Wales not building any more roads in the name of the environment - Should we do that?

It’s all part of the climate agenda to in effect, ban the widespread convention of private car ownership by the year 2030.

everywhere is served by road, and realistically bar as mentioned apart from the m20 all the motor way that is needed is done.

so what increase is needed and where is this increase going to serve?

certainly local and some n roads need serious improvement but that's not an increase.

the eastern bypass hadn't enough traffic to justify it and the traffic that would have used it can be accommodated on existing roads.

an outer road as well as upgrading the m50 realistically would be a waste of money since the congestion would never actually be relieved and we would just end up building an outer outer road and an outer outer outer road etc.

cheaper to relieve the congestion via public transport improvements and better value for money as well.

roads down the country are as i mentioned a mix of n roads and local roads which do need improvement but they aren't increases.

yes but only the bare bones bit of that will likely end up being done, as in the bit that has been committed to, the conversion of the valley lines to tram train operation and relevant works.

the rest of it, the more expansive parts, will more then likely not see the light of day unfortunately.

I’m just back from two weeks in Scotland with the car and I’d agree. The state of the roads up there are shocking. The surfaces of major motorways and trunk A roads is very very poor. Dodging potholes at 70mph on the M73 M74 A9 and M9 is unacceptable and dangerous. Also a lot of their A roads have very poor patched and potholed surfaces. Definitely a big deterioration in the past 5 years.

It's a freeze on new road building projects not a commitment to cease road building entirely. Largely down to lack of demand, lack of economic growth or funding from a tory exchequer.

Relative to Wales, Ireland is an economic superpower with bullish economic and population growth. There has to be some new roads to service new developments, you can't very well build new residential areas like Poolbeg West, Cherrywood etc without any access roads for example.

But certainly building roads or widening roads simply to solve capacity issues is a dead policy, gets you nowhere.

Some of our national primary routes and the majority of our national secondary routes are below minimum standards from a safety point of view. There is also a case for some motorways like the M20, M28 etc where they operate as inter urban roads or as port access.

Widening motorways and building second bypasses is out as a policy at this stage. Hasn't worked anywhere else.

Oh god where to start...

Swords needed 2 bypasses. Good luck convincing anyone otherwise. Enfield, Kinnegad, Loughrea. I could go on.

Building/widening roads would solve capacity issues if good bus services and lanes were invested in same. Take the 25a from Lucan. Wider road with a bus lane allows the bus to fly into the city. The alternative of waiting a lifetime for a Luas line to be built there doesn't bear thinking of. Buses use the roads too. I want you and your similar thinking people to read that sentence again. It seems to go over your collective heads a lot.

ROI built its motorways with zero intelligence, and beyond the motorways its developing world standard.

Wales motorway network is better designed. But it could use more rail (as could ROI which is far more car oriented).

Might have something to do with having 68.5 million people, and not 5.

our population is increasing by tens of thousands a year and hundreds of thousands per decade…

when public transport is at a standard where it is an efficient, far reaching, punctual and a comfortable fit for purpose alternative to the private car great, then people will embrace leaving cars at home…

In cities such as Paris ( where I’ve lived ), Rome, Madrid… People do, I wouldn’t dream about owning a car… public transport both serving the city and suburbs is world class, punctual, comfortable, fast, regular, affordable and frequent.

we are being told to get out of cars or it’s being suggested without any sort of reliable and comprehensive public transport network to serve the demand of the additional transport needs of the population….

want people out of cars, have some way for them to get around… want people out of cars, spend the millions/billions of taxpayers money enabling it…

here, checking google maps, from where I live to a major public hospital on the south side….

29 minutes by car

1 hour 17 minutes by public transport.

By public transport I’d almost be in Kilkenny as fast as I’d get to Tallaght hospital. It would take me just 10 minutes extra I’m seeing to travel to Kilkenny…1 hour 27..

Over 165% more time required by public transport…. Right.

No it doesn't need any of that because of the well established phenomenan of induced demand meaning you may as well burn the money on a pile. It's a waste with grave conseuqneces for the environment.

Widening roads has not once, never, reduced traffc congestion. You know what does reduce traffic congestion?Encouraging a more balanced modal split and provision of altnerative means of transport.

I for one can't wait until Dublin has a 20 lane M50

I used to be environmentally conscious. Ever since the lack of common sense of the past 10 years where non stop a45erape for using a car or heating a home I've just said fukcit. My most recent purchase of 1000 plastic straws while petty is satisfying to whip out when having a drink