Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
With the election being held in the middle of the month, Parliament isn’t due to sit until 16. December. It’s basically just that week before Christmas.
I can’t see anything happening until the New Year, tbh. We may even get a spring budget again.
I can’t see anything happening until the New Year, tbh. We may even get a spring budget again.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
The article is saying that RIS itself might be pushed back (i.e. not start April 2020). The evidence is rather flimsy though - mostly ORR not being able to do a consultation on something. If that's what holds the programme back the regulator would really need to take a long hard look at themselves.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
If a new incoming government decides to abandon it that is what will happen, that is why the decisions have been pushed back until after the election.jackal wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 17:19 The article is saying that RIS itself might be pushed back (i.e. not start April 2020). The evidence is rather flimsy though - mostly ORR not being able to do a consultation on something. If that's what holds the programme back the regulator would really need to take a long hard look at themselves.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
As per the article, it's due to purdah.KeithW wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 17:39If a new incoming government decides to abandon it that is what will happen, that is why the decisions have been pushed back until after the election.jackal wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 17:19 The article is saying that RIS itself might be pushed back (i.e. not start April 2020). The evidence is rather flimsy though - mostly ORR not being able to do a consultation on something. If that's what holds the programme back the regulator would really need to take a long hard look at themselves.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
This unseasonal election is really screwing things up: a lot of councils are unable to set their budgets too.
And a lot of time is being lost because decisions (and consultations) cannot be made.
And a lot of time is being lost because decisions (and consultations) cannot be made.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
Interestingly the local Labour candidate in Copeland wants a Whitehaven relief road, as do his two main opponents, but wants as much of the A595 dualled as possible. I think a D2 Whitehaven relief road could be too tight a fit with all the housing, while an S2 would do a reasonable job of diverting the through traffic, and the only section now that could be dualled south of Whitehaven could be a by pass of Bigrigg and Clints Brow.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
Scottish Gov't needs to Uk budget speech and debate and approval before they can set a budget and parliamentary debate and approval and then Scottish councils can set theirs. This means we may only get a one line taxation bill before end March rather than full budget. But without that one line bill there is AIUI no Income Tax rate in Scotland 2019/20. Not that current one continues, but no tax rate at all. hence the one line bill to continue the 2018/19 rates.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
So you would then end up with a spring budget after the financial year had started.
Great.
Great.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... on-tickets
Looks like the money that would have been used to fund the roads programme (from VED) will be used instead to fund a 33% cut in rail fares plus free rail travel for under 16s.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
The commitment is to a 33% cut in REGULATED rail fares, though (as here - not picking on you ) the hope is the media will just reduce that to "fares", on the basis that most of their readership will have no idea what "regulated" means. Now regulated fares as I understand it are commonly well undercut by train company-only tickets, advance purchase tickets, and other fares they offer, quite often by more than 33% anyway, and on some routes hardly anyone buys them. Certainly as I travel round the country I don't often get one.
It also doesn't apply to fares within London. They are set by TfL and not "regulated" either.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
I haven't seen Labour say anywhere that they would stop road building. I just think there will be less. Massive investment in sustainable transport can and should deliver modal shift, but it can only go so far and is not the magic bullet that everyone thinks it is. So investment is still needed on good quality highways. You can't bus your way out of congestion as much as build yourself out of congestion.
The elephant in the room is bad planning. Having rapid economic growth in places here people cannot afford to live, when a long commute is cheaper than buying a house is a disaster.
Whoever takes office will need to grow a pair and look at how growth can be evened out beyond the hot spots into less well performing areas that are crying out for regeneration. Now that will no doubt rely on some serious investment in infrastructure in both road and rail, even airport capacity. But again this is all about balance, and getting that right will need some careful independent non-partisan studies, rather than fashionable whims of the party of the day.
It's madness that we have got this far into the 21st Century without a National Spatial Plan, and even binned Regional Spatial Planning.
The elephant in the room is bad planning. Having rapid economic growth in places here people cannot afford to live, when a long commute is cheaper than buying a house is a disaster.
Whoever takes office will need to grow a pair and look at how growth can be evened out beyond the hot spots into less well performing areas that are crying out for regeneration. Now that will no doubt rely on some serious investment in infrastructure in both road and rail, even airport capacity. But again this is all about balance, and getting that right will need some careful independent non-partisan studies, rather than fashionable whims of the party of the day.
It's madness that we have got this far into the 21st Century without a National Spatial Plan, and even binned Regional Spatial Planning.
M19
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
The thing with public transport is the sheer scale of what you’d need to invest, to encourage a fair amount of modal shift. You would need to increase funding probably 100x to get a reasonable level of service.
The reasons people use their cars include lack of availability, reliability and punctuality. You cannot run an “all things being equal service” that only runs (on average) one Wednesday a month - as long as there’s no industrial action.
Quite rightly, people will see that as derisory. But other than London, I haven’t even begun to see another city engage properly with it.
The reasons people use their cars include lack of availability, reliability and punctuality. You cannot run an “all things being equal service” that only runs (on average) one Wednesday a month - as long as there’s no industrial action.
Quite rightly, people will see that as derisory. But other than London, I haven’t even begun to see another city engage properly with it.
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
The irony that this announcement coincided with the start of a TWENTY SEVEN day strike on South Western Railways - although the strike will be suspended for Christmas Day and Boxing Day (when no trains run anyway), and Election Day
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
The reason we have no major moves to encouraging modal shift is because this country thinks cycling is beneath it.
