) forms section 3 of the Airedale Route.

Automatic Traffic Count ATC

An automated method of recording the volume (and sometimes classification) of vehicles passing a particular point on a road.

Average Weekday Traffic AWT Average of Monday to Friday 24 hour flows over a

particular period.

Average Daily Traffic ADT Average of Monday to Sunday 24 hour flows over a particular period.

Automatic Vehicle Location AVL Signalling used in this context to assist buses at

signalised junctions

Benefit Cost Ratio BCR The ratio between the monetised benefits and costs of a scheme, used as a measure of value for money in economic terms.

Cable-stayed bridge -A type of bridge utilising two towers, two terminal piers, forming a suspended structure with many inclined cables.

Capacity - The maximum hourly lane throughput

Capitalisation -The process by which benefits for a scheme are factored to give an estimate for the appropriate appraisal period.

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

CBMDC The district council under which Bingley falls.


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Term Abbreviation Description where appropriate

Chi-square -

A statistical test to determine whether the observed values of a variable are significantly different from those expected on the basis of a null hypothesis. Variables are categorised to determine whether a distribution of scores is due to chance or experimental factors and tests whether one variable is independent of another.

COst Benefit Analysis COBA

A computer program which compares the costs of providing road schemes with the benefits derived by road users (in terms of time, vehicle operating costs and accidents), and expresses the results in terms of a monetary valuation. The COBA model uses the fixed trip matrix.

Congestion Reference Flow CRF

An AADT flow estimate at which a road is likely to be congested in the peak periods on an average day.

Design Build Finance & Operate DBFO

Roads built with private capital transferring the risk to the private sector as a part of the Government’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Department for Transport DfT

A Government department whose objective is to oversee the delivery of a reliable, safe and secure transport system that responds efficiently to the needs of individuals and business whilst safeguarding our environment. The Highways Agency is an executive of the DfT.

Discounting -

Discounting is a technique used to compare costs and benefits that occur in different time periods and is the process of adjusting future cash flows to their present values to reflect the time value of money, e.g. £1 worth of benefits now is worth more than £1 in the future. A standard base year needs to be used which is 2002 for the appraisal used in this report.

Design Manual for Roads and Bridges DMRB

A comprehensive manual system which sets out current standards, Advice Notes and other published documents relating to Trunk Road works.

Do-minimum DM

In scheme modelling, this is the scenario which comprises the existing road network plus improvement schemes that have already been committed.

Do-something DS In scheme modelling, this is the scenario detailing the planned scheme.

EnvironmentalStatement ES

This must be submitted with the initial planning application and covers all potential significant impacts that the road project may have.


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Evaluation Summary Table EST

In POPE studies, this is a summary of the evaluations of the TAG objectives using a similar format to the forecasts in the AST.

Emergency Refuge ERA lay-by or safe area for vehicles to pull into in emergency situations, usually equipped with emergency telephones.

Freight Transport Association FTA

FTA is one of the largest trade associations in the UK representing the transport interests of some 12,000 companies. FTA members operate over 200,000 lorries and around one million light vans; they consign over 90 per cent of the freight moved by rail; and they are responsible for over 70 per cent of UK visible exports by sea and air.

Five Years After FYA Relating to a POPE evaluation Five Years After scheme opening

Grade Separated -The process of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other.

Heavy Goods Vehicle HGV Goods-carrying vehicle over 3,500kg unladen weight.

Highways Agency HA

An Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England.

Inter Peak IP The time between the AM and PM peaks

Kph Kph Kilometres per hour

Killed or Seriously Injured

KSI A term used to describe the number of people killed or seriously injured as a result of PIAs.

Major Schemes programme -

The HA’s programme of investment in improvements to the Trunk road and Motorway road network comprised of a number of major schemes each costing more than £5m. Formerly known as TPI.

New Approach To Appraisal

NATA Used for transport scheme appraisal since 1998.

Natural England NEThe government’s advisor on the natural environment, whose remit is to ensure sustainable stewardship of the land and sea so that people and nature can thrive.

Non-motorised User NMU A term used to describe pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.


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National Road Traffic Forecast. NRTF

This document defines the latest forecasts produced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions of the growth in the volume of motor traffic. The most recent one is NRTF07 and the one previous was NRTF97.

One Year After OYA Relating to a POPE study One Year After scheme opening.

Project Appraisal Report PAR

The PAR is a key summary document in which the need for a project, its costs and benefits are appraised. Used for road scheme’s less than £5m.

