4th July 2007

Greens strongly contest the view that the new £43 million South West Bypass - the biggest road project ever to be carried out by Gloucestershire County Council  - will relieve congestion. Read Bryan Meloy's letter by clicking 'Read more'

Letter to The Citizen:

Much has been written in The Citizen celebrating the new £43 million South West Bypass - the biggest road project ever to be carried out by Gloucestershire County Council. However I have to take issue with the claim that it will relieve congestion.

Expert and government research shows new road space soon fills up and encourages more traffic growth (SACTRA,1994). More journeys become possible as people think their journey times become shorter. Motorways are now carrying more traffic than they were ever designed for and schemes like the ring road around Bristol have made absolutely no difference to the traffic congestion. The infamous A34 Newbury Bypass, which everyone from treesitters to pensioners tried to halt, has grossly exceeded all traffic expectations and peak-time congestion within the town is back to original levels.

We cannot build our way out of congestion and pollution. Unlike other EU countries we have failed to develop an integrated transport system: it is time we did.

In cities like Copenhagen people choose public transport because it is easier, cheaper and better. The absurd Parkway proposal that has rightly been dismissed by the Gloucester public, which the county council continues to promote the roads and parking aspects of, is similarly part of this failure to develop a transport system that helps tackle climate change and congestion rather than adding to it. The Government must scrap its £12 billion 200 plus new road schemes  and invest the money in public transport and making cycling and walking more attractive.

Bryan Meloy
Gloucester Green Party