Blog ARCHIVE
Call for English roads review welcomed
Call for English roads review welcomed In response to today's publication of the Climate Change Committee's 2023 Progress Report to Parliament [1], Transport Action Network's director, Chris Todd said: "We welcome the climate committee's call for an urgent review of England's roads programme. Having spent the last three years challenging...
Why we’re challenging walking and cycling cuts
In March, ministers tried to sneak out a cut of two-thirds of England’s dedicated funding for walking, wheeling and cycling, under the headlines of a record investment in infrastructure and delays to the roads programme and HS2. This prompted a huge outcry from walking, cycling, disability and environmental organisations. They...
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...
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...
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...
£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...
Outdated transport plan will make things worse
Outdated transport plan will make things worse TAN [1] is concerned that Transport for the South East (TfSE) [2] is locking the region into a high carbon, car dependent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...
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...
Wales leads world on tackling transport carbon
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, announced on Valentine’s Day that the Welsh Government will curtail harmful and unnecessarily expensive road schemes. This represents a landmark turning point in tackling climate change. The Welsh Government is clear that it will still build roads; just not in the traditional traffic...
WG places climate at heart of decisions on roadbuilding
Welsh Government places climate at heart of future road investment TAN Cymru [1] welcomes today's announcement by the Welsh Government to radically change the way it views future road investment. It places the climate and ecological emergency, alongside the need to reform the way we work, live and travel, at...
WG landmark decision on roadbuilding
Welsh landmark decision on future road investment TAN [1] has welcomed the Welsh Government's announcement today to radically change the way it makes future road investment. It places the climate and ecological emergency at the heart of decision making on infrastructure spending [2], a first for any of the home...
Case Study: Nottingham Workplace Parking Levy
How it has reduced congestion in the city In 2012, Nottingham took the unprecedented step to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). Covering the whole City Council administrative area, the levy was the first of its kind in Europe. A Workplace Parking Levy is a charge on employers who provide...
Greenwashing of roads ramps up ahead of budget
Greenwashing of roads ramps up ahead of budget Transport Action Network [1] believes that the Government's announcement of £30 million for projects to reduce road construction emissions [2] is a distraction from the Government's failure to stop making things worse by building more roads. While all efforts to reduce carbon...
30 years of roads campaigning
On the 23rd January, 1993, with John Major as Prime Minister and ‘Innuendo’ by Queen at number 1 in the charts, community groups came together at the first national anti-roads conference in the UK. Organised by ALARM UK, groups opposing road schemes met in Birmingham to build opposition and support...
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