LEEDS IN THE BUCHANAN AGE
Page 67
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ONE result of the Buchanan-Crowther report has been to stimulate the already lively interest of passenger transport operators in town planning. A practical focus for this interest is about to be provided by Leeds, which is on the threshold of major urban works developed in consultation with the transport department. Here, H. McDONALD of Leeds City Transport outlines these developments and comments optimistically on the commuter problem.
reduction in the standard of ride with the bus nearly empty.
Pressure gauges located in the body were connected to the separate suspension bellows in the system for the tests that Leyland engineers were making. It was noted from these that at the rear, where the bellows on each side are linked, the pressure was about 55 p.s.i. laden and 30 p.s.i. unladen, and at the front where the bellows on each side are on separate circuits, the nearside bellows were at 65 psi, laden and 50 p.s.i. unladen and on the offside 80 p.s.i, laden and 62 p.s.i. unladen.
'I he Leopard's air suspension system has been evolved over a number of years and to be perfectly correct should be called a combined air and leaf-spring suspension. The latter plays a very minor part, however, and consists of a single-leaf spring at each side of both axles. These springs are mounted in the conventional manner in hanger brackets, with swinging shackles at the rear in each case. They Kaye as their main function the location of the axles but also absorb torque.
The layout is basically the same at the front and rear axles and the pairs of Dunlop air bellows are mounted below pads formed at the bottom of the hangers. The four bellows on the front axle are 8 in. dia. whilst at the rear 10 in. dia. bellows are used. Each bellows is linked to a surge tank, these being mounted in groups of four close to each axle. The axles are connected to the suspension bellows by cranked forgings, clamped with the leaf springs on top of the axle pads. Telescopic dampers are fitted all round.
As was noted from the pressure gauges in the test vehicle, the air pressure for the rear suspension is the same at both pairs of bellows, the actual value being determined by a central levelling valve. At the front, however, the air pressure in orte pair of bellows is independent of that in the other, there being a separate levelling valve for each side. So that air will not be continuously exhausted from the system by roll of the vehicle a third, and master, levelling valve is fitted at the centre of the axle. Changes of load cause the central valve to come into operation and air will be directed to the partciular side of the axle to which the load is applied. So that there will be no passage of air between the front and rear bellows of each suspension beam during acceleration and braking, isolator valves are fitted between them and there is also an isolator valve at the rear axle to prevent air from passing from one side of the vehicle to the other during roll.
The levelling valves have a two-stage operation in each direction of arm movement and a neutral zone at the central position which prevents constant feeding and exhausting of the bellows on minor undulations.
Fitting air suspension to the 36-ft. chassis adds only 100 lb. to its weight compared with the standard model using leaf springs. The additional cost of the option is about £200.
THE year 1964 will see the start of work in Leeds on a number of plans which are the outcome of studies by the local planning authority, and are designed to make a major impact on traffic movement in the city.
The first traffic plan for the city centre is a one-way system in some principal thoroughfares. concurrent with provision for off-street parking, metered kerbparking, and restricted access from minor streets. The effect on traffic will be closely studied, and extensions to the plan will follow, both in the city centre and beyond. Planned redevelopment of the city, already started, provides for traffic-free areas, pedestrian ways, and a new central bus station under a market precinct.
The City Council, in principle, has already accepted the traffic plan, and a road scheme which provides for urban motorways (50 m.p.h.), motorway distributors (40 m.p.h.) and improved radials. including tidal ways. Detailed traffic plans are to be presented at the February council meeting.
The one-way streets will no doubt pose problems in bus control at peak times which will not be fully appreciated until the scheme is in practical operation, but there has been full consultation between affected interests, and Mr. T. Lord, general manager of the Leeds City Transport undertaking, is satisfied that his centralized control system, tried out now for two years,. will prove adequate to meet the situation. No significant loss of bus passengers is expected, for other operators' experience has been in mind and the new routes, in so far as they affect bus services, are near and parallel to former routes. In fact, it is hoped the relief of congestion, and the increased cost and restriction of car parking, will ultimately benefit the bus department. Mr. C. G. Thirlwall, the city engineer, surveyor and planning officer, envisages a future where "road traffic planning is primarily directed towards providing for public transport, for access to car parks, and for access to premises for loading and unloading ". He expects the new road system to provide facilities for an improved public transport system, and is an advocate of research into fasttransit and multiple-unit operation.
The reappraisal of the road pattern by the planning authority began in 1958. After a series of studies, it was decided that a s!, stern of three urban motorways should he constructed, interconnected south of the river: the south-east and south-west motorways to connect with the M1 and the Lancashire/Yorkshire motorway, the north-east to pass tangentially to the central business area on its east side and provide a link to the Al and the north. Motorway distributors. of which the inner ring road will be the most important, will provide effective distribution from motorway interchange points.
Tenders are currently being sought for the construction of the first stage of the I inner ring road which will tunnel, in twin tubes, under the proposed university/ teaching hospital precinct, and for the rest of its length will mostly be in a cutting, with a complex of bridges at Woodhouse Lane, where there will be grade separation with slip roads connecting Woodhouse Lane to the ring road, and access to a future multi-storey car park. This ring road should relieve the city centre of much of its through traffic, as well as serve as a distributor in the future urban motorway scheme.
Leeds, of course, was used as a case study by the Buchanan team, partly because "useful traffic and land-use statistics were available ", for which due acknowledgment is paid to the Leeds city engineer and planning officer in the report, which naturally is being studied with interest. Consultations are being maintained between the planning and transport departments on future developments in local transport in the area, the population of which, including overspill, may increase rather more than Buchanan indicates. as Leeds becomes more accessible in the national road network.
Another point on which the writer. ati least, would take issue with Buchanan, is the future commuter problem. The potential impact of automation on this problem seems to be underestimated: the area of working space will not necessarily be a function of output quantitatively. The Buchanan report seems to propound a new law, that an ever-increasing working population fills an ever-increasing working space to work an ever-decreasing number of hours. We can do better than this! Why not work, say, a full week on and a full week off; or alternate months for that matter. Then we can share machines and working space, not double them.
And computers will anyway be taking over the offices, including routine communications between offices. The commuter problem then at some future time could be a smaller, not a greater one, and the future of public transport becomes a vastly different problem to face on that account.
Estimates may be going astray because Professor Buchanan is projecting us forward into today's American scene: an over-simplification which disregards the fact that automation will catch up with all of us. If it does not, then in world competition we shall not afford ourselves many cars.