Friday 1 June 2007
Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Post Election 2007: 14-0! Thank you Very Much
May Elections May 2007. Leaflet by Liberal Democrats after the vote.
Tuesday 22 May 2007
My Queries on A5-M1 Link Road.
I fired off a number of queries about the A5-M1 link and got some responses back from from Department for Transport.
I had queried the flow assessment. I was told The Design Year for traffic flow assessment is set for 2031. That's only 15 years after the planned opening of the A5-M1 Link, which at the moment is expected to be in 2016, according to the Secretary of State's Preferred Route Announcement.
I wondered if all the planned new builds had been factored in? They're saying that the modelling work for the A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass) takes into account traffic generated by approximately 17,000 houses and commercial activities as advised by the Planning Authority. These developments are located just north of Houghton Regis. The model assumes that the remaining houses identified in the MKSM sub-regional strategy will be allocated in other areas. It also assumes that the new housing development will have its own spine road to handle traffic within the development. Only longer-distance trips would make their way onto the external highway network.
They clarified that the plans for the A5-M1 Link call for an All-Purpose Dual carriageway.
Remember that incident on April 18, 2007, when the M1 was closed in both directions between Junctions 13 and 14? Yeah, that was a mess. DFT says it knows and has documented the impacts of that incident. I wondered if this new road would cater for this kind of disaster. Now, here's the thing: they admit that designing a road network that can handle such exceptional events wouldn't be economically feasible. Typically, they provide capacity for average traffic flows, not these super-exceptional ones like what happened that day. So, when events like that occur, severe congestion is pretty much inevitable. The new A5-M1 Link would have helped ease the situation by providing an alternative access route to the M1 southbound for diverted traffic. That way, it could have avoided passing through Dunstable/Houghton Regis to reach Junctions 11 or 9. Northbound traffic could also have used the Link to divert via the A5. But hey, even with signed diversions, drivers are entitled to use whichever public highway they fancy, as long as their vehicles are legal and they follow the regulations. So, they might choose a different route they think will be better.
They're saying the traffic model takes into account the road conditions in Houghton Regis and on Poynters Road/Park Road North. If the A5-M1 Link is built, it would remove the through movements on this route, especially the east-west ones. However, we expect that local trips would take advantage of this relief, which means flows in Houghton Regis High Street could fill up again.
In four years time, 2011, the forecasted flow for the A5120 is 13,300 vehicles per day. This forecast assumes that the M1 will be widened to four lanes, but without an A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass) and without any new housing development to the north of Dunstable. If the A5-M1 Link were to be provided, the forecasted flow would decrease to 7,700 vehicles per day.
Looking ahead to the year 2026, the forecasted flow for the A5120 is 24,700 vehicles per day. This forecast considers the M1 being widened to four lanes but without an A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass). It also includes 17,000 new houses to the north of Dunstable, along with a spine road through that housing area. If the A5-M1 Link were to be built, the forecasted flow would decrease to 14,200 vehicles per day.
The A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass) is designed to replace the Dunstable Eastern Bypass. Its aim is to divert traffic heading to junctions 11 and 12 away from the local road network in Dunstable, Houghton Regis, and the surrounding villages. By the way, there have been some informal discussions about detrunking the A5 after the A5-M1 Link opens.
The specific form and design of the junctions in Houghton Regis are under the jurisdiction of the local highway authority. They're the ones responsible for making those decisions.
So, there you have it. A few replies from DFT.
Thursday 3 May 2007
Liberal Democrat Leaflet: Elections May 2007
South Bedfordshire District Council Elections 2007. 3 Vacancies.
Thursday 29 March 2007
M1 Motorway Widening Plans Unveiled for Bedfordshire!
Today, I am thrilled to pass on the details* of a major widening project aimed at reducing traffic congestion and enhancing safety on the M1 motorway between junctions 10 and 13 in Bedfordshire. The scheme, which costs £601 million, involves expanding a 15-mile (25km) stretch of the M1 to four lanes in each direction between Luton and Bedford (M1 junctions 10-13). Additionally, improvements will be made to junctions 11, 12, and 13. For better traffic management, The Highways Agency'll also be installing signalling systems along the motorway in Luton to control speed when necessary.
To keep everyone informed, draft orders and an environmental statement are now available for public viewing at various locations in Bedfordshire. Moreover, they're organizing public exhibitions in Luton, Harlington, Flitwick, and Toddington during May and June.
Lynne Stinson, the dedicated Highways Agency Project Leader, expressed her excitement, stating, "We're one step closer to widening this section of the M1. With a staggering 140,000 vehicles using this stretch on a daily basis, we need the extra lanes to ensure a safer and less congested route."
This project closely resembles the one presented during public exhibitions from November 2004 to January 2005. Noteworthy features include a dedicated climbing lane for heavy, slow-moving vehicles between Junctions 11 and 10 when heading south. Furthermore, they'll construct new connecting roads to link the motorway with Junction 12 and Toddington Motorway Service Area. By enhancing Junctions 11 and 12,they'll significantly increase their capacity to handle traffic from the widened motorway. Lastly, the scheme will incorporate new south-facing slip roads at Junction 13.
The construction of the exciting Scheme is set to kick off in 2008, with the main construction works starting in the spring of 2009. The initial focus will be on the northern section before moving on to the southern section. They're anticipating completing the construction by late 2011.
I'm extremely excited about this project and look forward to seeing improvement in your driving experience along the M1 motorway. Stay tuned for updates!
See What's Happening
The draft Orders and the Environmental Statement can be seen at:
- Bedfordshire County Council, County Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford MK42 9AP;
- Luton Borough Council, Town Hall, George Street, Luton LU1 2BQ;
- South Bedfordshire District Council, The District Offices, High Street North, Dunstable LU6 1LF;
- Mid Bedfordshire District Council, The Limes, Dunstable Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2JU;
- Flitwick Town Council, The Rufus Centre, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK41 1AH;
- Houghton Regis Library, Bedford Square, Houghton Regis, Dunstable LU5 5ES;
- Toddington Parish Council, Parish Office, Leighton Road, Toddington LU5 6AN;
- Dunstable Town Council, Grove House, 76 High Street, Dunstable Lu6 1NF;
- Ampthill Town Council, 66 Dunstable Street, Ampthill MK45 2JS;
In May and June, public exhibitions will be held at:
- Toddington Village Hall, Leighton Road, Toddington, Bedfordshire on Saturday 9 June from 10am to 4pm.
Information about the scheme and a copy of the non-technical summary of the Environmental Statement are available on Highways Agency website http://www.highways.gov.uk
* HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (E35/07) issued by The Government News Network on 29 March 2007
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