Remembering Twyford Down (M3) road protest

[derf]

Building new roads when nobody is buying cars.

Smart.

Near sighted I'm afraid.
Cars will sell again in the near future.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Was there.

Also went to a fucking blinding rave at the camp, in an open barn with monster rig, cracking weather then too.

Met David Bellamy there, he basically disappeared from our screens for over 10 years due to his stance at Twyford.

And whilst the road connection was needed, (remember how bad the jams were as you came towards Winchester), a tunnel would have been perfect.

 

[editor]

I do agree with environmental issues but think that efforts would be better directed in trying to get new power sources for motor vehicles.

So exactly how would that tackle the growing congestion clogging up the roads, or the need to keep constructing yet more roads to accommodate this traffic?

More cars = more environmental destruction, so we should be looking at dramatically reducing car use not encouraging it.

Didn't stop the road but did it do any good in the long run?
To answer, yes, you have to say if effected the planning of new roads and changed public opinion.

Do you think that you did?.

Absolutely. The road protest movement caused a sea change in the road building program. Proposed roads were cancelled and the government forced to look at alternatives.

 

[Cobbles]

So exactly how would that tackle the growing congestion clogging up the roads, or the need to keep constructing yet more roads to accommodate this traffic?

There's a finite limit to the number of vehicles that could be on the roads (unless someone comes up with a way for people to drive multiple vehicles simultaneously.

All we need to do is build a road system to cater for that capacity, rather than endlessly trying to play catch-up and artificially trying to price users off the roads (a woefully unsuccessful strategy).

 

[free spirit]

Did it stop the M77?

It's about time someone got on with completing the UK road network - for example, it's a disgrace that there's no motorway link from Edinburgh to England. Maybe the Government'll come to its senses and institute a major road building programme to jump start the construction industry and create some real jobs as opposed to legions of outreach diversity team leaders.

tbf a motorway from edinburgh to england would be huge overkill - it's currently served by 2 a roads that both go down to single carriageways for much of the route, and most of the time they're not massively busy.

I'd fully support dualing of at least certain bits of that route though, but as someone who's driven that route a lot, I really can't see the need for a motorway there.

 

[Stigmata]

I was too young to be involved, but I live just around the corner from the bypass. It's hideous, and what's worse is that you can still get a good idea of what the Down looked like before. Which I don't remember because I must have been five years old when they started building.

 

[Edie]

I was there that day. I was 14 years old and hitched there. Anyone else remember, before we set off, that loads of balls of wool were chucked around to create this huge kind of web? It was hot hot hot. I still have a massive bolt from one of the unfinished motorway barriers and I still remember the shock of seeing the cut through the downs.

 

[editor]

There's a finite limit to the number of vehicles that could be on the roads (unless someone comes up with a way for people to drive multiple vehicles simultaneously.

Try reading some studies sunshine: you'll find that opening up new roads increases car use.

 

[Cobbles]

Try reading some studies sunshine: you'll find that opening up new roads increases car use.

If that's the case then it's just a question of satisfying latent demand - e.g. "Thank Christ I don't have to suffer on public transport any more now I can use the new road". This is why we need to build more capacity than we need now - bearing in mind that people can't ever drive two cars simultaneously and not everyone can afford to have one - e.g. many 4 year olds with little or no independent income would find it difficult to fund the purchase and ongoing maintenance.

Having said that, not everyone can afford to spend 70 quid on a pair of "Designer" gym shoes but that doesn't mean that their sale should be banned.

 

[editor]

If that's the case then it's just a question of satisfying latent demand - e.g. "Thank Christ I don't have to suffer on public transport any more now I can use the new road". This is why we need to build more capacity than we need now - bearing in mind that people can't ever drive two cars simultaneously and not everyone can afford to have one - e.g. many 4 year olds with little or no independent income would find it difficult to fund the purchase and ongoing maintenance..

Earth calling Cobbles. Global warming is upon us. The countryside is being churned up for new roads. People are growing obese. Children are getting ill on car fumes and congestion continues to blight cities and villages.

We need less cars, less roads, less tarmac, less pollution, less fossil fuels being burnt and more walking, cycling and public transport.

Sorry if that upsets your insane, head-in-the-sand, endless road building utopia, but these are the facts.

I've no idea what trainers have got to do with anything, but they sure cost a lot less than a car.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

It seems like an eternity ago now but at the time it was a mighty important battle against the Tories' plans to implement "The biggest road-building programme since the Romans."

Anyone here go along?

Few pics here: http://www.urban75.org/photos/protest/twy00.html

I've still got a 'do not trespass' sign from the site in my bathroom!

I miss those days of internal british protest and so on.