ALLAN Charlesworth (Letters, December 4) makes some interesting points about design work preparing to spend £37m on increasing the size and complexity of roundabouts on the northern ring road.

Contrast this with the £10m already spent by the Highways Agency on the Hopgrove roundabout (with a contribution from CYC), now wasted as Robert Goodwill has pledged to replace this with a massive flyover – a £250m election bribe to move congestion further east along the A64.

All three main parties want to find £300m for ‘at grade’ dualling of the northern ring road. Without flyovers, the main effect will be more queuing space for more cars at peak times. Modelling work for the Local Plan (June, 2013) states dualling could achieve a 13 per cent cut in delay whereas smarter choices actions (sucs as the £4.6m, three-year itravelyork programme) could cut delay by 26 per cent to 46per cent.

The total of £600m for road-building locally would be far better spent on modern rapid transit systems and ‘smarter choices’ to help people make full use of walking cycling car sharing and public transport.

Congestion is a major problem,but bigger roundabouts and more dual carriageways are like drinking strong coffees rather than having a good night’s sleep.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Green Party, Broadway West York.