Gridlock threat to North's economy
Nov 26 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
RISING traffic levels on North roads could derail the regional economy for years to come, according to transport experts. The Government has been told the North could be crippled with congested roads while traffic rates in the South look set to ease.
Ministers have been told by experts at super-quango the Northern Way that they must act now to prevent roads such as the A1 Western Bypass damaging business growth.
Northern roads will attract more motorists than any other UK roads network over the next 15 years, but the majority of Government funding at present is spent in the South, which has higher traffic levels. Congestion on Northern roads currently makes all journeys 30% longer between 7am and 10am – a figure expected to get worse by 2021.
Professor David Begg, the Northern Way’s leading transport expert, has overseen three reports which warn of a faltering economy as a result of inadequate infrastructure investment.
Planners at the regeneration quango have warned city leaders they must start to prepare “smarter traffic management” systems, and want to see them consider car sharing lanes, promote flexible working to reduce rush-hour gridlock and support better information for motorists.
“In the North we want to create the circumstances in which the North’s economy can grow without our strategic roads becoming like the M25,” said Prof Begg. But the quango has warned against simply building bigger roads. Prof Begg said more could be achieved with car sharing and flexible work patterns.
He said: “Everyone knows we can’t simply build ourselves out of congestion – our environment can’t take it and it’s unaffordable.
“There will be a place for some new road building, as part of a package of wider measures. But a fundamental truth is that we also need to get much more out of our current network.”
Peter Woods, who sits on the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority, agreed city leaders would have to find better ways of managing growing traffic numbers. He said: “We see all too often that London receives far more than the North East for transport infrastructure. It would be nice to think that with both a recession coming and steadily rising traffic numbers we could see some real investment in road capacity here. Since that is unlikely we will have to try and find better ways of using the powers we have to help ease congestion.”
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