Press Release - for immediate release - 9 January 2005

Newbury Bypass ten years on - huge traffic growth revealed

On the tenth anniversary since worked started to build the bitterly contested A34 Newbury Bypass [1], research shows that the additional road capacity has fuelled traffic growth of just under 50% [2]. Figures also show that congestion is as bad at rush hour as it was prior to the bypass opening, and that the new road has encouraged more traffic. In 2003, five years after its opening, traffic levels had already massively exceeded the Government predictions for traffic levels at 2010.

In the morning rush hour, congestion in Newbury is as bad as it was prior to the opening of the bypass, indeed it shows about a 25% increase since the bypass opened (see graphs on pages B1 and B2 of the Newbury Movement Study [2]).
Page 37 of the Newbury Movement Study [2] says 'across both roads [the A339 - the old A34 near central Newbury, and the new A34 bypass], the overall traffic has dramatically risen from 43,900 (1999) to 65,000 (2003), a rise of just under 50% in four years'. Growth in traffic nationally for the same period averaged 5%. In 1999 for all motor vehicles, there were 467 billion km travelled, in 2003 there were 490.4 billion km travelled, an increase of 23.4 billion km or 5% increase. (Transport Statistics Great Britain 2004 by the Department for Transport)
The Highways Agency report 'Newbury Bypass Study Report' (July 1995) [3] in section 3.27.1, page 14, predicted that on the new road, the present A34 Newbury Bypass, then traffic would reach between 22,000 and 36,000 vehicles per day in 2010. In 2003 there are 45,700 vpd (Annual Average Weekly Traffic) on the bypass (see figure 3.7 after page 37) [2]. In fact, economic growth over the period has been low, so the lower figure should be taken as the predicted figure not the higher growth figure, i.e. traffic in 2003 was 207% higher than was predicted for 2010.

Rebecca Lush from Road Block said:

"In 1995 we predicted the road would bring only short term relief, but even we did not anticipate that the traffic would rise again so quickly. Ten years on we are sad to see that Newbury is still grid locked at rush hour, but has sacrificed its beautiful pristine countryside forever. The lessons must be learned, that building more roads generates more traffic. However the government is still building roads and encouraging traffic growth. More roads mean more traffic, which means more climate change. We must change direction, and Newbury is an example of a failed twentieth century transport policy that must never be repeated".

Speaking on the Today programme, Newbury business man and Friends of the Earth member, Adrian Foster Fletcher said:

"Anyone who lives in Newbury knows how the town is still grid locked at rush hour, and this report shows the extraordinary traffic growth the bypass has prompted, just as we predicted ten years ago. Whilst nationally traffic growth has risen by about 5%, in the same period since the bypass opened, Newbury has experienced 50% traffic growth. This road was never built to solve Newbury's traffic problems, and this report shows how the bypass has failed Newbury, and encouraged more traffic and pollution. Ten years on we hope that the lessons of Newbury will be learned."

Editors Notes

Construction work on the A34 Newbury bypass started on 9 January 1996, resulting in a sustained direct action campaign with over 30 protest camps and 1000 arrests. The 13.5 km (10 mile) dual carriageway to the west of the town was opened in November 1998. The road destroyed four Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two Scheduled Ancient Monuments, and numerous wildlife habitats and ancient woodlands.
The Atkins Newbury Movement Study, commissioned by West Berkshire Council, was published in 2005, comprising three parts including the Baseline Review of Transport Conditions (246 pages). The Study is available to download at webpage:http://www.westberks.gov.uk/WestBerkshire/transport.nsf/pages/NewburyM114721.html
Highways Agency report recommended the Newbury Bypass be built, after terminating six months ahead of schedule. Its remit was "to look again at the published route and any other practical alternative options for reducing congestion at Newbury". A critique can be read at: http://www.antiroads.org.uk/newbury/highways.html
Full text of section 3.27.1 is ' Following the 1988 inquiry new National Road Traffic Forecasts (NRTF 89) were release. These were based on the revised economic and planning data projections. New estimates of the forecast traffic flow are some 50 to 60% higher than those given at the Inquiry. Revised low growth forecasts for the Western Bypass range from 22,000 to 30,000 vpd (depending upon location) and high growth from 27,000 to 36,000 vpd (all traffic flows are given in 24 hour AADT).'

Road Block
office at roadblock dot org dot uk
http://www.roadblock.org.uk