Blog ARCHIVE
Walking and cycling cuts will slash swathe of government promises
Walking and cycling cuts will slash swathe of government promises The Department for Transport's (DfT) decision to slash funding for walking and cycling by two-thirds is facing a legal challenge. Campaign group Transport Action Network (TAN) claims ministers bypassed legal processes to chop investment. TAN is arguing this unlawful cut...
‘Focus on modal shift and managing demand rather than road capacity’
TransportXtra: ‘Focus on modal shift and managing demand rather than road capacity’ The Government must place far greater emphasis on demand management and modal shift rather than increasing road capacity if it is to tackle climate change, argues Transport Action Network (TAN). Although the Government has “thrown billions of pounds”...
Heading down the wrong road
Heading down the wrong road The Department for Transport (DfT) and National Highways are expected to publish initial details of its third roads programme, the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), for consultation early on 18 May. RIS3 sets road funding and schemes for building in England for 2025-2030, and is...
Public put ‘at risk’ by move to allow bigger juggernauts on UK roads
inews.co.uk: Public put ‘at risk’ by move to allow bigger juggernauts on UK roads People will be put at risk by a Department for Transport (DfT) decision to permit bigger, longer lorries to drive on Britain’s roads, experts have warned. The Department for Transport said lorry trailers up to 61ft...
Creating a genuine national transport policy
Despite claiming to lead on the climate and nature emergencies, the Government wants to continue the “largest ever” road-building programme, as it boasted in 2020. As we warned in The Guardian recently this “Road-building spree will derail UK’s net zero targets”. It will also harm nature and local communities, while...
How road building plans could change with £1bn smart motorway savings
New Civil Engineer: How road building plans could change with £1bn smart motorway savings The confirmation that all new all lane running (ALR) schemes are now scrapped was delivered over the weekend, following years of debate about their safety. National Highways maintained the view that they are “our safest roads”...
£20bn backlog as potholes grow
£14 billion and 11 years. That’s the estimated cost of fixing all the potholes in England and Wales. When combined with the arrears in bridge repairs, that’s a total maintenance backlog of £20 billion. A recent report found that almost one in five local roads in England and Wales are...
Roads review: Welsh Government delay, change or scrap all projects
ITV News: Roads review: Welsh Government delay, change or scrap all projects in bid to reduce carbon emissions Nearly all road-building projects in Wales have been delayed, changed or scrapped altogether as the Welsh Government sets out a transport plan that aims to reduce carbon emissions. The Welsh Government says...
Recount ‘increases need for carbon measures’
Highways Magazine: Recount 'increases need for carbon measures' A review of carbon emission forecasts from road vehicles in government modelling has seen emission estimates increase by millions of tonnes, prompting calls for more policy action. A technical annex to the Government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan and the Net Zero Growth...
Road-building spree will derail UK’s net zero targets, warn campaigners
The Guardian: Road-building spree will derail UK’s net zero targets, warn campaigners The UK’s net zero targets will be missed because of a planned “road-building spree” by the Department for Transport, campaigners have said. Officials had to edit the department’s “transport decarbonisation plan” to add 26 megatonnes of carbon emissions...
Campaigners refused legal hearing on A428 Black Cat road scheme
Ground Engineering: Campaigners refused legal hearing on A428 Black Cat road scheme The Transport Action Network (TAN) has been refused permission for a full hearing later this year to challenge the government’s decision to approve the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet road scheme. The UK Government gave the green...
Outdated transport plan will make things worse
Outdated transport plan will make things worse TAN [1] is concerned that Transport for the South East (TfSE) [2] is locking the region into a high carbon, car dependent future, with rising traffic and congestion. The TfSE Board is meeting on Monday (13th) [3] to approve its Strategic Investment Plan...
Roads programme in turmoil!
Roads programme in turmoil! Transport Action Network (TAN) [1] has welcomed the statement by Mark Harper (Secretary of State for Transport) that several road schemes in the second roads programme (RIS2) will be further delayed [2]. They are: Lower Thames Crossing - construction delayed by two years [3] A27 Arundel...
Sustainable travel: England must adopt similar traffic reduction target as other nations
New Civil Engineer: Sustainable travel experts believe England must adopt a similar traffic reduction target as other UK nations Sustainable travel experts have argued that England needs to adopt a traffic reduction target as seen in Scotland and Wales instead of continuing to build more roads. At a Transport Select...
Why England urgently needs a roads reset
We gave evidence at the House of Commons’ Transport Committee’s inquiry into strategic road investment on Wednesday 1st March, talking about why England urgently needs a roads reset. The current situation National Highways and the Department for Transport (DfT) are preparing another round of funding for motorways and trunk roads...
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