Part 1 claims -Claims for compensation under Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973, relating to homeowners affected by road schemes

Personal Injury Accident PIA A term commonly used to refer to road accidents.

Personal Injury Accidents per million Vehicle kilometres

PIA/mvkm A term used to express accident rates for a particular link on a road, i.e the number of accidents per million vehicle kilometres travelled.

PM - Evening peak period

Post Opening Project Evaluation POPE Before & after monitoring of all major highway

schemes in England.

Public Right of Way PROW PROW are highways that allow the public right of passage, of which England has about 190,000 km.

Present Value of Benefits PVB The value of the scheme’s estimated benefits

discounted back to a common base year.

Present Value of Costs PVC The value of the scheme’s estimated costs discounted back to a common base year.

Registration Matching - A survey where vehicle registrations are matched to determine origin and destination of vehicles.

Retail Price Index RPI The general index of retail prices published by the Office for National Statistics each month.

Screenline- An imaginary line intersecting routes on a map to

allow easier analysis of vehicular movement across a corridor.

Security - In terms of the NATA sub-objective relating to the likelihood of crime or perception of likely crime.

Severance - Community severance is the separation of

adjacent areas by road or heavy traffic, causing negative impact on non-motorised users, particularly pedestrians.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

SSSI There are over 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, covering around 7% of the country's land area. SSSIs are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites.


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Single Regeneration Budget

SRB Schemes set up to assist local people in tackling some of the problems associated with modern urban living.

STATS19 - A database of injury accident statistics recorded by police officers attending accidents

‘Route Stress’ StressRatio of the AADT flow to the CRF. When the traffic flow on a particular link reaches the CRF it is considered to be at 100% Stress.

Traffic Impact Study TISAn evaluation undertaken shortly after the opening of a scheme to determine the immediate impacts on traffic flows and journey times.

Transport Analysis Guidance TAG Transport Analysis Guidance - as defined in

WebTAG.

Transport Statistics Bulletin - Produced by the DfT presenting information on

Traffic in Great Britain

Trip End Model Program TEMPRO

A program which provides access to the DfTsnational Trip End Model projections of growth in travel demand, and the underlying car ownership and planning data projections.

Targeted Programme of Improvements. TPI

The Highways Agency’s programme of investment in improvements to the Trunk road and Motorway road network comprised of a number of major schemes each costing more than £5m. Now called Major Schemes.

Traffic Database TRADsTraffic count database developed by the Agency, to hold data from the Midlands, Southern and Northern monitoring regions.

Vehicle Operating Cost VOC

Reflects fuel and other operating costs calculated from total distance travelled on affected links, also taking into account vehicle speeds.

Value of Time VOT A monetary value placed on the benefits accrued by a road scheme in terms of vehicle hours.

webTAG -Department for Transport’s website for guidance on the conduct of transport studies athttp://www.webtag.org.uk/


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Executive Summary The A650 Bingley Relief Road is a major Highways Agency scheme to provide 4.5km of new dual carriageway road through Bingley which lies to the north-west of Bradford within the region of Yorkshire and Humberside. The scheme opened to traffic on 22nd December 2003. The purpose of this report is to identify and quantify (where feasible) the effects of this scheme five years after opening, in accordance with the Agency’s procedures for Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE).

Summary of Scheme Objectives Prior to the scheme, the old A650 was a single carriageway road running through Bingley, with a poor safety record, and congestion in peak and off-peak times. Motorists also witnessed unreliable journey times, and rat-running on less appropriate roads in the area. The high traffic volumes passing along the old A650 route meant that the environment was poor in terms of noise and air-quality, and severance was an issue for the local community. The primary objectives of the scheme were:

� To reduce congestion through the centre of Bingley by removing a significant amount of traffic from the existing A650 (now B6265);

� To improve journey times and journey reliability;

� To improve safety through greater separation of trunk road traffic;

� To reduce rat-running of less appropriate routes;

� To improve local noise and air quality; and

� To reduce severance.

In addition to the objectives above, the scheme was also expected to: improve access times to the railway station, improve bus reliability creating scope for bus priority measures in the centre of Bingley, improve the pedestrian environment and cycle amenity, and spark the rebirth of Bingley town centre making it a more pleasant place to live and shop.

