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Aireborough Civic Society and Apperley Lane Residents Association have joined forces to get detailed plans to improve the A65 from Horsforth to Menston and the A658 from Bradford to Pool.

They claim that the congestion has led to rat running through local streets because motorists are avoiding the main road because of the increased number of vehicles.

They also claim that the traffic causes long tailbacks at many junctions including Horsforth roundabout, Greengates, Apperley Lane and Carlton crossroads.

The call for action follows revealations in yesterday's YEP that fears are growing that schemes to tackle congestion at some of Leeds' worst traffic hot-spots could be hit by multi-million pound funding cuts.
Leeds City Council gets about £8m a year from the government for road safety and highway improvement schemes.

There are concerns that from 2011 onwards the amount could be slashed by as much as half.

Residents are being urged to voice their concerns at a public meeting on Tuesday, March 23, at Trinity Church, in Rawdon, at 7.30pm.

Aireborough Civic Society said: "We have been told that the A65 is the second most congested road in Leeds.

"Although some changes have been made between the Horsforth roundabout and the centre of Leeds nothing is planned for this area despite plans to increase the size of Leeds Bradford Airport and the many housing developments built in this area with more planned.

"Congestion is getting worse especially at weekends. It seems that we have been forgotten about.

"Aireborough Civic Society hopes that the meeting will be the start of a campaign to improve the transport infrastructure along the A65 and A658. Solutions are needed and plans need to be drawn up now."

Coun Brian Cleasby (Lib Dem, Horsforth) said: "It is not just about making new roads and bus lanes. We need to stop people having to leave our area to get to their places of employment."

He added: "The obvious thing is the section of the Ring Road between A65 and Rodley roundabout needs sorting.

"Instead of roundabout there should be traffic lights because you have got to give way to cars people are constantly chancing when they go forward.

"At least with traffic lights the timings can be adjusted."