Ambitious plans to develop sustainable transport routes around Bath to persuade commuters to leave their cars at home, including a new high-frequency link with Bristol, have come a step closer following a £1.5m investment.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) said the money would be used to identify options for a ‘high-frequency mass transit’ scheme – a high-capacity network that could be made up of several different types of transport.
West of England Mayor Tim Bowles described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to transform the way people travel around the region.
Over the next few months route options will be developed across Bath and North East Somerset with the potential to connect people with city and town centres and employment hubs. Similar schemes will be studied for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
These routes will connect with existing and planned bus and rail services bringing benefits to people across the region, said WECA.
A variety of transport options are being assessed to understand which technologies might work best for the region. Meanwhile businesses and local communities will be consulted to make sure the scheme meets their current and future needs.
The scheme was first announced two years ago at the same time as a report on the economic impact of traffic congestion on businesses across Bath and the West of England revealed that 70% of businesses said lateness was the key impact of congestion, while 15% saying it impacted on recruitment and retention.
Some 80% wanted better integration between transport modes and 60% said existing public transport links were not suitable for their businesses.
WECA says a mass transit system would dramatically improve transport across the region and lead to lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.
It describes mass transit as a high-capacity public transport network that provides fast, frequent and reliable services, often segregated from other traffic. It could include over or underground routes, potentially made up of several different types of transport, with links to existing rail and bus services.
The ambitious scheme, likely to be more than a decade away in Bath even if it gets the green light, would tie in with Bristol’s proposed mass transit scheme.
That long-term project – which could include use of tunnels under the city centre – is favoured by Bristol’s elected mayor as a viable option for moving people around, in and out of the city.
It would link the centre with its suburbs, with spurs going north and east, a separate one to Bath and one to Bristol Airport to the south-west via South Bristol, pictured.
In the short term, the link to Bath would take the form of an extension of Bristol’s £230m Metrobus network which consists of three limited-stop routes into the city centre.
Most of this network uses existing roads, including their bus lanes, although some new roads and bridges were built to shorten the routes and avoid congested roads.
Mayor Bowles, pictured, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the way people travel around our region, so that people can live, get to jobs and education right across the West of England and not have to rely on cars.
“That will cut congestion, improve air quality and cut our carbon emissions so that as we recover from the pandemic, we build back better,” he said.
“Over the next few months we will be talking to communities and businesses to make sure that our plans meet the needs of the people who live and work here in the West of England. Mass transit is part of our ambitious plans to get our region moving and deliver a better connected and greener future.”
WECA said the project was still at an early stage, with the latest investment aimed at investigating what the mass transit system might look like, how much it would cost and what the most appropriate mass transit technology would be. A public consultation will then be held this summer.
Bath & North East Somerset Council joint cabinet members for transport services Joanna Wright and Councillor Neil Butters said: “Sustainable transport in our reqion has to be fit for our communities now and in future and have carbon reduction at its heart.
“We are committed to transforming public transport in Bath and North East Somerset and the mass transit project will provide the knowledge to help us deliver the right solution.”
The West of England, with a population of 1.1m, is growing at a faster rate than other regions, sparking a need for new homes and jobs.
WECA says better transport will support the delivery of these new homes as well as improving access to jobs and linking new homes and communities with employment areas.
The mass transit scheme is being considered alongside significant investment in the rail, cycling, walking and bus routes outlined in the WECA’s Joint Local Transport Plan.
