Final warning from who? (Birmingham)
Final warning from who? (Birmingham)
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321boost

Original Poster:

1,253 posts

94 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-510...

Who’s given them the “final warning” and what does that mean?

amusingduck

9,649 posts

160 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
321boost said:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-510...

Who’s given them the “final warning” and what does that mean?
Google is your friend

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38980510

bbc said:
Air pollution 'final warning' from European Commission to UK

GoodCompany

308 posts

87 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
321boost said:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-510...

Who’s given them the “final warning” and what does that mean?
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birminghams-air-bad-european-union-12608949

dazwalsh

6,108 posts

165 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
I'm guessing from the environment agency or central government, they have got an ambitious net carbon zero target to meet.

Or maybe Greta got on the blower to the council, people seem to take her st as gospel.

321boost

Original Poster:

1,253 posts

94 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
So how does brexit affect this final warning? Do we have any awareness of how enforceable this would be?

Fittster

20,120 posts

237 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
The A38 could be rerouted to an "upgraded ring road" and the city's tunnels used for public transport only.

What is an upgraded ring road?

321boost

Original Poster:

1,253 posts

94 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
Fittster said:
The A38 could be rerouted to an "upgraded ring road" and the city's tunnels used for public transport only.

What is an upgraded ring road?
Average speed cameras + cycling lanes + lots of traffic lights. Either way this will increase congestion on the outside, giving the council a reason to expand their clean air zones or drivers will just stop driving into Birmingham and kill the centre.

OR if thinking and hoping for something positive then they will widen the outer ring road and increase speed limit to carry more traffic.

Edited by 321boost on Monday 13th January 15:00

Fittster

20,120 posts

237 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
321boost said:
Fittster said:
The A38 could be rerouted to an "upgraded ring road" and the city's tunnels used for public transport only.

What is an upgraded ring road?
Average speed cameras + cycling lanes + lots of traffic lights. Either way this will increase congestion on the outside, giving the council a reason to expand their clean air zones or drivers will just stop driving into Birmingham and kill the centre.

OR if thinking and hoping for something positive then they will widen the outer ring road and increase speed limit to carry more traffic.

Edited by 321boost on Monday 13th January 15:00
What I don't understand is that currently if you are traveling to Birmingham, you leave the motorway at spaghetti junction, down the Aston Express way and then you are on a ring road right next to the city center.

I don't see what you can do about that ring road and still have a viable economy.

Fittster

20,120 posts

237 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
321boost said:
Average speed cameras + cycling lanes + lots of traffic lights. Either way this will increase congestion on the outside, giving the council a reason to expand their clean air zones or drivers will just stop driving into Birmingham and kill the centre.

OR if thinking and hoping for something positive then they will widen the outer ring road and increase speed limit to carry more traffic.

Edited by 321boost on Monday 13th January 15:00
If I've got this right the A4540 is the inner ring road. Is the A4040 the outer ring road? It's hardly geared up for loads more traffic

otolith

65,897 posts

228 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
dazwalsh said:
I'm guessing from the environment agency or central government, they have got an ambitious net carbon zero target to meet.

Or maybe Greta got on the blower to the council, people seem to take her st as gospel.
The "final warning" is nothing to do with carbon, Greta or climate change, it's about local air quality, predominantly nitrogen dioxide, and human health. And ironically the nitrogen dioxide mostly comes from diesels which UK government policy encouraged people to shift to because they are better than petrol on carbon dioxide.

Of course the council is also trying to shoehorn its own carbon neutral by 2030 agenda into it, but that's not the primary driver.

321boost

Original Poster:

1,253 posts

94 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
Fittster said:
321boost said:
Average speed cameras + cycling lanes + lots of traffic lights. Either way this will increase congestion on the outside, giving the council a reason to expand their clean air zones or drivers will just stop driving into Birmingham and kill the centre.

OR if thinking and hoping for something positive then they will widen the outer ring road and increase speed limit to carry more traffic.

Edited by 321boost on Monday 13th January 15:00
If I've got this right the A4540 is the inner ring road. Is the A4040 the outer ring road? It's hardly geared up for loads more traffic
As I’ve read it, the A4540 is the middle or “main” ring road and I’m not sure of the other ring roads.

kev1974

4,030 posts

153 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
amusingduck said:
321boost said:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-510...

Who’s given them the “final warning” and what does that mean?
Google is your friend

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38980510

bbc said:
Air pollution 'final warning' from European Commission to UK
Ironic that the only cities I've ever stood on the pavement and thought "wow the air is horrible here" are Nairobi, where there's a virtual motorway through the centre and it's horrendous; and Brussels right outside Gare du Midi, at the end of the car parking area. Maybe also Paris around the Periperique up by Pantin, it's horrific for fumes there too.

