TRAFFIC GROWTH OR LIMITATION: FILLING THE POLICY VACUUM

Forecast traffic growth will outstrip the expansion of capacity provided by the Government's programme, yet there are currently no national policies to limit the rising demand for motorised transport. Urban restraint policies are patchy and tend to have limited objectives. This paper discusses the consequences of this policy vacuum and the need for further action. The paper argues that existing traffic restraint policies of some local authorities (such as Oxford, Surrey and York), while considered radical by past standards, will have no more than a marginal and local impact on traffic growth. Limitation of traffic so far has targeted places and times experiencing the most traffic congestion. More widespread and much more effective measures to limit motor traffic will be needed to address the full range of transport issues including accident reduction, economic efficiency, better surroundings, and equality of access. The paper explores such measures through a discussion of recent policy and practice developments in selected cities of Great Britain and continental Europe. It presents several archetypal policy packages that have been implemented or proposed, ranging from the conventional town centre pedestrianisation and ring road model, to strategies for integrated transport and location policy for overall traffic reduction. The paper concludes that present urban traffic restraint policies will contribute little to national environmental targets (such as stabilizing carbon dioxide emissions). Tougher measures will also be needed within urban areas to achieve economic efficiency and quality of life improvements. For the covering abstract of the seminar see IRRD 859645.