NEWS RELEASE - November 4th 1999

 

New motorways would undermine Executive's credibility in delivering transport reforms

TRANSform Scotland, Scotland's national sustainable transport alliance (1), today warned the Scottish Executive not to fatally undermine the credibility of its transport plans by committing itself to destructive motorway building in this afternoon's Strategic Trunk Roads Review announcement.

Colin Howden, Campaign Manager of TRANSform Scotland, said:
"The environmental impact of new motorways is unacceptable, carving up the countryside but also cities: just look at the destructive impact of road-building in Glasgow. But the bottom line is that even if we built all the roads in the roads programme, it would still be impossible to accommodate future growth in traffic. The Scottish Executive have no choice but to put forward a radical policy to restrain traffic growth." (2)

Most of the 17 road proposals in the review are relatively uncontroversial: some of the smaller projects may bring local environmental improvements while work on safety issues is certainly justified on some corridors. What is not acceptable is a result which includes consideration of massive new motorway building that would generate more car use.

Two examples of this stand out:

  • M80 Kelvin Valley. Proposals for a bypass of the A80 through the Kelvin Valley, possibly costing £150 million, are unacceptable in terms of its impact on the environment. The Executive should close off this option once and for all - and instead work on improving transport options on the existing route, which the local action group, CARE80, has been calling for for many years. (3)

  • M74 Northern Extension. At a time when great world cities like Boston and San Francisco have been dismantling sections of urban motorway and replacing them with advanced light rail and bus priority systems, Glasgow still has plans for a massive new elevated highway, costing £177 million, through an area with one of the lowest car ownership rates in western Europe. The local campaign, JAM74, has prepared an alternative package of measures that could tackle cross-Glasgow transport needs. (4)

    Colin Howden concluded:
    "Cities like Liverpool, Manchester but above all Glasgow have been subjected to enormously destructive urban motorways, ripping the heart out of great chunks of each city in the name of prosperity and development. But the results of decades of road building is that the relative prosperity of these cities is as low as ever. Indeed, the Government's key advisers on trunk roads confirm that there is no connection between road building and economic prosperity"

    "If a combination of rail, bus and traffic management improvements cannot provide an effective alternative to new motorway building on Scotland's most heavily populated corridors, then we might as well tear up the Government's Transport White Papers, climb into our cars, put the foot down, and consign the very idea of sustainable transport to the motor-driven dustbin of history."

    ENDS

    Notes to Editors:
    (1) TRANSform Scotland is the national sustainable transport campaign, bringing together 58 organisations - including transport operators, local authorities, environment and conservation groups, chambers of commerce and local transport groups - interested in transport, the environment and a sustainable Scotland. We can be contacted at 72 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5QG. Tel.: 0131-467-7714; Fax: 0131-554-8656; E-mail: campaigns@transformscotland.org.uk; web: http://www.transformscotland.org.uk

    (2) Annual average forecast traffic growth rates are of 1.1% to 2.1% until 2016. Growth at the central rate of 1.6% would see 30% more traffic by 2016; high-end traffic growth - such as might be promoted by new roads construction - would lead to over 80% more traffic on the roads in 30 years.

    (3) The Campaign for the Retention and Enhancement of the A80 (CARE80), is an alliance of national organisations, local organisations and concerned individuals opposed to the construction of an M80 extension through the Kelvin Valley.

    (4) Joint Action Against the M74 (JAM74), is a coalition of community, environmental and sustainable transport groups opposed to the construction of the M74 NE and for a package of economically and environmentally sustainable transport solutions for the area.

    END OF PRESS RELEASE

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