Better Transport

Let's play Transport Trumps in the East Midlands.

Problem 1: Traffic is expected to grow in Corby
A43 Corby Link Road Road solution: Northamptonshire County Council wants to spend £39.5 million to build the Corby Link Road, a dual-carriageway connecting Kettering and Corby with Stanion. The council says the expensive new road would add 1,575 tonnes of CO2 a year.	Corby rail station Rail solution: Network Rail is building a new railway station at Corby to provide frequent passenger services to Kettering (and to London). The £10-million station will provide a greener alternative to the A43, eliminating the case for building the link road. Contact us if you can trump this solution
**Result: Rail solution trumps road solution!**

Problem 2: The streets of Derby are congested
Connecting Derby Road solution: Derby Council wants to spend £33 million to build an inner-ring road right through Derby. The new road would destroy historic buildings and increase pollution in the town centre. It would also cut off access to the city centre, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to cross a busy main road and increase congestion on many minor roads and bus routes.	New tram system Reader's suggestion: Ben Hughes (one of our web visitors) thinks traffic and congestion should be tackled by building a lightweight Carpet Track tram system (cheaper to build than a conventional tram system) using Parry People Movers or diesel tram-trains. His proposal – 14 miles of tram track on existing roads and 28 vehicles - would encourage motorists to go by public transport, thereby reducing traffic and the need for the ring road. Contact us if you can trump this solution
**Result: Tram solution trumps road solution!**

Do you know of other proposed road schemes in the East Midlands that could be trumped? If so, we want to hear about them!

In the real world of Transport Trumps, transport schemes are assessed through a cost-benefit analysis. We think the analysis is flawed because roads always come out as Top Trumps.

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