News / Bristol Underground
‘Almost terminal’ – transport boss’ verdict on plans for mass transit system
The head of transport in Bristol has warned the risk of failing to deliver the mass transit plan with underground rail is now “almost terminal”.
Five months ago the underground plan was vetoed, with little hope now left of realising one of Bristol mayor Marvin Rees’ flagship policies.
Rees first proposed building an underground railway network in Bristol in 2017, a year after he was first elected.
is needed now More than ever
Now, with less than two months to go before he leaves office, millions of pounds of taxpayer money has been spent on plans which are very unlikely to ever get built.
Last October, West of England mayor Dan Norris vetoed Rees’ mass transit plan, due to the staggering cost of digging tunnels.
The head of transport in Bristol has warned the risk of failing to deliver the mass transit plan with underground rail is now “almost terminal” – map: WECA
Councillors on the growth and regeneration scrutiny commission at Bristol City Council were updated on the mass transit plan on Thursday.
Adam Crowther, head of city transport, said: “I would say the risk is almost as high as it can get without being terminal. Any project of that size and type is going to be high risk either way. It’s been quite high risk for a long time.”
The council is waiting to hear back from the West of England Combined Authority on potential next steps for mass transit.
The politician responsible for transport in Bristol warned the region’s economy will stop growing due to “impossible traffic”, which makes working in the city difficult.
Don Alexander, Labour’s cabinet member for transport, said: “What’s happening now is we’re maxing out the economy in Bristol, because transport is actually reaching a peak. The economy will not grow any longer, not just in Bristol but across the region.
“We’re levelling out, and one of the reasons is it’s very, very hard to work here because the traffic is impossible. It’s really for WECA to come up with a solution.”
Three out of four Bristolians believe traffic congestion is a problem in their area, according to a recent quality of life survey conducted by the council.
The same survey was carried out in 2017, when exactly the same percentage of people said congestion was a problem in their area — suggesting that there has been zero improvement to the city’s clogged up roads since then.
Marvin Rees first proposed building an underground railway network in Bristol in 2017 – photo: CB Bristol Design 2023
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: Martin Booth
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