The largest toll package in Norwegian transport history secures almost NOK 100 billion for transport in Oslo and Akershus until 2045. 96 per cent goes to public transport, cycling and walking. But the four percent to road is hard to swallow for some. We will return to that. Røatunnel and Bjerke tram More than half the package goes to operate, maintain and rehabilitate public transport. There is everything from more bus departures to replacing old tram rails. Among several new projects we find a tunnel under Røa and a tram in Trondheimsveien to Bjerke. What is the money in Oslo package 3 used for? NOK 28.5 billion for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the subway and tram Over NOK 20 billion for the operation of public transport in Oslo and Akershus Adopted projects such as the Fornebubanen, new signaling system on the subway, upgrading of Majorstuen station and new subway cars Local road measures in Oslo and Akershus, including pedestrian and cycle paths, traffic safety and accessibility for public transport Røatunnelen Tram along Rv. 4 Trondheimsveien Ensjøsvingen, new subway connection between Ensjø and Carl Berner High-standard superbus route from the Oslo border to Kjeller Planning of subway extension to Lørenskog (Visperud/Skårer) Planning of new subway infrastructure in Oslo Planning of E6 Oslo East (Manglerud tunnel) Planning the conversion of Rv.4 Trondheimsveien in Groruddalen into an environmentally friendly city street NOK 2.5 billion for the future development of the E18 West Corridor Røatunnelen was particularly important for Høyre’s Mehmet Kaan Inan. – This is a big day for residents of Oslo. We will today adopt the biggest ever investment in the environment and transport. – An agreement that ensures that we can actually take care of what we have, expand our public transport system and to build a road in a tunnel or cover, said Kaan Inan in the debate. JOY AT RØA: The district committee in Vestre Aker celebrated the Røa tunnel together with Mehmet Kaan Inan (in a suit and tie) when the agreement was ready. Photo: Andreas de Brito Jonassen / news Trondheimsveien The tram in Trondheimsveien was a struggle for Aps Abdullah Alsabeehg. The same was the case of a conversion of the road into a green city street through the noise-prone residential areas in Groruddalen. He, too, was full of praise: – The fact that we have managed to keep the toll revenue from passenger cars at the current level, while at the same time achieving new important public transport projects and cuts in climate emissions, is a great victory for the Labor Party, said Alsabeehg. TRONDHEIMSVEIEN: The majority want to build the road through Groruddalen, but so far only money has been set aside for planning. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Tough negotiations The new Oslo package 3 has been negotiated by central politicians from the city council and city council in Oslo and the county council and county council in Akershus. After tough discussions over several months, the agreement was presented at the end of May. You can read more about the agreement in the case news published then. Here you can see, among other things, that there will be more expensive road tolls for all motorists, and the biggest increase for heavy traffic. This is the agreement Oslo City Council adopted on Wednesday. Akershus County Council does the same on Thursday. FRP, Red and MDG against Three parties voted against the package as a whole: the Progress Party, Red and MDG. Plus the independent representative Lars Petter Solås. The Progress Party and Solås believe that motorists pay far too much tolls. They still say yes to the Røatunnelen. Red thinks people in Groruddalen pay too much tolls, at least in relation to what they get for their money. While both Rødt and MDG are critical of the package containing roads. – Billions for the motorway – There are of course also good investments in the agreement, said the party’s group leader Sirin Stav in the debate. – But it doesn’t help when at the same time billions are to be spent on new motorways which only create greater traffic problems, unsafe school roads and increase emissions. There are three road projects in the package in particular that the MDG is critical of: the Røatunnelen. The latest price estimate is just over NOK 2 billion, including uncertainty. Half will come from tolls, the rest from the city treasury. E6 Oslo East. Money has been set aside to continue the planning of an environmental cap or tunnel at Manglerud. E18 West Corridor. NOK 2.5 billion has been set aside for future development. Until then, NOK 10 million a year will be used for planning. MDG acknowledges that this is not a lot of money in the context of Oslo Package 3. However, they believe that it paves the way for new gigantic road projects worth billions of kroner. – In a few years we will see that huge sums are used for climate- and environmentally unfriendly motorways, said Sirin Stav. NO TO OSLO PACKAGE 3: MDG group leader in Oslo City Council, Sirin Stav. Photo: Bård Nafstad / n14859 Stav received a response to the indictment from Environment and Transport Council Marit Kristine Vea (V). – Putting everything at stake Vea believes that the MDG stands on the sidelines of politics with its unwillingness to compromise. She said that it is usually only the wing parties Rødt and Frp who tend to vote against Oslo package 3. – Now we have negotiated an agreement of 93 billion, where almost everything goes to public transport, cycling and walking. It is the greenest transport package the city council has ever adopted. – Nevertheless, MDG votes against, Marit Vea asserted and wondered: – Does MDG think that the percentage of the package that goes to purposes that are not at the very top of their list is worth putting everything else at stake for? YES TO OSLO PACKAGE 3: Environment and Transport Council Marit Kristine Vea (V). Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news NTP-no to E18 On the same day that the Oslo City Council adopts Oslo Package 3, the Storting also deals with the National Transport Plan. There, the new E18 past Sandvika and further west – one of the projects MDG is critical of – will be put on hold indefinitely. Published 19.06.2024, at 18.11 Updated 19.06.2024, at 19.28
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Oslo City Council adopted Oslo Package 3 – Greater Oslo