Most congestion in urban areas is people looking for parking and making trips under 3 miles that can often be made by other means.
When this point is made we get ableist drivel about "but what about the disabled".
This may be anecdotal but the acres of empty disabled parking spaces suggest to me that disabled people are not as reliant on cars as the lazy but able bodied amongst us are.
Most congestion in urban areas is people looking for parking and making trips under 3 miles that can often be made by other means.
When this point is made we get ableist drivel about "but what about the disabled".
This may be anecdotal but the acres of empty disabled parking spaces suggest to me that disabled people are not as reliant on cars as the lazy but able bodied amongst us are.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
I very much disagree with this - if I go to the supermarket after work and see several empty disabled spaces doesn't mean there's over-provision; those same spaces could be full earlier in the day. Having looked after an elderly relative with mobility problems and dementia, disabled spaces were a god-send in being able to attend hospital, dental, and other appointments and collect prescriptions, and when they were full it meant idling the car to keep it warm and waiting for the spaces to become available, as it isn't possible to drop such an adult off, find parking, and come back; nor is it possible to walk long distances, cycle, or get the bus!
As ever with these things, there needs to be a balance, and proper investment in NMU provision (it really isn't that expensive compared to a similar length of motorway), but targetting the disabled as a group who you want to make the modal shift is absurd.
As ever with these things, there needs to be a balance, and proper investment in NMU provision (it really isn't that expensive compared to a similar length of motorway), but targetting the disabled as a group who you want to make the modal shift is absurd.
Is there a road improvement project going on near you? Help us to document it on the SABRE Wiki - help is available in the Digest forum.
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
It's all very difficult but I think we are in a self-defeating cycle with cars often ruining city centres as destinations, robbing them of much of the appeal that makes people want to visit them (inevitably in their cars) in the first place.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 08:09 The reason we have no major moves to encouraging modal shift is because this country thinks cycling is beneath it.
Most congestion in urban areas is people looking for parking and making trips under 3 miles that can often be made by other means.
When this point is made we get ableist drivel about "but what about the disabled".
This may be anecdotal but the acres of empty disabled parking spaces suggest to me that disabled people are not as reliant on cars as the lazy but able bodied amongst us are.
Cleaning cars up will help a lot but it's not the only thing that needs to be done. Think how much more desirable as a destination London's Zone 1 would be with clean air and only a few essential cars.
Electrophorus Electricus
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
Where did I say I was targeting the disabled?
Read again. It is able bodied lazy people projecting their desire to drive everywhere by saying we need all these giant car parks for disabled people etc when they want them for themselves.
I say call their bluff. Pedestrianise city centres and make the only permitted car access by blue badge. Watch the ableism evaporate over night then.
My nan had a (then) orange badge yet used the bus for most trips as she didn't drive. How many other disables badge holders are the same?
Read again. It is able bodied lazy people projecting their desire to drive everywhere by saying we need all these giant car parks for disabled people etc when they want them for themselves.
I say call their bluff. Pedestrianise city centres and make the only permitted car access by blue badge. Watch the ableism evaporate over night then.
My nan had a (then) orange badge yet used the bus for most trips as she didn't drive. How many other disables badge holders are the same?
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
Frankly, with the extensive provision of buses, the underground, the riverboats and even heavy rail, there is little excuse for anyone to drive into Zone 1roadtester wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 08:24 Think how much more desirable as a destination London's Zone 1 would be with clean air and only a few essential cars.
However, there are few other places with such provision... and even fewer where the provision is affordable/economic.
A "shout out" to Winchester for example, where it costs £3 to park and this includes up to six passengers on the bus.
On the other hand, I can park for six hours at the Guildford's Friary Centre car park for the price of one adult tickets on the Park-and-Ride. For Basingstoke's Park-and-Ride, our usual two adults and two children equate to seven hours parking in Festival Place. And in both cases, there is not the faff of waiting for, then carrying stuff onto, a bus.
Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
It's been a while since I was there, but I think that York City Centre has done something similar, haven't they? If I recall correctly, the central zone has disabled and loading spaces but is generally pedestrianised.
Is there a road improvement project going on near you? Help us to document it on the SABRE Wiki - help is available in the Digest forum.
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Re: Chancellor to outline £25bn road upgrade projects
Yes, exactly. We hear people waffle on about how busy high streets were in the 1970s - but look how much of the pedestrian demand was given the minimal possible room. No wonder footways on, say, Newport St in Bolton were full. That's because more than half of the demand for the road space (shoppers on foot) was confined to a tenth of the space so cars with no intention of stopping could carry on through regardless.roadtester wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 08:24It's all very difficult but I think we are in a self-defeating cycle with cars often ruining city centres as destinations, robbing them of much of the appeal that makes people want to visit them (inevitably in their cars) in the first place.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 08:09 The reason we have no major moves to encouraging modal shift is because this country thinks cycling is beneath it.
Most congestion in urban areas is people looking for parking and making trips under 3 miles that can often be made by other means.
When this point is made we get ableist drivel about "but what about the disabled".
This may be anecdotal but the acres of empty disabled parking spaces suggest to me that disabled people are not as reliant on cars as the lazy but able bodied amongst us are.
Cleaning cars up will help a lot but it's not the only thing that needs to be done. Think how much more desirable as a destination London's Zone 1 would be with clean air and only a few essential cars.
Combine with the fact the world has moved on and many people find the idea of shopping tedious and would rather do it online anyway, we are stupidly clinging to a fallacy and using the past and nostalgia to bring back what people think was good when they were 5.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck