Congestion has become a frustrating part of many journeys in the UK. In Nottingham the rush “hour” is now much longer, as people try to avoid delays by leaving earlier or later.
Eighty five per cent of the country’s journeys are by car, and congestion is set to get worse. Congestion costs each company in Nottingham on average £27,000 a year, according to the local Chamber of Commerce.
Solving congestion is not a simple matter. It depends on many individuals' decisions as to what type of transport to use. And it depends on how easy it is to get to particular sites by alternatives to the car.
Part of the solution is in making sure that new development does not pop up in isolation. It must be linked to public transport, walking and cycling routes. Major changes to our transport system, on road, rail, tram and on bus routes, have a big part to play here, too.
Please select an area below for further details.
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Over the next five years the A453 will be improved and the first phase of widening the M1 will be completed. We are asking the Government for money to upgrade the ring road. In the longer term our plans include dualling the A52 and A46, and possibly a fourth bridge across the River Trent.
A key part of Stan’s Plan is to make better use of our existing roads, for both bus passengers and car drivers. This means good maintenance to help keep roads – and cycle and footpaths – in good repair. Better signages will help drivers. A parking strategy for the City itself will be drawn up. This may include a Workplace Parking Levy, with fees charged for parking at work contributing to the next tram lines.
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There are now around 10 million trips a year on Line One of the Nottingham Express Transit. A big part of its success has been the five park and ride sites along its route, offering a cheap, simple alternative to city centre car parking.
The next phase will run to Clifton and to Beeston, bringing the Queens Medical Centre, the University of Nottingham, the Clifton campus of the Nottingham Trent University and office developments south of the station into the tram network. It will also include two new park and rides, on the A52 and the A453, connecting all three Nottingham junctions of the M1 to the tram. A new bus park and ride at Gamston will free up roads to the south-east of the city.
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Bus routes will continue to be the major spokes of The Big Wheel. There were 67 million bus journeys last year - and over 80% of City travellers were satisfied with the service. Work will continue with local bus companies to make services, tickets and information on all journeys even easier to use.
The Big Wheel Business Club will offer workplaces help that could include their own bus stop and electronic journey planning for staff. In combating congestion, the challenge now is to keep buses cutting through traffic. Cameras will record cars selfishly blocking bus lanes. Radical changes to bus routes themselves are needed, too, if journey times are to be shorter.
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Cutting congestion is about encouraging the types of transport that don’t cause any. A third of residents in The Big Plan area own a bike – but only around 3% use them to get to work.
Better cycle routes, including the ten mile off road Big Track, are one way to encourage people to get their bikes, not their cars, out of the garage.
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Walking already accounts for a third of all journeys. The Big Plan contains a network of easy, safe and pleasant walking routes to help more people get back on their feet.
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