Hi everybody.
First can i say I have really enjoyed what has become a great discussion thread.
That said, i believe that no one can sensibly deny that the advanced industrial nations all have to make great efforts to drastically reduce traffic congestion in their major towns and cities. Many nations have tried the approach of building more roads, motorways, freeways and autobahns. However, in that all see their efforts immediately overtaken by increasing vehicle numbers and the same traffic congestion they had looked to alleviate return within a couple of years if not months.
Figures were produced in the last few days that show that Britain's population has grown by over 5% since 2008 much of that down to immigration due to european freedom of movement legislation. Italy, France, Germany and Holland are all experiencing similar increases in population size by way of the same legislation. Also in the last few days a european television channel has been extensively reporting on the large scale immigration that the united states is experiencing across its southern borders.
All these new arrivals immediately head for the great city conurbations to find work, settle their families and of course to eventually buy a car and further add to the already ballooning traffic congestion as more and more established households purchase more than one car to move themselves around. With the forgoing in mind there can be little action authorities can take other than developing public transport as a main means of moving commuters around. For commuters traveling from rural area's then development or upgrading of mainline network rail services would be seen by a great many as the way forward as several hundreds can be moved on each train.
However, it is when those commuters arrive into the cities and towns on the trains that the problem arises of how you get those people to their final destinations. Streetcars (trams) or larger metro systems can be highly efficient but are always horrendously expensive to construct and can have many problems in everyday operation. Without doubt systems such as the London underground or Paris metro can move literally millions of people in any twenty four hour period and are undoubtedly seen as the ultimate in city commuter transport. That said, to even think of constructing such systems in today's cities based on modern costs and planning needs puts such systems beyond consideration.
The above then brings us back to the bus as an affordable and versatile alternative to the streetcar or metro systems. Agreed many prospective riders are repelled at the thought of using them, but as someone who has used the bus in many British cities in recent years I find them clean, comfortable and well maintained these days. The famous British double decker bus can carry around ninety passengers when full and it is estimated that it replaces the need for approximately sixty cars to use the city roads when the bus is running full.
So, is their an alternative to the above, if so I am sure that not only this forum would love to debate it along with many local authorities and governments in general throughout the developed world.
Bill
First can i say I have really enjoyed what has become a great discussion thread.
That said, i believe that no one can sensibly deny that the advanced industrial nations all have to make great efforts to drastically reduce traffic congestion in their major towns and cities. Many nations have tried the approach of building more roads, motorways, freeways and autobahns. However, in that all see their efforts immediately overtaken by increasing vehicle numbers and the same traffic congestion they had looked to alleviate return within a couple of years if not months.
Figures were produced in the last few days that show that Britain's population has grown by over 5% since 2008 much of that down to immigration due to european freedom of movement legislation. Italy, France, Germany and Holland are all experiencing similar increases in population size by way of the same legislation. Also in the last few days a european television channel has been extensively reporting on the large scale immigration that the united states is experiencing across its southern borders.
All these new arrivals immediately head for the great city conurbations to find work, settle their families and of course to eventually buy a car and further add to the already ballooning traffic congestion as more and more established households purchase more than one car to move themselves around. With the forgoing in mind there can be little action authorities can take other than developing public transport as a main means of moving commuters around. For commuters traveling from rural area's then development or upgrading of mainline network rail services would be seen by a great many as the way forward as several hundreds can be moved on each train.
However, it is when those commuters arrive into the cities and towns on the trains that the problem arises of how you get those people to their final destinations. Streetcars (trams) or larger metro systems can be highly efficient but are always horrendously expensive to construct and can have many problems in everyday operation. Without doubt systems such as the London underground or Paris metro can move literally millions of people in any twenty four hour period and are undoubtedly seen as the ultimate in city commuter transport. That said, to even think of constructing such systems in today's cities based on modern costs and planning needs puts such systems beyond consideration.
The above then brings us back to the bus as an affordable and versatile alternative to the streetcar or metro systems. Agreed many prospective riders are repelled at the thought of using them, but as someone who has used the bus in many British cities in recent years I find them clean, comfortable and well maintained these days. The famous British double decker bus can carry around ninety passengers when full and it is estimated that it replaces the need for approximately sixty cars to use the city roads when the bus is running full.
So, is their an alternative to the above, if so I am sure that not only this forum would love to debate it along with many local authorities and governments in general throughout the developed world.
Bill
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