Tag: Alternatives

Two good examples of traffic planning

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Birmingham City Council has announced plans for an ambitious supersized Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), spanning the entire area within the inner ring road. The plan would see the city centre split into zones, with roads closed off to traffic, preventing and discouraging short car journeys within it. The traffic restrictions will be combined with significant investment in public transport, pedestrianisation and protected cycleways. A workplace parking levy will be introduced to reduce commuting by car and to help fund the improvements.

The Welsh Government established an independent panel in the summer to review its roads programme. The panel chair was asked to fast track scrutiny of the Llanbedr Access Road and Bypass. She has now reported her findings and recommended that the road be scrapped which the Welsh Government has accepted. A package of alternative measures will now be developed to encourage modal shift, reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the negative impact of traffic on Llanbedr and other villages along the A496. We hope Grant Shapps and the DfT and WYCA are watching and learning.

Source: Transport Action Network

BSTA puts our alternatives to widening the roads leading up to Shipley

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Following three meetings to discuss ‘How would you spend £48m if not on widening roads?’, BSTA has sent details of alternatives to Bradford Council, for them to consider in what we understand to be an imminent reappraisal of the scheme.

It is relatively cheap to put in a clean air zone as planned next year for commercial vehicles in the Aire Valley to Shipley which is Bradford’s worst-hit pollution sink. Why not extend it to all cars, and give the grants that allow families to convert to cleaner engines? Why not do it hand-in-hand with all the measures that help people to avoid using cars for shorter trips: co-ordinated cycle routes with priority and places to keep bikes safe. Safe and well-maintained routes to walk to schools and shops.

Through-traffic of heavy lorries contributes a lot of Bradford’s pollution. Weight restrictions would keep heavy loads on the M62 instead of cutting through Bradford to get to the North West. At the same time, a rail freight terminal in the Shipley area could link up with ‘last mile’ van delivery of parcels and shopping.

Park and ride schemes are well-tried and would suit the Aire Valley with rapid bus and train routes into Bradford. They would work well with deterring long-stay parking in the city. It would make such a difference if West Yorkshire buses were much cheaper.

The full list of our alternatives is here. Please comment on your own priorities.