lerators on new roads strategy
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kn attempt has been made to assess the 1 of congestion and accidents which ild be caused by 1980 on each stretch of d, to identify those sections where the -st conditions would occur and which, refore, appear to justify first priority.
k large number of schemes are being peed to a point where reliable cost/benefit tuation can be undertaken. Work will tinue until an initial pool of £1,000m th of schemes has been chosen for
he Green Paper says the direct economic efits from a road improvement scheme be measured by calculating the savings ime, operating costs and accidents. The a of return for most inter-urban schemes, :ulatecl in this way, are "very high". 'hey include benefits of commercial value regularity in delivery leading to lower ;k holding, the use of larger and faster ides suited to better roads and the stimuxi of new industrial development that ild not otherwise have occurred.
luccessful regional or local transport is demand advance knowledge of the th of major highways which are likely to 1 in 20 or 30 years' time.
k comprehensive route strategy would vide it. It would also provide the sort of ward information which industrial and nmercial interests will find invaluable in ming the future of their businesses.
Che proposed strategy is that a substantial t of the future road programme should be icentrated on the comprehensive developnt of a number of carefully selected trunk tres of major importance to the country ch would progressively complement the 1:10-mile motorway network.
Chis would provide the country with a in system of high class roads to which all )ortant centres of population—existing I projected—would, or could, easily be inected.
?articular attention has been paid to the ds of industrialist and exporters and to nned changes in the pattern of industry population.
3rreater accessibility, reduced transport ts, improved reliability of delivery and service, reduced storage and depot needs all increase the ability of any area successfully to develop its economic activities and make it more attractive to industry and business, says the Green Paper.
No detailed priorities or time-scales are set out; these will emerge in the course of detailed planning. And publication of the proposals will in no way replace the normal processes of scheme selection and negotiation with local authorities and other interested parties, nor, of course, the statutory procedures, promises Mr. Marsh.
(Roads for the Future—A New InterUrban Plan. HMSO 10s.)