Scheme Description The primary elements of the A650 Bingley Relief Road scheme were:

� 4.5km of dual two lane carriageway between Crossflatts Roundabout and Cottingley Bar;

� Crossflatts roundabout at the northern end of the relief road, with Aire Valley Road;

� Embankment through south western edge of Bingley North Bog;

� New footbridge at Three Rise Locks to Keighley Road over railway and new road, replacing the poorly lit Treacle Cock Alley;

� New landmark cable-stayed cycle footbridge linking up with existing Britannia footbridge which crosses over the canal;

� New grade separated junction in the centre of Bingley at Ferncliffe Road;

� 200m viaduct crossing Bingley South Bog (SSSI);

� Viaduct structure crossing over River Aire valley; and

� Southern roundabout at Bradford Road.


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Summary of Scheme Impacts This report considers traffic count data and journey times recorded ‘before’, ‘1 year after’ and ‘5 years after’ the scheme opened to traffic, and makes comparisons with predictions made during the appraisal process. Assessments are also made about the degree to which the forecast transport benefits of the scheme have been realised against the five Central Government Objectives for Transport, namely: Environment, Safety, Economy, Accessibility; and Integration.

Traffic

� Five years after the opening of the Relief Road, flows on the old A650 at Main Street are 47% (12,600) lower on an average weekday than they were before the scheme. This is a larger reduction than was witnessed at the One Year After (OYA) stage, and is likely to be as a result of traffic calming measures introduced by CBMDC (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council) in late 2007 on Main Street to discourage through traffic;

� On the Relief Road, flows have continued to rise since the OYA stage, now in the region of 34,000 vehicles on an average weekday, both north and south of the Ferncliffe junction;

� Flows have also increased significantly since the scheme opened, both north and south of the Relief Road on the A650, some 70% and 27% higher, respectively;

� Growth in traffic at many of the locations monitored has been well in excess of growth witnessed locally at regional cordons monitored by CBMDC and nationally in the Transport Statistics Bulletin: Traffic in Great Britain;

� Monitoring indicates that reassignment from the old A650 to the Relief Road does not fully explain the increase observed across the screenlines. Re-assignment from other local minor roads, and roads more distant (not counted) can partially explain the increases, however there appears to be new traffic movements not a result of background traffic growth, but generated as a result of the scheme; and

� Despite significant discrepancies between the forecast and outturn flows at many of the monitored locations, the model did predict correctly in absolute terms the number of additional vehicles that would be using the corridor (Relief Road and old A650) after completion of the scheme.

Local Traffic Impacts

� Local screenlines monitored by CBMDC, if excluding the Relief Road, show a reduction in traffic. This reduction is greater than the reduction witnessed in the OYA study;

� When including the Relief Road in the local screenline however, it is clear that there is more traffic in the local area, showing a 41% increase across the east to west screenline;

� Whilst there is still a proportion of traffic using the B6265 through Bingley rather than using the Relief Road, this proportion has reduced on almost all origin – destination routes since the OYA surveys; and

� Bingley Main Street project was implemented by CBMDC in December 2007, which included a reduction in speed limit to 20mph, raised platforms and build-outs, upgraded pedestrian crossings and on-street parking. These were designed to further dissuade through-traffic from using Main Street and creating a more pedestrian friendly Town Centre area.

Journey Times

� Journey times on the new Relief Road have been roughly 7 – 12 minutes shorter northbound, and 3 – 9 minutes shorter southbound, than using the old A650 before the scheme opened;

� On the old A650, journey times are now 3 – 7 minutes shorter northbound and 1 – 5 minutes shorter southbound; and

� Journey time savings have remained broadly the same since the OYA stage.


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Safety Impacts

� Five years after opening, the scheme has resulted in an annual average saving of 24 accidents (or a reduction of 43%) and the number of fatal and serious accidents has also reduced from an average of 8 per year to 5 per year;

� Based on observed accidents in the first five years after opening, the re-forecast 30 year accident saving of 871, is higher than the original forecast of 730, however it should be noted that the area from which the original forecast was made is not known;

� Five years after opening, there has been an annual saving of 39 casualties per year and the number of casualties saved on average per year after five years, has increased from the number saved after only one year;

� Accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists have more than halved from an average of 13 per year in the five years before construction, to an average of 6 per year in the first five years after opening;

� The new Relief Road since opening, has exhibited an accident rate well below the national average for a modern dual carriageway of this type;

� The old A650 has shown an accident rate slightly higher than the national average, both before and after scheme opening. However, five years after opening, the accident rate for the old road is much closer to the national average than before scheme construction; and

� A combined accident rate for the two roads (old A650 and new) is 0.353 PIA/mvkm compared to 0.863 for the A650 before construction, which shows that the overall accident rate has been halved; and

� Fewer accidents and in particular fewer serious accidents have occurred in the Main Street area along the old A650.

