Latest news with #trafficcongestion
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Whitbarrow caravan park plans prompt road traffic fears
Fears over "dangerous" traffic levels have been raised by residents opposed to plans for a 100-caravan holiday park on the edge of a national Paul Consultancy has submitted plans for the development on agricultural land near Whitbarrow Farm between Penrith and Keswick in highlighted concerns about unsustainable levels of congestion and potential risks from increased traffic on narrow Lake District submitted in support of the application to Westmorland and Furness Council claimed the surrounding roads were "good and provide quick and easy access" to the nearby A66. If approved, timber-clad caravans would be installed on a 10-hectare parcel of pitch would have space for two cars and plans include a cycle hire hub to "encourage sustainable transport in the local area", which is close to the C2C cycle route. 'Struggling to cope' Jenna Trelease, who was among the residents objecting to the plans, said: "The narrow road cannot support that amount of traffic."The increased traffic not only results in potholes but is dangerous to local pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders."Roy Noble, who lives nearby, said the road needed "a lot more passing places".Another resident said she was concerned about the site being too close to the Lake District National Park, which was "already struggling to cope with the amount of people visiting each year".The company behind the plans said the site could be used "more intensively", with up to 350 caravans, however it chose to keep the proposal to 100."[This] is more in keeping with the local area and the ethos of the proposed site," the firm said. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Councillor pushes Ottawa ring road instead of 6th bridge
A city councillor says Ottawa needs a southern ring road to relieve congestion on the Queensway — instead of a controversial bridge over Kettle Island. Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney floated the idea at Thursday's public works and infrastructure committee meeting as councillors debated updates to the transportation master plan, a guiding document setting out infrastructure priorities for the coming decades. Tierney noted that Highway 417 is currently the only major east-west route for interprovincial and regional traffic, including trucks, which should be rerouted south of the urban core. He made a motion, which passed by a vote of 9-2, urging all levels of government to pursue a "full and fair evaluation" of a southern ring road. The motion will now go to council for a final vote. Tierney said it sends a clear message. "We're saying this is really important to us," he said. "If the province is looking for some guidance for where they would like to provide some money to the city ... we've just indicated, it's this — it's not an interprovincial bridge." Feds promised 6th bridge The federal government pledged in January to build a sixth bridge spanning the Ottawa River over Kettle Island. That plan would direct truck traffic onto the Aviation Parkway, which runs through Tierney's ward. "Three billion dollars for an interprovincial bridge, we have no interest in that," Tierney said. "We have a bigger issue where all of our traffic is going through downtown and we see highway closures that really affect people's lives right now. He said the time is right to push for the ring road, which the provincial government committed to exploring in a 2022 transportation plan for eastern Ontario. "We have to start looking at this as an option," Tierney said. "I've spoken to the minister provincially, as well as our mayor, and I think we have an opportunity here to at least get this on the vision board about what we want to do in the future." Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas supported Tierney's motion. She said another bridge won't solve Ottawa's traffic woes, since it would still dump trucks onto the 417 or the 174. "I fully support the idea of looking at this. It would cost, probably, a lot, and I don't think it would be a burden that our municipal taxpayers would have to bear. It would have to be a provincial or federal burden," she said. "But I do think it's a viable option to consider." But Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster questioned the idea. She worried that either option — a bridge or a ring road — would simply sink money into promoting auto use instead of transit. "I just think the goal should be getting people out of cars," she said. Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower warned that Tierney's motion could send a confusing message to higher levels of government and distract from the city's other funding requests, especially for transit. "I just feel like this ring road has come out of nowhere today," he said. Committee tweaks list of projects favoured for funding Despite the vote, the motion won't add the ring road to the city's transportation master plan, which the committee voted for on Thursday. The plan lays out $4.5 billion in transit infrastructure and $2.8 billion for roads that the city needs to keep up with population and employment growth to 2046. But city staff admit that number isn't affordable, so the plan includes a list of priority projects that are more likely to get built. That includes $2.3 billion in transit projects and $1.6 billion for roads, including widening and new links to growing communities. The expansion of the light rail system to Barrhaven and Kanata is also in the plan, with an estimated price tag of $8.3 billion, though the city is counting on upper levels of government to pay for it. The top-priority projects on the list include transitways on Baseline Road and through southern Orléans. Major road expansions in Orléans and Stittsville are also on the priority list, as well as a realignment of Greenbank Road in Barrhaven. Tweaks to the plan Councillors mostly kept that list intact and sent it to council for a final vote, though there were a few tweaks. Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo successfully moved to redraw plans to widen Prince of Wales Drive, removing a section near Merivale Road from the priority list and adding a section north of Fallowfield. Lo also made a more controversial motion for a study that could change the alignment of the proposed LRT to Barrhaven. The tracks were originally set to run west of Woodroffe Avenue. But that would have required expropriating and demolishing low-income homes in Manor Village and Cheryl Gardens. In 2022, council changed the route to avoid that, running the tracks over Woodroffe Avenue at an added cost of $50 million. Lo's motion asked staff to evaluate going back to the original route. He said the new route is more complex, and noted that most of the low-income residents have already been forced out through renovictions. "The reason that pushed for the realignment is no longer there," he said. But Gower countered that even if the original residents are gone, returning to the original route would still cost homes. "Whether they're low income or moderate income, we're still going to be displacing people," Gower said. Lo's LRT motion failed 4-7.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Halifax deputy mayor seeking report on upcoming bike lane projects, costs
