Bristol Underground

[whole diary]

[Noggin]

I just can't get how anyone sane can think that this is going to get off the ground. Even if some Chinese corporation waves a cheque book, not in a million years is the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) or Treasury going to let a British city sign up to a deal like that. And to be honest, I don't think that most Bristolians will think anything other than this is a colossal waste of money at a time that the council reckons it's so poor that it can't afford school crossing patrols or libraries.

Perhaps Marvin's just trying to distract from the fact that council's leadership is shambolic, Metrobus is way behind schedule, there's little chance that the arena will get built (on the Temple Meads site anyway), and that he's heavily under pressure from Momentum activists pushing him leftward?

As mentioned above, surely a much better plan would be to spend £50m/year over the next decade to get MetroWest off the ground (including redoubling of the Severn Beach line) and building some new rail station.

Incidentally, when it comes to links to Bristol Airport, it shouldn't be forgotten that a significant amount of its passengers live west of Bristol, so if public money is going to be spent on a connection, a heavy-rail connection that could allow passengers fro the west not to have to go through Temple Meads could be a very good idea.

[trainer]

I just can't get how anyone sane can think that this is going to get off the ground. 

It won't.  It's underground.   

[simonw]

In an ideal world, local people should have to pay a local transport levy, similar to Police and Fire changes to ensure all members of a local community have access to reliable public transport.

A population the size of Greater Bristol. could generate this £50M pa to invest in MetroWest, MetroBus and better (or more frequent) rual buses to connect to MetroWest|MetroBus stops.

[Oberon]

Road pricing might make sense tp alleviate the lack of funding. The traffic problem in Bristol is so acute that if nothing is done in the next few years then the place might - one fine day -- seize up altogether

[TonyK]

In an ideal world, local people should have to pay a local transport levy, similar to Police and Fire changes to ensure all members of a local community have access to reliable public transport.

A population the size of Greater Bristol. could generate this £50M pa to invest in MetroWest, MetroBus and better (or more frequent) rual buses to connect to MetroWest|MetroBus stops.

The warring councils would merely spend most of it on new roads, like they have with the MetroBust project. The new third level mayor is conspicuous by his absence in this debate.

[DaveHarries]

Underground Metro for Bristol? Pah. If I was a betting man (and I am not) then pigs will start flying first.

Dave

[Bmblbzzz]

I just can't get how anyone sane can think that this is going to get off the ground. Even if some Chinese corporation waves a cheque book, not in a million years is the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) or Treasury going to let a British city sign up to a deal like that.

I suspect this might turn out to be a disadvantage of directly-elected city mayors; that each will instigate successive medium-to-long-term big projects in the knowledge that nothing is likely to come of them, and if it does it will be because their successor has for some reason chosen to not cancel it. In theory this should be countered by the combined authorities acting as a damping force, but those effectively consist of a directly-elected mayor too...

[TonyK]

I suspect this might turn out to be a disadvantage of directly-elected city mayors; that each will instigate successive medium-to-long-term big projects in the knowledge that nothing is likely to come of them, and if it does it will be because their successor has for some reason chosen to not cancel it. In theory this should be countered by the combined authorities acting as a damping force, but those effectively consist of a directly-elected mayor too...

Then there is the unelected unaccountable self-appointing oligarchy that is the West of England LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about). I blame them for MetroBust more than anyone else.
Bristol seems to be just as ineffectual in transport matters with three mayors as it was when we only had one.

[Bmblbzzz]

In an ideal world, local people should have to pay a local transport levy, similar to Police and Fire changes to ensure all members of a local community have access to reliable public transport.

A population the size of Greater Bristol. could generate this £50M pa to invest in MetroWest, MetroBus and better (or more frequent) rual buses to connect to MetroWest|MetroBus stops.

The warring councils would merely spend most of it on new roads, like they have with the MetroBust project. The new third level mayor is conspicuous by his absence in this debate.

Third level? There's the new Combined Authority, with three Unitary Authorities under that. But that's only two layers. What am I missing?

[johnneyw]

Bristol Evening Click Bait has in unusually interesting article which seems to indicate that  a bit of a rethink is going with quite how much of the Bristol Underground will actually be "Underground".

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/city-could-tram-next-bristol-1157315