Economy

� Forecast costs and benefits were derived from the scheme’s AST which were in 1994 prices discounted at 6%, and the Environmental Statement (ES) which were in 1979 prices, discounted at 7%.

� The re-forecast 30-year PVB1 in 2002 prices, discounted to 2002 at 3.5% is £221.9m (using the longer journey time surveys between Thwaites roundabout and Saltaire undertaken in 2003), and £183m if using the 1999 journey times which covered a shorter route between Crossflatts and Saltaire roundabout. These are slightly lower than the prediction of £254m in the AST;

� The outturn PVC in 2002 prices, discounted to 2002 at 3.5% is £92.6m, slightly higher than the predicted £71m in the AST but lower than the £106m predicted in the ES;

� Caution should be taken when comparing the original forecasts with the re-forecasts presented in this report, given the long period over which discounting applied and the forecast opening in the ES being 8 years earlier; and

� A BCR of 2.4 (using the 2003 journey times) and 2.0 (using the 1999 journey times) is similar to that in the AST, and close to the BCR of 2.5 in the ES (low-growth scenario). The economic benefits for this scheme can therefore be described as positive, and roughly in line with expectations.

Wider Economic Impacts

� Consultation with the Bingley Chamber of Trade and Commerce, and Bingley Town Centre Manager indicates that the opening of the relief road has increased business in the town. It has allowed the town to provide on street car parking and a new £1m town square which holds a market three days a week and other events such as the Bingley Food Fair; and

1 It should be noted that the approach used in this study to reforecast the 30 year benefits has only considered the new Relief Road and the old A650 (now B6265) and is therefore likely to be a conservative estimate as it does not include benefits to other roads.


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� Whilst taking a number of years since the opening of the relief road, the ‘rebirth of the town’ does appear to have happened, and continues with investment to regenerate the shopping centre which is currently undergoing a major facelift.

Environment

Noise

� The scheme is likely to have reduced noise along the old A650, based on traffic flow information available. However, as expected the Relief Road has led to a worse local noise climate for properties nearby, and based on some resident responses to the questionnaire on perception of traffic noise, it is intrusive for some distance.

Local Air Quality

� Based on traffic flows on the old road, the local air quality is likely to have improved. Air quality monitoring by CBMDC confirmed that the Relief Road has not led to any exceedances of the air quality limits set for health.

Greenhouse Gases

� The impact on Greenhouse Gases was not assessed as part of the Environmental Statement for this scheme as it was produced before the DfT required this to be considered. The 1998 AST gives the forecast input on CO2 as 0 – 2000 tonnes. Using guidance provided in DMRB, it is estimated over the five years since opening, there has been a total net increase of 3,246 Tonnes of Carbon as a result of building the scheme.

Landscape

� Landscape planting is establishing along the Relief Road providing a good framework to the road and a balance to the stone faced retaining walls which reflect local character;

� It is understood that there was no requirement for a landscape management plan to be prepared for this scheme. Ongoing maintenance and management will be required to ensure that the long-term objectives e.g. screening and integration are fulfilled; and

� The reduction of through-traffic on the old A650 has enabled CBMDC to carry out re-development of the town centre including implementation of streetscape improvements.

Heritage of Historic Resources

� Confirmation has been received that the archaeological/excavation archive has been deposited for long term storage;

� CBMDC considers that there has been a positive impact on listed buildings and that the character of the conservation area on Main Street and Old Main Street has benefited from the reduction in traffic and the new streetscape and public realm improvements; and

� However, the conservation area from the 3 Rise Locks to Bingley station is now dominated by noise from the Relief Road. From the station to Ferncliffe Road a number of old mills and industrial buildings were demolished to accommodate the road and despite the high quality engineering works of the road CBMDC considers that the character of this stretch is weaker than before.

