Boris Johnson releases plans to spend £28 billion on road projects up to 2050, but only £1 billion on cycling. Green Assembly Member Darren Johnson criticises the “Mayor’s costly obsession with new roads” saying it will only succeed in “creating more traffic and more pollution”.
Darren Johnson says the Mayor is taking the wrong approach in creating more roads as it will only encourage more cars. Photograph courtesy of Stephen McKay.
The Mayor of London is planning to spend £28 billion building and widening roads in London, new research by Darren Johnson, Green Party Member of the London Assembly reveals. His report, ‘Boris Johnson’s Roads to Nowhere’ reveals how the Mayor:
- Plans to spend just £1-2bn on cycling up to 2050 but plans to spend £28bn on road projects for the same period, many of which have no provision for cyclists
- Intends to build three new roads across the Thames at Silvertown, Gallions Reach and Belvedere that would cost £2.25bn – more than twice the capital’s cycling budget for the next decade
- Is planning for big increases in traffic on London’s roads after a decade when traffic fell despite the growth in population and the economy during that time
The report also shows that TfL has public transport, walking and cycling projects that could be prioritised for that £28 billion, which would do more to improve London’s prosperity and quality of life.
Darren commented, “This Mayor’s costly obsession with new roads threatens to send London hurtling back to a 1970s vision of a car-dominated future. Tunnelling, bridging, lane-widening and road-building will devour London’s transport budget. Building more roads to ease congestion simply does not work as new roads attract new vehicles, just creating more traffic and more pollution.”
“This city desperately needs clean, efficient ways of getting around such as new rail links, trams schemes, better bus services and proper cycle routes. This is what we need to be investing in, not more roads.”