North West

Let's play Transport Trumps in the North West.

Problem 1: There’s a lot of traffic on the A57/A628

Mottram Tintwistle Bypass

Protest against the Mottram to Tintwistle Bypass

Road solution: The Highways Agency wants to spend £184 million to build a bypass around the villages of Mottram, Tintwistle and Hollingworth and a 5.6-kilometre road linking the M67 to the A628 Woodhead Pass. The last 1.2 kilometres of the proposed bypass would run within the Peak District National Park and decimate a quarry site used by climbers, walkers and locals. A local nature reserve, Swallow's Wood, would be damaged by a 65-foot bridge and earth work, carrying three lanes of traffic over what was once a beautiful, quiet wildlife site. The scheme would increase traffic on many local roads, including the A628 through the National Park, where traffic levels would increase by 40%. The Highways Agency says the road would add 19,000 tonnes a year of CO2

Rail reopening

Rail solution: Local people want to tackle the area’s traffic problems by taking freight traffic off the roads and promoting public transport. They want: Woodhead rail tunnel to be reopened; weight limits to be put on the A57/628 in order to force heavy goods traffic on to the M1/M62 motorway network and away from the Peak District National Park; traffic calming in the villages on the A628 and A57 to prevent rat-running; safe routes to school; travel-to-work plans; integrated bus and train services throughout the Peak District and improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists; and a new railway station at Gamesely and improved services at existing stations. Their proposals would reduce traffic and the associated problems of noise and air pollution.
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**Result: Rail solution trumps road solution!**

Problem 2: The Mersey’s Silver Jubilee Bridge is congested

New Mersey Gateway Bridge

Road solution: Halton Borough Council wants to spend £431 million to build a new six-lane road bridge over the River Mersey. The road would generate traffic in already deprived and polluted areas and would sever communities.

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Problem 3: It's hard to travel through Carlisle

Carlisle N. Development Road

Road solution: Cumbria County Council wants to build a five-mile road around the west of the city, make it easier for people to drive to new office and retail developments and move traffic on to the new road. They project it will cost £150 million as part of a PFI package to build the road and manage the surrounding road network.

Better public transport

Reader's suggestion: Simon Norton thinks public transport improvements could ease traffic in Carlisle, including a new train station at Kingmoor and local bus stops on the A74. He thinks the old Waverley Line, preferably between Carlisle and Longtown, should be converted to a cycle and walking route.
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**Result: Public transport solution trumps road solution!**

Problem 4: There’s a lot of traffic in Lancaster

Heysham to M6 link road

Road solution: Lancashire County Council wants to spend £138 million to build a 3.2-mile dual carriageway linking Heysham and the M6 – that’s £43.1 million a mile. The road would destroy 70 hectare of Green Belt and harm two county-designated Biological Heritage Sites. The council expects 35,000 cars to use the road every day, in each direction, increasing CO2, pollution and traffic.

Rail freight and rapid transit

Reader's suggestion: Darren Axe (one of our web visitors) would remove lorries from the road network by moving freight on to rail, improving the rail freight access between the West Coast Main Line and Heysham Port. A light rapid transit scheme, linked into Lancaster rail station and serving the university, could help to regenerate Heysham peninsula and vastly improve the connectivity of the communities of Heysham, Morecambe and Lancaster. His plan would maintain green space and reduce air pollution - for the same price as the proposed road.
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**Result: Rail freight and rapid transit solution trumps road solution!**

Do you know of other proposed road schemes in the North West 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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