Letters of Objection |
Living Streets' Dear Mr Darling: I am the Tyne and Wear contact for Living Streets (formerly the Pedestrians Association), and it is in this context, and on behalf of the members of Living Streets that I write to register my objections to the proposed new Tyne Tunnel. May I request that a public inquiry be called in order that the full range of issues and implications can be laid out and alternatives explored which do not encourage increased car use? The New Tyne Crossing proposal from the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) has been written from the perspective of a car driver, in support of car drivers and with a 'predict and provide' mindset. The 48% of Tyne and Wear households who do not have access to a car, and those who prefer to travel by public transport or by bicycle have been given little or no consideration. Paramount has been the perceived need to make journeys across the Tyne faster and more convenient for the car driver. Upgrading the road infrastructure with the convenience and speed of private vehicles in mind can only serve to denigrate facilities for other street users. The vast amount of land required to provide speedy, tolled access to both north and south sides of the New Tyne Crossing can only adversely impact upon the residential areas of East Howdon and Jarrow - both desperately in need of regeneration, not further isolation and social exclusion. This proposal to upgrade the A19 corridor by creating a second Tyne Tunnel will inevitably lead to further industrial and retail 'ribbon' developments along its length, especially in North Tyneside (indeed this is apparently one of the main aims of the New Tyne Crossing). This corridor is already inconvenient to access other than by private car - so further car journeys will be thus encouraged. New retail developments along the A19 will lead to closure of smaller, locally owned, high street outlets that are so much more readily accessed on foot and by bus. Again, life will be made less convenient for those who cannot or prefer not to travel by car. The TWPTA estimates that traffic growth would be greater WITH the new tunnel than without it. This, at a time when Government guidance is to decrease the number of people choosing to travel by private transport, not to encourage car use! No one wants an additional 8500 vehicles per day on their local street network, already overcrowded and dangerous with both moving cars and cars often parked on pavements, yet this is what would happen with the new tunnel. The new Tyne tunnel would create an environment on
a scale that is inhospitable to those on foot and bike and especially to
local residents. The Transport White Paper of July 1998 along with much
other recent Government advice empowers us to create city living where
people are more important than cars, and where safety, social inclusion
and local facilities are paramount. For the sake of the sustainability
of our Tyne and Wear communities we must consider different, more
community oriented ways of travel, transport and land use. May I urge your serious consideration of these matters. Sincerely, |