Two weeks after Halifax council voted down a motion to pause the construction of new bike lanes in the municipality, the deputy mayor is seeking a report on the estimated costs of upcoming cycling projects and possible alternatives. Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini, who is also the councillor for Dartmouth East-Burnside, is bringing forward a motion that, if passed, would have the chief administrative officer write a staff report on all AAA bike network capital projects from 2026 to 2029. The report would include the estimated budgets of the projects, opportunities for additional external funding sources and assessments on the 'feasibility of alternative network solutions that could reduce future costs.' Council will vote on the motion at their meeting on Tuesday. Previous motion defeated Earlier this month council voted 12-to-five against a motion from Mayor Andy Fillmore that would have paused awarding any new contracts for new bike lane designs or construction capital projects until a staff report on traffic capacity and congestion, and possible alternative network solutions, was completed. Fillmore said he brought that motion forward over 'growing public concern over worsening traffic congestion.' 'Right now, we're seeing road space reduced before alternatives like reliable transit or safe, connected bike routes are in place,' Fillmore said in an open letter. 'Beyond the obvious frustration and quality of life factors experienced by Halifax residents, congestion also harms economic productivity and increases vehicle emissions.' The motion drew sharp criticism from the biking community, which staged a big rally outside of City Hall prior to the vote, and from councillors who voted it down. 'Bike lanes do not cause congestion,' Councillor Sam Austin said at the time. 'What does cause congestion is a municipality that has not done the work to provide alternatives. Delay makes it worse.' While the original motion was defeated, council did approve an alternative motion for a report that will provide updated alternatives to the protected bike lane option on Morris Street. Halifax's planned 53-kilometre cycling network started in 2017 and was expected to be completed in 2022, but it is running behind scheduled with nearly 60 per cent of it finished. The project was initially projected to cost $25 million but has risen to an estimated $90 million or more. More to come… For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Furious homeowners in leafy road condemn 'bullying' parents on school run for blocking driveways and abusive rants
Furious homeowners along a leafy road have hit out at 'bullying parents' on the school run for blocking driveways and embarking on abusive rants. Families living on Spetchley Road in Worcester claim dozens of cars pile into their street between 8am and 9am every day as people drop their children off at Nunnery Wood High School, which has 1,483 pupils. The scrum gets even more chaotic when the 1,750 students from nearby Worcester Sixth Form College arrive for morning classes. And the ordeal on the road, where the average house price is £555,000, happens all over again later in the day as parents come to collect their children and older pupils drive home. The congestion has resulted in visiting vehicles clogging up driveways, leading to bitter arguments and even signs being erected asking them to stop. Retired Royal Navy engineer Royston Roberts, 82, said: 'People have parked on my drive which is never a good scenario. 'You can ask them to move but it's a civil matter. The police can't do anything. The problem for us is that I can't get access to the highway or get in or out of home a lot of the time. 'It's tight, too. It can be very inconvenient. I have an older Land Rover and I can't access my drive because they park so far over blocking it. 'Deliveries are a problem for people on both sides of the road. If you want building materials, it's impossible. You have to work it out for a non-school day or a weekend, which is an inconvenience. 'Students can apparently use the car park at the college, but they're the worst offender. I can't report them to the school because the cars they are driving are not often registered to them.' Mr Roberts has lived on the road with his wife Maureen since 1983 and suggested parents should use a disused county hall space over the road instead. 'The county hall has a huge car park 100 yards away,' he added. 'There's no resolution - zigzag lines and warning people doesn't work. 'If someone has arrived late, they'll park their car halfway across the drive. They'll dump their cars, but it's on both sides of the road - it's chaos.' Michael Harding, 79, said the hearse carrying his late wife was forced to reverse down the street after being blocked by double-parked cars. He said: 'My wife had terminal cancer for two years and she sadly died in April this year. 'The hearse picked her up from the family home. It got around the corner but it couldn't get through as some idiot was parked on double yellow lines. 'We had to turn back, it made us late for the service. Both cars had to reverse back down the road and turn around. 'He was parked on double yellow lines on a bend with another car parked across from it. 'Sometimes I cannot get my car off the drive, they park way over the drive. I virtually have to park onto my neighbours drive to get off, fortunately he's kind enough to let me. 'As well as the school-run parents it's the students leaving their cars on the road all day while they are at college. If you say anything to them, they swear at you. The language is foul, you get some really horrible responses. 