Never smelled / tasted city air in the UK coming anywhere near as bad as those locations.

FourWheelDrift

91,958 posts

308 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
Congestion mayhem coming to Birmingham soon, with increased pollution as cars, delivery vans/lorries and taxis take longer journeys to get to where they are going (multiple stops).



bbc said:
Air pollution 'final warning' from European Commission to UK
Another reason to leave the EU quango. "Final Warning" indeed, smell their own backside instead.

otolith

65,897 posts

228 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
Another reason to leave the EU quango. "Final Warning" indeed, smell their own backside instead.
https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBr...


Edited by otolith on Monday 13th January 16:25

poo at Paul's

14,558 posts

199 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
The odd thing is that currently, Birmingham is about the most accessible city centre in the UK! That's cant be a bad thing for pollution, ie cars not sitting in traffic.

It's rare that you cant get from the M6, right into Snow HIll area, parked up right in the centre in less than 10 mins.

Shame to fk it all about, tbh

Digga

46,741 posts

307 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
poo at Paul's said:
The odd thing is that currently, Birmingham is about the most accessible city centre in the UK! That's cant be a bad thing for pollution, ie cars not sitting in traffic.

It's rare that you cant get from the M6, right into Snow HIll area, parked up right in the centre in less than 10 mins.

Shame to fk it all about, tbh
It was comprehensively re-designed as a 'motor city' in the 60's.

The problem is the militant Labour council who have continually been dreaming up ways to penalise the 'evil' motorist. One of the latest wheezes is to ban vehicles from getting onto Broad Street the 'back way' from by the NIA. It is now buses only between NIA and Brindley Place.

over_the_hill

3,287 posts

270 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
321boost said:
Fittster said:
321boost said:
Average speed cameras + cycling lanes + lots of traffic lights. Either way this will increase congestion on the outside, giving the council a reason to expand their clean air zones or drivers will just stop driving into Birmingham and kill the centre.

OR if thinking and hoping for something positive then they will widen the outer ring road and increase speed limit to carry more traffic.

Edited by 321boost on Monday 13th January 15:00
If I've got this right the A4540 is the inner ring road. Is the A4040 the outer ring road? It's hardly geared up for loads more traffic
As I’ve read it, the A4540 is the middle or “main” ring road and I’m not sure of the other ring roads.
It is the A4540

https://www.google.com/maps/search/b1/@52.4807567,...

The upcoming clean air charge will see any cars not meeting the criteria being charged for crossing the A4540. Travel around it will not be charged (at present).

Although busy at peak times, traffic on the A38 continues to move via flyovers and tunnels from one side of the city to the other. At non-peak times this is a 2-3 minute journey in free flowing traffic. Going via the ring road would be considerably longer and that's as is and assuming it will be able to cope with the increases in traffic. If not it will be even longer still.

As noted above consultations are regularly ignored.

The clean air charge received the greatest response to any Birmingham Council consultation. 3 to 1 against by residents and 6 to 1 against by businesses. Council ignored it and carried on.

Recently a plan to demolish a flyover on the A34 near to Alexander Stadium and replace it with a flat junction went to consultation. (This is supposedly part of the Commonwealth Games planning). Over 10,000 objections received and if you know the area you will understand why as the flyover keeps traffic moving by taking it above an already busy area. Council have ignored it and will be carrying on.

I wonder what will happen following the consultation here.

As noted above it is difficult to see how the ring road can be improved as it is so penned in on most of the route.

Digga

46,741 posts

307 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
over_the_hill said:
The clean air charge received the greatest response to any Birmingham Council consultation. 3 to 1 against by residents and 6 to 1 against by businesses. Council ignored it and carried on.
Well, if they keep voting these lunatics in, they only have themselves to blame.

Agammemnon

1,628 posts

82 months

Monday 13th January 2020
quotequote all
Fittster said:
What I don't understand is that currently if you are traveling to Birmingham, you leave the motorway at spaghetti junction, down the Aston Express way and then you are on a ring road right next to the city center.

I don't see what you can do about that ring road and still have a viable economy.
It's a labour council- economics are totally irrelevant. What matters is dogma & control over individuals' behaviour.

Digga

46,741 posts

307 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
quotequote all
Agammemnon said:
Fittster said:
What I don't understand is that currently if you are traveling to Birmingham, you leave the motorway at spaghetti junction, down the Aston Express way and then you are on a ring road right next to the city center.

I don't see what you can do about that ring road and still have a viable economy.
It's a labour council- economics are totally irrelevant. What matters is dogma & control over individuals' behaviour.
^This.

Anyone doing the least little bit of research into the council will understand what ineptitude and mismanagement exists there.

Some of it you could barely make up: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-new...