Green Assembly Member Darren Johnson rebukes the London Chamber of Commerce’s calls for a new road across the Thames in East London suggesting instead tolls on the Blackwall Tunnel.
Darren Johnson argues that the last fourteen years have shown us there is no economic argument for a new road river crossing and a toll should instead be introduced on Blackwall Tunnel. Photograph courtesy of Danny Robinson.
Darren Johnson has criticised plans for a new road across the Thames in East London as lacking ‘economic credibility’. It comes as the London Chamber of Commerce repeat their long standing calls for a new road.
Between 2000 and 2011 the population of east London has risen by around a fifth, with 280,000 new people. This has been supported by new public transport links across the Thames and on either side of the river. The growth in housing supply and population shows no sign of stopping, despite the failure of the previous Mayor to build the new road. The argument for new roads in London ignores the health impacts of the increased pollution and lacks economic credibility.”
Darren Johnson commented: “Population, jobs and housing continue to grow in East London because of the huge increases in public transport capacity. Building new roads across the Thames will just encourage millions of extra car journeys onto an already congested and polluted road network, which is bad news for local businesses and local people. Our experience from the last fourteen years has shown that there is no economic case for new road river crossings.”
“TfL have admitted that the Silvertown Tunnel won’t solve traffic jams, it will be the tolls that stop the whole area from clogging up. So why don’t we just scrap the tunnel and put tolls on the Blackwall Tunnel straight away. That is the quickest and simplest way to reduce traffic and pollution.”