Abolish Severn Cross tolls...introduce congestion charges

Abolish Severn Cross tolls...introduce congestion charges

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devnull

Original Poster:

3,745 posts

156 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
You can’t make this st up sometimes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-5149...

So for years there were calls to drop the tolls, and open up Wales for business.

Now that has happened, congestion charges are being being considered because of all the extra traffic.

WTF. Sounds like this was being planned all the long.

Zirconia

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
Cardiff Bay gas and air shop are no help. The old head AM possibly could have implemented the relief road around Newport, Drakeford said non he was never going to allow it and wants us all to get public transport that doesn't exist.

Though we are getting a metro system covering the whole of South East Wales apparently. Should be in place by, erm, pick a date, any date as long as it is not in the next 20 years. Which means the Severn Bridge will keep feeding the Newport bottle neck but on the flip side, house prices in Port Talbot are going up.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51109151
Clean air as well as long as it is a westerly or off shore.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
It is rather ironic isn't it?

Says Wales isn't open for business and there is a lack of insight into the impact of political decisions.

bristolbaron

4,756 posts

211 months

Friday 14th February 2020
quotequote all
Congestion out of Wales is all at bryn glas, congestion into Wales is all at bryn glas. This was the case before and after the 50 limit, and before and after the toll removal.
It’s almost as if the problem isn’t the bridge but that some sort of relief road is needed!

Zirconia

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
Bottle neck wasn't going anywhere and there were warnings when they removed the tolls but it was already a mess. There have been a few massive improvement schemes done over the years that didn't seem to do anything. One constant is the people forcing in from the exit slip road, fine the @rse off them and make them sit their tests again.

Problem with the metro idea is it doesn't seem to go to anywhere that can alleviate the traffic coming into Wales unless there are massive and efficient park and rides at Severn Junction, Chepstow etc. and then you need to get people to use it. Now they also want to congestion charge Cardiff but do it when there is no alternative at the moment.

Bad enough getting out when the bank holidays finish, heads of the valley upgrade is still not finished but that could help with traffic to/from west wales for the midlands but it will all drop down to a small roundabout at Neath. Still doesn't deal with the traffic from the east.

Cant see this sorted any time soon.

Byker28i

58,800 posts

216 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
bristolbaron said:
Congestion out of Wales is all at bryn glas, congestion into Wales is all at bryn glas. This was the case before and after the 50 limit, and before and after the toll removal.
It’s almost as if the problem isn’t the bridge but that some sort of relief road is needed!
50mph limit through the tunnel backed everyone up, so now you get people using the inside lane for exiting at the junction then cutting across at the last minute. To get around the tailbacks caused by the tunnel speed limit, they then extended the 50mph area for 'pollution reasons' but thats not made any changes.

£1.6bn relief road seems liek peanuts compared to what Builder Boris was announcing last week. Perhaps Boris ought to be petitioned to override Mark Drakefords decision or maybe reinvestigate the blue route option

https://www.iwa.wales/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/m...

Edited by Byker28i on Saturday 15th February 10:40

Zirconia

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
^^^^
I thought the roads were devolved but the rail is not? I bet the cost of the inquiry to the Irish Sea bridge would be useful.

They stop electrification at Cardiff I think, the trains need diesel engines to continue west. Though not sure they have sorted the tunnel wiring yet.

bristolbaron

4,756 posts

211 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
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As an additional thought, If they did decide to do the link road but made it a toll road I’d pay to avoid to queues.

Zirconia

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 15th February 2020
quotequote all
The M6 toll is one of the great quiet roads, superb for avoiding the traffic jams around Brum but same time when there is no traffic. Saying that you get from the Brum traffic problem to the Stoke problem a lot quicker.

Part of the concern is how much local traffic they can shift to public transport between Newport and further west hence the S Wales Metro.

Next elections are 2021, Labour have held power since the Assembly first kicked off. Going to have to be some change before they even consider building one, so it aint happening any day soon in the next two decades I suspect even if the Tories get in (Plaid also have a large number etc. bit more dynamic than UK). Though if the traffic does increase at the rate it is now, sooner or later it will come to a head. Drakefords government at the moment would put Corbyn to shame in the hand wringing championships. 16 and get the vote next time along with 30,000 foreign nationals. They even argued what to call the Senedd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-49973...
What hope has a road got.

AlexS

1,550 posts

231 months

Tuesday 18th February 2020
quotequote all
bristolbaron said:
Congestion out of Wales is all at bryn glas, congestion into Wales is all at bryn glas. This was the case before and after the 50 limit, and before and after the toll removal.
It’s almost as if the problem isn’t the bridge but that some sort of relief road is needed!
The problem isn't just at the Bryn Glas tunnels though

Chepstow now becomes gridlocked by about 6:30 in the morning. One of members in my group comes in from Lydney and has to leave her house by 5:50 to avoid getting stuck by Tesco in the traffic queue for the roundabout at the top of the Wye Valley Link Road.

It's also not unusual to spend 30 minutes going up Catherine's Hill to get to the M5 at 7:15, more if the timing of the traffic lights at Almondsbury have been played with, and 10 minutes getting onto the M4 again in the evening. The queues for Newport start at Magor most evenings these days.