Biodiversity and Water Environment

� The Bingley South Bog SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) water levels have changed slightly within the bog, and consequently there have been some changes to habitat areas and type. Natural England confirmed that the integrity of the bog would appear to be stable and the hydrology intact, although this aspect continues to be evaluated and is subject to regular monitoring of water levels by Natural England and CBMDC and the vegetation is responding positively to the management regime agreed between Natural England and CBMDC. Long term recovery should continue, in which case impacts will be as expected;


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� CBMDC commented on impacts on Bingley North Bog that the initial works for accommodation of the road line have resulted in a good wetland mosaic of plant communities. However, lack of progress on finalising land issues has had a detrimental affect on the site’s biodiversity;

� At Ryeloaf Meadows CBMDC considers that the construction of the Bingley Relief Road presented an opportunity to create a new nature reserve which forms good wildlife corridor links with sites on the Relief Road as well as other areas of wildlife value along this section of the Aire valley; and

� Some concerns were raised by the local authority with regard to drainage but further information would be required to enable evaluation of this issue.

Physical Fitness

� All routes across the Relief Road have been maintained as expected;

� The two new footbridges connect the communities of north and south Bingley, and interconnect with the Transpennine cycleway, footpaths, and the train station; and

� The reduction in through traffic along the old A650 has improved the local environment for pedestrians although it is not certain whether this has encouraged any additional journeys by foot or cycle, as a survey of these movements has not been undertaken. However, based on the resident’s survey 44% did feel that recreational opportunities for walking and cycling had improved. It is considered that the scheme’s impact on physical fitness has been neutral.

Journey Ambience

� Journey ambience has improved for drivers generally although there are reports of congestion at peak times in Crossflatts and at Cottingley Bar which is likely to increase driver frustration in the area. The overall reduction in through-traffic on the old A650 will have improved journey ambience for motorists and pedestrians.

Accessibility and Integration

� Two new footbridges were installed to cross the Relief Road, from Three Rise Locks to Keighley Road, and the new cable-stayed cycle footbridge (Britannia Bridge) to cater for non-motorised users (NMUs);

� As a result of the reduced traffic passing through Bingley town centre along the old A650 and from the money made from the sale of land to the Highways Agency in connection with the scheme in late 2007, Bingley Main Street project was implemented by CBMDC. This included a reduction in speed limit to 20mph, on-street parking and upgraded pedestrian crossings. This has in turn served to dissuade through-traffic from the town centre, reducing severance and made Main Street more pedestrian friendly; and

� Bingley Relief road has facilitated Town Centre improvements which have in turn helped to improve Bingley, and the benefits derived from the Relief Road form an important basis to the initiatives now being taken forward on a local level including the ‘Connecting Airedale’ Transportation Project, and Bingley Town Centre Masterplan.

Key points from the Residents Survey

� 75% of residents believe that congestion has improved on the old A650 since the Relief Road opened, and 49% of residents believe congestion and rat-running on other local roads has improved. 26% of residents in the Cottingley area however, felt that rat-running and congestion was worse since the opening of the Relief Road;

� 72% of residents agree that safety for pedestrians and cyclists has improved since the Relief Road, and 62% felt that safety for drivers had improved;

� Some concerns were raised regarding driver safety at the slip roads adjoining the Relief Road at Ferncliffe junction;


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� Just over half of the residents who responded used the footpaths and cycle-ways in the vicinity of the scheme. Whilst there was little evidence to indicate residents were making more journeys on foot or by bicycle, 44% of residents did feel that recreational opportunities for walking and cycling had improved;

� 75% of residents were satisfied with the provisions made to cross the Relief Road and the same proportion also believed that crossing the old A650 was safer and easier since the Relief Road had opened;

� 74% of residents agreed that Bingley was a better place to live since the Relief Road had opened; and

� 62% of residents are of the opinion that the Relief Road has achieved its objective to spark the re-birth of Bingley, making it a better place to live.


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1. Introduction Background to Scheme

1.1 The A650 Bingley Relief Road is a major Highways Agency scheme to provide 4.5km of new dual carriageway road through Bingley which lies to the north-west of Bradford within the region of Yorkshire and Humberside. The scheme opened to traffic on 22nd December 2003. This report is a Five Years After (FYA) evaluation of the impacts of the scheme.

Scheme Location

1.2 The scheme lies within Highways Agency Area 12, however in October 2007 the section of the A650 consisting of the new relief road was de-trunked and transferred to the local authority. Therefore the scheme now falls within the authority of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (CBMDC).

1.3 Figure 1.1 shows the scheme within its regional context.

Figure 1.1 – Location of Scheme within Regional Context 1.4 Bingley is situated in the valley of the River Aire, about six miles to the north-west of Bradford and

about twelve miles north-west of Leeds. The town is situated on and divided by the major transport corridor that connects the West Yorkshire conurbation with the Yorkshire Dales by road, railway and canal.

