AWPR

The Scottish Government has announced that the AWPR is to go ahead but that the Aberdeen Crossrail project will not proceed.  All this just a few days after the close of Copenhagen at which Alex Salmond trumpted the Scottish Government commitment to reducing CO2 emissions.

I have always been a skeptic re the AWPR: the major problem with Aberdeen is peak hours commuter congestion.  And public transport and better planning could deal with these without building a dual carriageway around the city.

I will be fascinated to see hear any arguments detailing how this road will reduce CO2 emissions - and please don't just say that congested traffic is inefficient: high speeds are inefficient too and journey lengths may be longer.  Every new road built has generated more traffic and the planned developments in the Blackdog-Peterhead corridor will guarantee this.

But what is vexing me is how this road will be paid for.  The current estimates for the road are £295-395m of which about £100m has already been spent.  Now no-one believes the bill be simply be the £395m by the time it is built.  But let's take the £395 figure, in which case Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Council will each need to find £37.5m.

Both councils have funding pressures and this will only get worse over the next 5 to 10 years.

How is the Scottish Government going to fund this?  Can the councils afford it?
Posted by Debra Storr at Tuesday, December 22, 2009

3 comments:

  1. So it looks like Scotland won't be able to reduce its CO2 emissions by 98% by the end of next week. I feel cheated!
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  2. Better public transport can be achieved if more people use it. Most journeys are short local commutes.... so perhaps we need some incentives to get people using it. Also lets get people using bikes/ cycle paths etc/ healthier lifestyle n all that? After all how much does it cost every year to treat high blood pressure, T2 diabetes and obesity related disease. We really don't need the AWPR and we don't want it! It won't solve congestion problems.We can reduce congestion by cutting the number of single user car journeys. So, it would make sense to encourage more salary sacrifice schemes in businesses to get people using bikes and public transport. Hell.. the local Council could lead by example with this! .....sounds great eh? and has been much talked about .....but which committee would decide on this? Who makes the decision ....is it the same people that own those great big cars with personalised number plates at Council headquarters.... those hypocrites that seem to think it's not their responsibility and repeatedly justify their action with some loose economic growth arguments? The same people that in one breath say they want to reduce CO2 emissions but do nothing about it... those same people that support then support a golf course on protected land and air and road expansion that goes with it? I hear Aberdeenshire is the best place to live in Scotland (153rd in the UK) Well I'm sure when the current leaders have finished with it - it'll be just as crap as most other places!!! Keep fighting..it's time for change
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  3. Vancouver talks about the same problems. People protest, but TOLLS on driving/parking, plus safe, attractive walking and bike lanes are the only answer.
    - descendant of the salmon fishing Brown/Gammie family.
    ReplyDelete

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