Will the UK ever increase the amount of lanes our roads have?

CreditCardChris

With an ever growing population and more cars on the road than ever, it seems that 2 and 3 lane roads just aren't going to cut it. However the cost of adding a third lane to every major road in the UK would be tremendous so I'm inclined to think it will never happen. The problem is these roads were designed and build 50+ years ago when the amount of cars on the road was minimal and the population was much less. Almost every major road I drive down has disgusting bushes and shrubs on either side, can't they just cut that crap down and make another lane.

Another huge problem is we've kind of shot ourselves in the foot by building houses so close to town roads which cannot be expanded as the population of cities expands. For example your average town road in Canada has a FREE parking lane and 2 driving lanes on either side! https://i.gyazo.com/5899db44ee07fb470aa64ae0b49cab13.jpg

Meanwhile the average town road in the UK looks like this https://i.gyazo.com/bc34c779c3bd507ff359b95ea1b12403.jpg. Pay only parking, 1 lane in either direction and houses 20ft from the damn road. I get that the UK is an old country and our roads were not designed for today's car usage but that doesn't mean we cannot expand the major roads. I feel so claustrophobic when driving in the UK, there's always a hedge or pedestrians or houses 5ft from me. Dunno about anyone else.

EssexExile

Canada is a lot bigger than Britain, land is plentiful & cheap.

Farway

The "problem" will resolve itself, with advent of eco loons driving & flying by plebs will diminish and thus more room for rich posh folk to whiz around in their Zil lanes

wongataa

More lanes does not mean you will get less congestion.  Often you will just end up with more lanes full of traffic, so the same congestion after a lot of disruption during the roadworks and money spent.

To reduce congestion you need to get people to stop using cars so much and use alternative means of transport..

CreditCardChris

wongataa said:

More lanes does not mean you will get less congestion.  Often you will just end up with more lanes full of traffic, so the same congestion after a lot of disruption during the roadworks and money spent.

To reduce congestion you need to get people to stop using cars so much and use alternative means of transport..

This obviously isn't true... Are you telling me if the M25 consisted of 1 lane the congestion would be the same as the 4 - 5 lanes it currently has?

More lanes = more traffic flow, that's just obvious. 

born_again

Wow a anti green view.... Not a chance.
Only extra lanes being built now are the unused cycle lanes. Digging up nice wide verges and laying a separate cycle & pedestrian path. Despite a footpath at other side of road that never see's anyone walking on it.

knightstyle

I love it when people say we should use alternative means of transport!  just not affordable, I live in Gainsborough, have a hospital appointment in Grantham.  A train ticket will cost £24 each way plus bus to and from the station.  Just not feasible.

shaun_from_Africa

CreditCardChris said:

This obviously isn't true... Are you telling me if the M25 consisted of 1 lane the congestion would be the same as the 4 - 5 lanes it currently has?

More lanes = more traffic flow, that's just obvious. 

More lanes could well also mean more traffic filling up those extra lanes.
If the M25 had an extra lane on it, I'm sure that the traffic would flow better for a while but once people who never used to drive on there because of the congestion found out that it had eased, they may well decide to give it a go, thus increasing the traffic per lane back to where it was previously, or maybe making it even worse than before.

Jackmydad

There was something on one night about this or similar.
Apparently it's a fact that more and better roads = more and worse traffic.
Someone is going to look back at the 20th Century, running on into the 21st one day, and say "What the Hell were they thinking of?" when it comes to our love affair with the car.

Ectophile

The M25 frequently has extra lanes added to it.  In places, it's now up to 5 lanes.  It never seems to do any good.  Not least, because people have to keep changing lanes.  The inside lane can suddenly become the slip road for the next junction, so you have to move across.

ToxicWomble

Maybe if they scrapped HS2 and spent the money increasing road capacity.
I have noticed however, that no matter how many lanes there are everyone always wants to use the ones closest to the central reservation, so maybe there is no answer.
Dont worry, In 20 years time when most of us can’t afford a decent range EV and petrol and diesel is banned, the roads will be much quieter