1.5 The scheme runs between Crossflatts roundabout to Cottingley Bar, an urban area of West Yorkshire, in a tightly constrained corridor. The scheme’s route is through Bingley, between an electrified railway and a canal (shown in Figure 1.2), traversing two peat bogs and with a major cutting through a landfill site. The old A650 which lies primarily to the west of the scheme was downgraded to the B6265 upon the opening of the new Relief Road.



Figure 1.2 – Illustrating the narrow corridor in which the canal, the new Relief Road and the railway lie

1.6 Figure 1.3 shows the location of the scheme and its immediate surroundings in greater detail.

Figure 1.3 – Detailed Location of Scheme

Geographic and Socio-economic Context

1.7 The Bingley Relief Road forms the third section of the Airedale Route which generally follows the line of the River Aire as it flows through the eastern slopes of the Pennines, west of the City of



Bradford. The first two sections of the new Airedale Route, between Kildwick and Crossflatts, were opened to traffic in 1988.

1.8 The scheme provides a relief road for Bingley, a town with a population of 16,000. To the west of Bingley, the valley is up to 2.5km wide. The higher valley slopes are occupied by agriculture and woodland, whilst some of the valley floor provides open space for agriculture and recreation. Urban development has occurred along the north side of the valley, between the A650 and the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Parts of the valley floor have developed into industrial areas with many small factory units.

1.9 The oldest development within Bingley lies in the area of tightest constraint within the valley. However, later development has spread to the north and west, especially in association with industrial expansion along the canal. More modern development has spread southward from the town centre, where the valley widens again.

1.10 To the east of Bingley, the valley is more urban in character and is occupied by sports fields, a sewage works, a disused tip, and some industry. There is some fringe land agriculture, which includes Bingley South Bog (SSSI), a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The whole of this area is overlooked by housing on both sides of the valley.

Problems along the route prior to the Scheme

1.11 There were a number of problems reported along the route and in the Bingley area before the Relief Road was built. These are summarised below:

� Poor safety record with a high casualty severity rate;

� Queuing traffic in peak and off-peak times in the centre of Bingley;

� Unreliable journey times;

� Rat-running on less appropriate roads in the area;

� Poor environment in the vicinity of the old A650, including noise and poor air quality; and

� Severance caused due to the high volume of traffic passing through the town centre.

Scheme Objectives

1.12 The primary objectives of the scheme were therefore:

� To improve safety through better carriageway alignment, and greater separation of traffic;

� To reduce congestion through the centre of Bingley by removing a significant amount of traffic from the existing A650 (now B6265);

� To improve journey times and journey reliability;

� To reduce rat-running on less appropriate routes;

� To improve the local environment in terms of air quality and noise; and

� To reduce severance in the town by reducing the high traffic volumes passing through the town centre along the old A650.

1.13 In addition to the above, the scheme was also expected to have the following benefits:

� Improved access to the railway station, and improvements to bus reliability, creating scope for bus priority measures in the centre of Bingley;

� Improvements to pedestrian environment and cycle amenity;

� To assist regeneration, planned development in the Keighley SRB (Single Regeneration Budget) area depended on the scheme being built; and



� To spark the rebirth of Bingley town centre making it a more pleasant place to live and shop.

Scheme Detail

1.14 The scheme is one of the largest road schemes within the region of Yorkshire and Humberside. It has 26 structures including 9 bridges throughout its length. The key elements of the scheme are shown geographically in Figure 1.4, and are listed in further detail below:

� 4.5km of dual two lane carriageway between Crossflatts Roundabout and Cottingley Bar;

� Crossflatts roundabout at the northern end of the relief road, with Aire Valley Road;

� Keighley Road bridge over Relief Road;

� Embankment through south western edge of Bingley North Bog;

� New footbridge at Three Rise Locks to Keighley Road over railway and new road, replacing Treacle Cock Alley;

� Extended Park Road bridge over Relief Road;

� New landmark cable-stayed cycle footbridge linking up with existing Britannia footbridge which crosses over the canal;

� New grade separated junction in the centre of Bingley at Ferncliffe Road;

� 200m viaduct crossing Bingley South Bog (SSSI);

� Dowley Gap Railway bridge over the new road;

� Dowley Gap Lane bridge over the new road;

� Viaduct structure crossing over River Aire valley;

� Southern roundabout at Bradford Road;

� Emergency refuges either side of the new road near Crossflatts and at Dowley Gap;

� Numerous retaining walls;

� Numerous other bridges; and

� Environmental and ground water drainage features.



