Traffic and Housing – A thought

Traffic congestion and 'being held up' is perhaps the most regular topic to arise on local social media channels. It is often linked to housing development and plans for the town's growth. "We cannot have more housing – Our roads cannot cope" and "No more building we already have gridlock".

But is there a more fundamental problem? Could it be more the way we prioritise our living spaces and indeed our lifestyles? Is there an over-reliance on motor vehicles that clog our streets and slow our journeys?

Hence some thoughts...

*IF* housing is needed (questionable), then we could focus on providing low-traffic neighbourhoods where people and liveability are put at the top of the hierarchy – home zones, easy safe walking routes with pedestrian priority, cycle safe/friendly infrastructure, priorities for local transport services, support for the most vulnerable...... 

Other countries manage it but we in the UK are stuck in a time warp concerning such planning strategies.

The result of our stagnation is that we have catalogue housing estates where road systems dominate instead of neighbourhoods where people, families, children come first. We have costly congestion, polluted streets, dangerous pavements... and here in Hampshire we have amongst the worst road safety casualty figures in the UK.
Yes, there are a few places that have been forward-looking but they are few and far apart.

What can we do?

When we have opportunities for setting out what type of living environment we want, and where our priorities should be, we need to take them.

Sitting back and moaning is not productive. 

One way is to get involved in the planning processes through Local and Neighbourhood Plans and to be proactive in making views known.

That time is now.