Then there's this -
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Edinburgh Orbital Bus Project Final Report September 2008
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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
UK tops list of most traffic-congested EU cities
(48 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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The simple way to regulate demand of a limited resource [the bypass] is to introduce pricing controls [tolls].
Posted 7 years ago # -
Whilst the Government continues to ponder the solution, for what is the bypass of the country's capital city, the time lost in never ending queues is only stifling our economy. This congestion can't go.
Fantastical.
@eddie_h
Will the tolls be related to people's ability to pay them or flat rate?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Something I've been mulling over lately, while I'm spending more time on the continent, is that the vacuous state of UK culture directly and firmly correlates with the total dominance of moto-centricity.
Everywhere with a notably vibrant fertile healthy culture seems to emanate from a citizenry who reject the private motor car as their primary mode of transport.
It makes me sick to concede that my homeland is unlikely to change much within my lifetime.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I suppose an economist would argue that the price someone is willing to pay reflects the economic benefits , they must be feeling they are getting a return on the use so ability to pay would not be a consideration in the efficient use of the resource.
Of course this ignore goods and services that are not priced correctly and public goods.Posted 7 years ago # -
Whilst the Government continues to ponder the solution, for what is the bypass of the country's capital city, the time lost in never ending queues is only stifling our economy.
What would they be doing if they weren't in queues? Probably driving somewhere or sitting on their bums indulging in some sort of leisure activity.
If we could magically eliminate congestion people might be a lot happier and have more leisure time but would the Edinburgh economy be suddenly "unstifled" and us all more prosperous? I seriously doubt it. I'd get paid no more or no less if it took me 10 minutes or 60 minutes to get to work and I'd have no more or less money to spend at the end of the month.
Simplistic, I know, but I think there's a seriously conceited and flawed logic that the motorist is economically super active when not motoring. If getting people from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible was going to massively boost the economy then all the forces of capitalism would conspire to get people out of the private cars and onto their feet, bikes and public transport.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"If getting people from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible was going to massively boost the economy then all the forces of capitalism would conspire to get people out of the private cars and onto their feet, bikes and public transport."
Nah. Just get them to work from home. Using apps for their tablet that are rented by the day. All other work base costs, including broadband, paid for by the worker. Only tax deductible of you're self-employed, hence make everyone "self-employed" at a stroke saving millions on employer's NI, pensions, etc.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Nah. Just get them to work from home. Using apps for their tablet that are rented by the day."
Obviously that is happening, but clearly not as much as past futurologists predicted.
In general, people like working with other people - though perhaps not as much as employers seem to like having people where they can see them!
As always it's about expectations.
I want/have to work there. I want/have to live there.
I want/expect someone to facilitate my journeys - at minimal cost to me.
That applies to people who want to cycle to work too. The main difference is that providing for cycling is (usually/CBA proven) much cheaper.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Perhaps instead of pricing controls we should have rationing. Everyone is allowed to use the bypass 1 or 2 days a week. If you want to use it more you have to have someone in the car who hasn't already used their ration for the week. The rations would have to be non trade-able though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Perhaps instead of pricing controls we should have rationing.
Absolutely. And not just of road space.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The aqueduct rationed to one direction?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Ah rationing... non-tradeable...
1920s black-market anyone...?
Posted 7 years ago # -
"Ah rationing... non-tradeable...
1920s black-market anyone...?"
Whatever reasonably priced solutions are available would be open to abuse. However that seems to be the way we like road law to be setup in this country so it should be easily adopted.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Athens rations road space to curb pollution. It's done with CCTV and uses the licence plate number. You're allowed into the city without being fined only on certain days (e.g.. Tuesday, Thursday) and not others, when it's someone else's turn.
I can imagine some people circumvent this by owning two or more vehicles? However I have no evidence to back up this hypothesis. I think there are exceptions for licensed taxis.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I think Paris amongst others also does that. When we had friends in Santiago Vehicles were rationed in that manner too.
The motorways are also all privatised and tolled according to congestion. As long as traffic is moving then the busier the road the higher the toll until you pay. Once traffic stops moving the tolls become negligible. Thereby incentivising the roads company to ensure traffic keeps moving while simultaneously discouraging people from travelling at the peak times.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Of course there was a time when bikes were allowed on the bypass -
(Not just for LeJog record attempts)
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
Tony Kenmuir, chairman of Central Taxis, said it was Edinburgh’s worst roundabout and that drivers would be delighted to avoid it.
He said: “It can be dreadful. We are round that end of the bypass a lot when going to the Royal Infirmary and there can be long hold-ups.
"
Posted 7 years ago # -
Athens rations road space to curb pollution. It's done with CCTV and uses the licence plate number. You're allowed into the city without being fined only on certain days (e.g.. Tuesday, Thursday) and not others, when it's someone else's turn.
The immediate aftermath of introducing that was that most families immediately doubled the number of cars that they owned but the net age of them went up (and also the general condition & efficiency of them dropped commensurately) so the congestion stayed more or less the same but the pollution got worse...
Posted 7 years ago #
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