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Pledge “stopthebridge”

"I will oppose a Third Thames Bridge in Reading. Should Reading Council choose to ignore this opposition, and refuse to back away from a Third Thames Bridge, I will take personal action to block its building and to prevent companies from supporting and funding it. but only if 100 other local people will do the same."

— Rob White, Member of Reading Green Party (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 5^th December 2005
29 people signed up, 71 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom
Postcode area: RG1 (view map)

More details
I am strongly opposed to Reading Council's plans to build a Third Thames Bridge because:

- As the Conservatives proved with their “predict and provide” road building strategy building more roads creates problems it doesn't resolve them.

- Additional traffic would have a massive impact on roads in South Oxfordshire, that are not capable of taking it.

- A third bridge near Reading potentially opens up a whole swathe of land around Caversham stretching eastwards towards Shiplake that the South East Regional Assembly (SEERA) could see as ripe for environmentally destructive development.

- A new bridge would have a detrimental impact on sensitive river environments.

- Money wasted on additional roads would be better spent on a sustainable transport system.

In the event that Reading Council chooses to ignore this opposition, and refuses to back away from a Third Thames Bridge, I will take personal action to block building of a Third Thames Bridge and to prevent companies from supporting and funding it.

Comments on this pledge

• Stop the Third Bridge, its bad for the environment and the people of Reading.
  Adrian Windisch, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Stop the third Bridge or Reading and the surrounding area will suffer more polution and congestion. Its bad for the environment and the people of Reading.
  Adrian Windisch, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• A new bridge = more cars = more climate chage = more floods in India, more drought and starvation in Africa. We are killing people with climate change and possilby all of us. This bridge could contribute to the genocide that is climate chaos.
  john hoggett, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• A third bridge = less daily congestion through Lower Caversham = less traffic at a standstill polluting the air for hours each day = better environment.
  
  (I thought it was time for a bit of balance to the argument)
  Peter Lovegrove, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The third bridge will mean more traffic on the roads...just look at what has happened on the M6 with the toll road.... The only proven way to reduce congestion and localised pollution is to reduce the amount of cars on the road. Building more roads (or in this case a bridge as well) will just encourage more people to drive and perpetuate the problem. Time for a little realism.
  Darren Shirley, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Building a Third Thames Bridge will no nothing to reduce congestion or cut travel times. Apart from being an eyesore, it will do nothing to solve the traffic problems Britain faces in the 21st century. It will lead to the destruction of valuable wildlife, and we won't see any benefits or improvements to traffic. Plus the money that is being wasted on the bridge could be better invested elsewhere on things like sustainable public transport.
  Ian Nelson, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• A third bridge = less congestion = less pollution = better environment.
  
  Frequent, cheap, safe and reliable public transport + safe cycling paths = less traffic.
  
  Those who believe in *discouraging* initiatives can begin with discouraging themselfs from driving.
  Leonid Yanovich, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Reading's traffic congestion is one of the worst in the country - Reading is one of the only major towns not to have an effective ring road. A third bridge would ease the congestion and localised rush hour polution !!!! - Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to jump on the anti wagon!
  Martin H, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!