Blog ARCHIVE
National Highways’ dirty laundry to be aired in public
National Highways' dirty laundry to be aired in public The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered the Cabinet Office to publish Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) reviews [1] of the £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing [2]. This is one of National Highways’ flagship schemes and its largest road project ever. The...
National Highways investigated over decline in performance
The Construction Index: The Office of Rail & Road (ORR) has opened an investigation into the performance of National Highways amid concerns about its management of the motorway and trunk road network. The industry regulator says that it has usually managed to work with National Highways to resolve any issues...
Investigation into National Highways is long overdue
Investigation into National Highways is long overdue Reacting to the Office for Rail and Road's announcement yesterday of an investigation into National Highways [1], Chris Todd, director of Transport Action Network (TAN) said: "Putting National Highways into special measures is long overdue. Whether concerning safety or biodiversity, it is clear...
Welsh roads review: one year on
Is the love still there? So here we are, St Valentine's day, 2024, a year to the day on which the Deputy Minister for Climate Change reshaped the future of road building in Wales. When he published the roads review and delivery plan, Lee Waters made three things clear: There...
Claims government blocked low-traffic schemes were a fiction, papers suggest
The Guardian: Exclusive: Low-traffic neighbourhood applications were rejected due to lack of ambition, not policy shift Government claims that it blocked councils from installing low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) appear to have been a fiction, the Guardian has learned, in another apparent sign that Rishi Sunak’s “plan for drivers” is thus far...
Healthy Travel Choices Give Children More Freedom
This blog is part of our healthy travel choices series. Previously, we looked at road safety. Here, we are focusing on how it would give children more freedom. Having healthy travel options gives people more choice as to how they travel. These options do not mean being forced to travel...
How cars and road infrastructure became part of the UK’s culture wars
The Conversation: Transport provision is failing. For many people across the UK – particularly outside of London – car travel is not simply the preferred means of mobility: it is their only viable option. In my recent book, The Broken Promise of Infrastructure, I show that belief in these conspiracy...
UK roads being built without ministerial oversight, say environment campaigners
The Guardian: Government-funded road schemes worth up to £500m are being built without ministerial oversight and most likely based on outdated emissions targets, according to freedom of information requests obtained by environmental campaigners. National Highways is the body that oversees road building in England, and it is being allowed “to...
Sir David King and Chris Packham support roads climate legal challenge in Court of Appeal
Sir David King and Chris Packham support roads climate legal challenge in Court of Appeal Photo opportunity - Tuesday 16 January at 1pm at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, WC2A 2LL An important climate legal challenge against three major road schemes will be heard in the Court of Appeal...
Decisions on road controversies set to be made in next few weeks
TransportXtra: The beginning of 2024 is set to crystallise a number of high profile and controversial issues relating to major national road projects and the general policy approach to scheme justification and expenditure. Legal actions are underway in two cases that could define broader policy with Dr Andrew Boswell taking...
Ministers prioritised driving in England partly due to conspiracy theories
The Guardian: Ministers decided to prioritise driving over active travel because of worries among ministers about “15-minute cities”, documents seen by the Guardian show. They indicate that a significant shift in transport policy was guided at least in part by conspiracy theories. Ministers began considering curbs on cycling and walking...
What to expect from 2024
2023 was a bit of a rollercoaster with transport decisions often making the headlines. Sadly, forward thinking decisions were far and few between. The £2 bus fare cap stands out as one of very few highs. Instead depressing decisions and unannounced u-turns were delivered regularly throughout the year. So much...
2023 Transport review – Part 3
Autumn of 2023 In this final part of our review of the year, we focus on the final months of 2023. Read part one of our review here and part two here. Part 3: September to December 2023 September 2023 A default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads was introduced...
Transport review 2023 – Part 2
The Summer of 2023 We look back at the summer of 2023 in this second of our three part review of the year. Missed part one? You can read about what happened in the first four months of 2023 here. Part 2: May to August 2023 May 2023 The Road...
DfT silent on new delay to A358 dualling scheme
Highways Magazine: The Department for Transport (DfT) has shelved one of its three flagship road schemes for the A303 corridor but has declined to provide any explanation. National Highways' A358 Taunton to Southfields scheme was first put forward in the first (2015-20) Road Investment Strategy but has suffered repeated delays....
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