Figure 1.4 – Key elements of the A650 Bingley Relief Road scheme

History of the Scheme

1.15 The history of the scheme and key events within the area can be summarised as follows:

� Draft Orders published for M650 Bradford to Kildwick. Withdrawn after major objections from the public: 1973;

� Proposals revised and draft Orders for an all-purpose trunk road published: 1975;

� Public Inquiry abandoned due to public disorder. Draft Orders withdrawn: 1975/6;

� Proposals revised and draft Orders published for a trunk road between Kildwick and Baildon: 1978;

� Public Inquiry held into 1978 draft Orders: 1980;

� Orders made for sections between Kildwick and Crossflatts: 1982;

� Public exhibitions and consultations on options for a route east of Crossflatts: 1984-1988;

� Construction of dual two lane road between Kildwick and Keighley and Keighley and Crossflatts (Airedale Sections 1 & 2): 1986 – 1988;

� Sections 1 and 2 of the Airedale Route between Kildwick and Crossflatts opened to traffic: 1988;



� Draft Line and Side Orders published for Airedale section 3 (Now known as A650 Bingley Relief Road): 1989;

� Public Inquiry held into 1989 Orders: 1990;

� Construction of Park Road advance works and Dowley Gap Railway Bridge: 1992-1994;

� Bradford Council begins concerted campaign for Bingley "Relief Road" to be built, joining forces with business and civic groups including the Freight Transport Association, the Yorkshire Roads group, the local Chambers of Trade and Commerce, the Better Bingley campaign, Bradford Breakthrough, Bingley Civic Trust, Keighley Business Forum, Keighley Civic Society and Saltaire Village Society: November 1994;

� Included in the Government’s roads programme as a DBFO (Design, Build Finance and Operate) scheme to improve the A650 between Bradford and Cumbria: 1995;

� The Bingley tree Camp at Rye Loaf Hill, on the route of the "Relief Road", is established: June 1996 by anti Relief Road campaigners;

� Removed from the roads programme as a DBFO scheme, but retained as a TPI scheme following the Roads Review: 1997;

� New Labour government announces new transport strategy. Bingley Relief Road one of 12 put under "fast track review": June 1997;

� Contract awarded for main works: 2001;

� Work begins on site: July 2001;

� Public Exhibition held in Bingley Arts Centre attended by more than 3,000 local people: 26th/27th July 2001;

� Road opens to traffic, ahead of the official March 2004 completion date: 22nd December 2003;

� Official opening ceremony attended by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott: 12th

January 2004;

� Old A650 detrunked and handed to local authority: January 2004; and

� Scheme (new Relief Road) detrunked and handed to local authority: October 2007.

Post Opening Project Evaluation 1.16 This POPE Five Years After (FYA) study evaluates whether the original objectives of the scheme

have been achieved, and provides a more detailed evaluation of all the NATA (New Approach to Appraisal) core objectives previously presented in the POPE One Year After (OYA) report submitted to the Agency in March 2007.

1.17 The overall impacts of the scheme shall also be assessed against the objectives of Environment, Safety, Economy, Integration and Accessibility in the form of an Evaluation Summary Table (EST).

A650 Bingley Relief Road – Resident Survey and Report

1.18 A number of the DfT (Department for Transport) appraisal objectives are difficult to quantify. In order to address this, this report shall also draw upon findings from a consultation exercise which involved a residents survey. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the views of local residents on a number of issues relating to severance, accessibility, environmental impact and quality of life. The questionnaires were distributed randomly amongst nearly 4,000 residents in the Bingley, Cottingley and Crossflatts areas.

1.19 The full and detailed results of the residents survey are provided in a separate report submitted in conjunction with this Five Years After (FYA) evaluation report.



1.20 The residents questionnaires were distributed within 5 zones shown in Figure 1.5

Figure 1.5 – Distribution area of Resident Questionnaires 1.21 A copy of the full questionnaire is included in Appendix A of this report. Questions asked within

the survey included:

� Do you agree that safety for drivers & pedestrians/cyclists has improved since the relief road opened?

� Since the relief road opened, are you making more or less journeys?

� Do you agree that the relief road has made Bingley a better place to live?

