When Hampshire County Council undertook a comprehensive review of transport policies some 10 years ago, it was accepted that peak period traffic demands in urban areas could no longer be met in full. However, in order to sustain the local economy, policies sought to provide for mid-morning and mid-afternoon demands at minimum. Traffic demands have continued to grow substantially although, in congested areas, part of this demand has been frustrated. As average household sizes have fallen, the larger towns and cities have lost population, while smaller towns and rural areas have continued to grow. Another evident change has been the increasing dispersal of activities, bringing about more complex patterns of movement, with radical corridors becoming less dominant. The resources available to provide additional road space have been grossly inadequate to meet traffic demands, with the result that congestion has been increasing geographically and by time of day. Attempts to build new roads frequently meet forceful objection on environmental grounds, and it would be wrong to ignore the longer-term incremental effects of atmospheric pollution resulting from exhaust emissions. The public is, seemingly, ambivalent in its attitude to the car, expecting an improved environment and quality of life, while at the same time demanding the freedom to drive when and where they desire, with little propensity to use alternative modes when faced with a genuine choice. The preparation of the draft County Structure Plan has provided an opportunity to reassess transport policy. Against the background of change outlined above, the paper will discuss the evolution of a compromise set of policies based on the need for realism. Some of these policies will, inevitably, be unpopular, requiring a change in public attitudes to car usage. Somehow, the Structure Plan must evolve a transport policy which sustains the local economy while being affordable and environmentally acceptable.
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