Stockholm - SLL Tillväxt, miljö och regionplanering (TMR ...

322SUMMARYTransportation IssuesSince the 1970s, the Stockholm Region’s relative shareof the national investments in transportation has decreased.Due to the shortage of resources, the growth incapacity of the transportation network has not keptpace with population growth. Since the governmentcancelled the Dennis Package in 1997, there has nolonger been any established future vision of how thetransport infrastructure should be developed.Transportation is singled out in the regional strategyas a priority issue. According to the strategy, the increasein traffic will mean demands for increased capacity ofroad, rail, underground and commuter train networks,as well as harbours and airports. The undercapacity inthe Saltsjö-Mälaren section was noted especiallyDuring the course of preparing RUFS, alternativetransportation networks were examined with additionalroads and train tracks across the Saltsjö-Mälarensection, but also with additional cross-sector routes.Following the consultations, a transportation networkwas laid out which had received wide support during theprocess. RUFS includes a very extensive expansion ofpublic transportation, primarily through new rail connections,which will result in improving the competitivenessof public transportation against private automobiles.The Stockholm Transport Commission, which wasestablished by the national government, prioritised thelarge majority of transportation initiatives included inRUFS. As a result there is widespread agreement betweenthe views of the Stockholm Transport Commissionand RUFS 2001.Following the 2002 elections, the Social Democratsreached an agreement with the Left and Green Parties inthe City of Stockholm to introduce congestion chargesin Stockholm during their next term in office. The proposalfor congestion charges met with strong oppositionand clashes, not just between the centre and rightparties and the red-green coalition in City Hall, but alsobetween the City of Stockholm and other municipalitiesin the County, as well as between Social Democrats inthe County and in the City of Stockholm.Of course, economic incentives such as congestioncharges do not solve the long-term capacity problems.To move in the direction of positive development, theStockholm Region needs a major expansion of its transportinfrastructure, both in terms of roads and publictransportation. To provide long-term stability for transportpolicy in the region requires a far-sighted consensusacross party lines.The Wasp’s Waist – Stockholm’s Jugular VeinTwo alternatives for expansion of the public transportationsystem were examined in the RUFS consultationprocess. New, heavy rail connections were proposed, forinstance, through the wasp’s waist. The new regionalplan thus includes more public transportation measuresthan have been seen for several decades. Expanding thecapacity for increased rail traffic through the inner cityhas been delayed for many years. During the work on theregional plan almost complete consensus was achievedon the solution – a new commuter train tunnel; thisis especially striking in view of the disagreement whichusually characterises transportation questions. Both theso-called Kungsholmenbanan railway, which has beenaround since the 1991 Regional Plan, as well as theproposed 3rd track over the island Riddarholmen, anplanning proposal dating back even farther, could thereforebe cancelled.According to the County Council’s comments, however,in addition to the commuter train tunnel, the 3rdtrack and the Kungsholmenbanan should be shown onthe regional plan in order that the question of increasedtrack capacity through central Stockholm could befinally decided. In January 2002 the Swedish rail traffic