Simon Brown of Bucknell says traffic solution has to be comprehensive (From Hereford Times)

Simon Brown of Bucknell says traffic solution has to be comprehensive

11:12am Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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PETER Beresford (Readers’ Times, February 25) is absolutely right to suggest that traffic measures for Hereford city, including more public transport, should be introduced in stages.

Plans should develop organically and in response to the continuously varying conditions.

He might be interested to know that the Multi-Modal Model Forecasting Report makes no mention of any increased bus services in the city and does not factor in the effects of such an essential provision. This document is a contributor to policy making, especially over the relief road, and yet its forecasting is based on what can only be considered a massive oversight.

It appears to serve one purpose only, which is the justification of a hugely expensive and environmentally damaging ring road. The Place Shaping Paper is also remarkably thin on public transport ideas.

Pat Churchward (Readers’ Times, February 25) is equally brilliant. If he/she is right and 93 per cent of traffic using the main arterial roads is going into the city and not through it, it follows that the traffic problems will not be addressed until less traffic comes into the city.

This will only happen if there is adequate public transport within the city, extensive free park-and-ride combined with increases in parking fees in the city centre, the encouragement of so called “active transport” – i.e. walking, cycling – and, if deemed workable, congestion charges. Look what has happened in central London – it has been transformed by these kinds of policies.

A ring road, attractive as it might seem, will not solve the congestion in the city. More imaginative and radical solutions should be considered and they should come from the residents of the city who know the local conditions.

We should not be presented with the simplistic, reductionist choice: “Do you prefer an East or West ring road?”

A ring road that even the Multi-Modal Model shows will have only minor impact if the proposed housing and industrial plans materialise.

If the ring road is built it will also serve to justify further development out to it – as always happens.