Sheffield Council plan to increase the number of lanes on the Inner Ring Road between Corporation Street & Savile Street to allow more cars. Their Transport team were at a recent Kelham Island Community Alliance (KICA) meeting to answer questions. Residents told them that this would worsen air pollution which already breaches maximum legal limits in the area. The plans bring no real benefit to residents of the area who will have to put up with more traffic.
Many studies have shown that widening roads just increases traffic so they are still congested. At the same time, tram services are to be run less frequently from January because of the increase in cars on the road.
Sheffield Green Party is calling for a hold on the project and review of these proposals to find long term solutions that will actually reduce congestion and not make air pollution worse in and around the city centre.
People urgently need better public transport and safer cycling and walking options so they can choose to leave their cars at home. This would reduce congestion for all road users while improving dangerous air pollution and road safety.
Martin Phipps,
Sheffield Green Party
Notes
- Inner Road Proposals: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/ringroad
- Air quality data: https://sheffieldeastend.wordpress.com/air-quality-monitoring-data/kelham-island-air-quality-data/
- Studies showing that widening roads are not effective: http://www.citymetric.com/transport/does-building-more-roads-create-more-traffic-934
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