'It's really everyone who is suffering here, it's not just me. They park across drives. You try to drive up Spetchley Road at 3pm and it's dangerous. We've had enough.' Father-of-two Ben Gillman, 27, said: 'I've seen bus and coach drivers get stuck because of the cars parked everywhere. 'There's tension boiling over when we have inconsiderate parking. I've had a few times when I can't get out of my drive and, when I say something, they look at me like death.' Another local said: 'I just want to move away, I wake up in the night dreading the mornings because I need to drive to work. 'It means I literally have to battle with mums, dads and students all using our driveways. 'Some of the parents are so rude, they say "We'll only be a minute" but that minute means I'm late for work.' Councillor Elaine Willmore admits the situation has become 'intolerable' and could get even worse. She said: 'When it's bad it's intolerable. Residents say it makes them want to leave and move away. 'When you have parents dropping off at the high school, it becomes chaotic. 'It tends to be the parents parking on the driveway. They've gone out to tell them and they say "I'm just waiting for my kids" or "I'll only be five minutes". 'There's been lots of near misses, too. I think this could definitely get worse.' A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: 'The parking situation on Spetchley Road has been a concern of local residents, and in response, the County Council implemented some targeted parking restrictions. 'While these measures have had some positive impact, there continue to be requests for more comprehensive restrictions. 'We would need to consider the wider effects of adding more restrictions. 'As with all traffic management measures, parking restrictions involve a balance of benefits and drawbacks, and it is important to aspproach any change with this in mind.' 'There may be scope to explore additional restrictions on Spetchley Road in the future; however, any such proposals would require thorough investigation and a formal consultation process to ensure all potential impacts are properly assessed and community views are taken into account.' It is not just this leafy part of Worcestershire where driveways are providing the stage for ill-tempered local disputes. In Longton, near Stoke, an elderly couple have been forced to cancel their holiday as a skip filled with building materials remains stuck in their front yard. Ann and John Espley ordered the waste disposal unit to their home in March while they had renovation work done. Three months later, the skip is still parked in front of their property after Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre had their permit suspended by the Environment Agency. Calls to the company and the council have proved fruitless and mean the couple are now too scared to go on holiday in case someone finally comes to collect the huge unit. They have also been forced to park their car on the road, while their son leaves his vehicle on their neighbour's driveway. The pair branded the saga 'an absolute nightmare' as they remain in the dark over when the heaving full skip will be collected. And in a leafy cul-de-sac street in Camberley, Surrey a mother who parked a double decker bus on her driveway has been ordered to remove it after 'snobby' neighbours complained it was spoiling their view. Wendy Salmon was criticised by locals when she left the vehicle at the end of the road on a temporary basis with hopes of renovating it. It sparked a row with families on the street - who escalated matters and reported her to the council. Now Ms Salmon, 55, has been ordered to take it away, despite the council initially accepting she was 'not breaking any laws'. Following a two-year-battle, the mother-of-two must remove her vehicle by June 20 Ms Salmon argued her neighbours were 'treating [her] like a criminal' and going behind her back.
Khaleej Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE: E311 truck congestion causes 6 deaths, 137 accidents; lawmaker calls for action
Traffic congestion caused by lorries along the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road (E311) has resulted in six fatalities and 137 accidents since January, the Federal National Council (FNC) heard on Wednesday. FNC member Mohammed Al Kashf raised the issue, citing persistent traffic problems near the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain exit in Umm Al Quwain, where lorries frequently stop on the roadside. 'Road users are complaining day and night about the severe congestion,' he said during the session. Al Kashf addressed his concerns to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. In a written response provided ahead of the meeting, the Ministry acknowledged the challenges related to truck access at the Umm Al Quwain exit. 'These issues were previously identified,' the Ministry's statement read. 'In response, we coordinated with the Ministry of Interior to study the situation. As a result, a traffic solution was implemented in the form of a 'yellow box' system, intended to regulate traffic flow and ease congestion in the area.' However, the Ministry noted that some truck drivers continue to disregard road signs prohibiting entry into intersections unless the path ahead is clear. 'We will continue coordinating with the Ministry of Interior to enforce compliance. Measures include stepped-up traffic awareness campaigns, the apprehension of violators, and the imposition of appropriate legal penalties,' the statement concluded. After reading the response aloud, Al Kashf questioned its effectiveness. 'Is this truly a suitable solution?' he asked, while presenting video evidence of daily traffic jams. 'Just this morning, I received footage showing a pile-up of cars and lorries during the morning commute in Umm Al Quwain.' He stressed the need for more robust and modern interventions, citing global practices that utilize Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology to manage traffic challenges. 'We must put an end to these recurring crashes,' he said. 'Residents are voicing their frustration every morning and evening.' Al Kashf proposed a redesign of the problematic exit, suggesting its expansion to facilitate smoother truck movement. He also called for clearer signage ahead of the exit to improve safety. 'There needs to be a real, direct solution to this issue,' he concluded.
