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A report made for the Campaign for Better Transport has called for the Government to improve public transport and cycling infrastructure, rather than spend cash on widening roads, as reported on Bikeforall.net.
According to professor of Transport Policy at UWE Bristol Phil Goodwin, plans to widen sections of the M1 and M6 would result in the roads being more congested in 2025 than they were in 2003.
The report goes on to say that congestion is set to get significantly worse on motorways and major roads and recommends measures to solve the worsening traffic problem.
Some of the recommended measures include:
-Improving infrastructure and support for cycling, walking and public transport
-Adjusting cost of different modes of transport to encourage people to cycle, walk or use public transport
-Introduce ‘smarter choices’ programmes with travel planning, information, marketing to give the public informed decisions about how they travel
"No matter how wide we make our motorways, they’ll keep filling up, so we have to start giving people alternatives to driving if we don’t want the country to grind to a halt,” said Richard George, roads and climate campaigner at Campaign for Better Transport.
“This is especially true for towns and cities, where 89 per cent of congestion occurs and where widespread road building simply cannot be an option.
"We cannot build our way out of traffic jams, so it’s time to be tough on congestion and tough on the causes of congestion. Our report suggests some practical solutions which would provide alternatives to those who want them and improve journey times for those who have no option but to drive.
"If the Government were to follow our recommendations then all road users would benefit – and it would cost a lot less than road building."