� Do you use the footpaths/cycle paths in the vicinity of the relief road?

� Are you satisfied with the provisions made for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the relief road?

1.22 Results from the questionnaires have informed the evaluation within this report, and have been incorporated throughout to represent public perception on a number of the sub-objectives addressed. Some of the questions and responses have been included below because they do not necessarily fall under an appraisal sub-objective, but serve as useful background for the rest of this report.



1.23 Table 1.1 summarises the number of questionnaires distributed and returned by zone.

Table 1.1 – Summary of Questionnaire Distribution and Responses

Zone Forms distributed Forms returned % Forms returned

Zone 1 (Bingley – west) 1,000 259 25.9%

Zone 2 (Crossflatts) 6961 179 25.7%

Zone 3 (Bingley - central) 750 276 36.8%

Zone 4 (Bingley – east) 750 223 29.7%

Zone 5 (Cottingley) 750 185 24.7%

Total 3,946 1122 28.4% 1 distribution of questionnaires within zone 2 was limited due to the amount of industrial and commercial buildings as well as some flats to which access was not possible.

1.24 The opening question within the survey was required in order to filter those residents who moved to the Bingley area since the scheme opened. It can be seen that 95% of the local residents who responded have lived in the area for more than five years, shown in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2 – Question 1: How long have you lived in the area?

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Total (%)

More than 5 years 239 (92%) 176 (98%) 265 (96%) 206 (92%) 179 (97%) 1065 (95%)

Less than 5 years 20 (8%) 3 (2%) 11 (4%) 17 (8%) 6 (3%) 57 (5%)

1.25 Question 2 was aimed at those who have lived in the Bingley area for more than 5 years and therefore would remember what the area was like before the scheme opened, and whether they had been opposed to the scheme. It can be seen from the results below that only 6% of residents were opposed to the construction of the scheme. The highest proportion of opposition to the scheme was in Zones 1 and 2 (Bingley west, and Crossflatts). Interestingly, these are the two zones which are dissected by the Relief Road. However, the percentage of respondents opposed to the scheme from these two zones was still only 10% and 7%, respectively. The vast majority (92%) of people who responded to the questionnaire were not opposed to the scheme.

Table 1.3 – Question 2: Were you opposed to the relief road?

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Total (%)

Yes 23 (10%) 13 (7%) 14(5%) 5 (2%) 5 (3%) 60 (6%)

No 201 (84%) 140 (80%) 242 (91%) 190 (92%) 152 (85%) 925 (92%)

Don’t know 12 (5%) 4 (2%) 4 (2%) 0 4 (2%) 24 (2%)

Left blank 3 (1%) 19 (11%) 5 (2%) 11 (5%) 18 (10%) 56 (1%)

Praise for the Scheme

1.26 After opening, the Relief Road was praised for its good programme management, innovation, environmental and sustainable design, and community engagement. This was recognised through the following awards:

� Bingley Civic Trust Award: June 2003;

� Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award Winner: 2004;



� British Construction Industry Civil Engineering Award: 2004;

� Civil Engineering Manager of the Year: 2004;

� Bradford District Design Award for Britannia Footbridge: 2004; and

� Institute of Civil Engineers Yorkshire Branch Award for Excellence in Design and Construction: 2004.

Contents of this Report

1.27 Following on from this introduction, the report shall include:

� Section 2 – Traffic Analysis. This section is an analysis of the traffic impacts of the scheme and includes a comparison of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ traffic volumes and journey times on the relief road and the old A650;

� Section 3 – Local Impacts. This section examines the impacts on local traffic and uses data provided by CBMDC to complement the wider analysis presented in this report;

� Section 4 – Safety. This section discusses changes in accident patterns as a result of the scheme and makes detailed analysis based on accident data from the first five years after the scheme opened;

� Section 5 – Economy. A re-evaluation of the scheme costs and benefits using observed journey times and accident numbers from the first five years after opening, comparing predicted benefits and costs with actual;

� Section 6 – Environment. A review of the environmental impacts of the scheme is given and supported by an evaluation of the mitigation measures proposed within the scheme’s Environmental Statement;

� Section 7 – Accessibility and Integration. A review of how the relief road scheme has affected accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users is presented. Furthermore, a review of how the scheme links with wider policy objectives is also given; and

� Section 8 – Appraisal and Evaluation Summary Tables. This section contains an overview of the actual scheme impacts compared to those predicted in the original Appraisal Summary Table.

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