The Nottingham tram system has been highly effective in cutting congestion, pollution and traffic ” Councillor Dave Liversidge, portfolio holder for transport, said in 2018 ““…, figures released just this week by the Department for Transport showed Nottingham achieved the biggest reduction in per capita car traffic of any English local authority outside London – a reduction of 8.2 percent between 2009-11 and 2015.”
“It’s not by chance we’ve been able to limit congestion. We’ve carried out improvements to improve traffic flows along the ring road and created a world-class public transport system encouraging the highest public transport use outside London.”
At the recent lecture organised by Bath Trams, Nottingham tram expert Roger Harrison made the following points amongst others:
It is very successful and has been extended with the construction of two additional lines due to public demand.
Independent studies and audit show that Nottingham is meeting its pollution reduction targets through several environmental measures, a major element being the tram network as the verdict of HMG’s audit officer’s shows. The tram was one out of several green policies.
The tram system has encouraged both business and dwellings to locate along the line (to choose to locate to Nottingham –a tram is a prerequisite for some international investors eg from Germany (where almost all major cities have them)
Nottingham have excellent buses, some electric and many with leather seats, and wifi but nevertheless only about 3% of tram users are ex car drivers compared to about 25% for the tram.
Tram operating cost per passenger km is about 75% of bus costs
25% of the capital cost comes from the workplace parking levy. This levy did not cause businesses to leave Nottingham as was feared by some groups.
Once one line is built there is a clamour for more lines to be built
On the face of it, Bath, with a similar population to Besancon, France, 110,000, which has recently had a tram re-installed, is worthy of consideration for re tramming
A large part of the capital cost comes from the workplace parking levy. This levy did not cause businesses to leave Nottingham as was feared by some groups.
Once one line is built there is a clamour for more lines to be built
On the face of it, bath, with a similar population to Besancon, France, 110,000,, which has recently had a tram re-installed, is worthy of consideration for re tramming
In Manchester – where they expected rates collected to increase as investors/new businesses move in, the increase in rates formed part of the business case, and this has indeed happened.
The Public Works Loan Board PWLB, enables very low cost loans, of about 1 – 1.5%, but benefit-to-cost has to be at least 2:1 (PWLB is the cheapest HMG loan facility for public sector bodies)
Roger Harrison was the leader of the private sector consortium which tendered, won, financed then designed, built Phase 2 and operated/maintained the three line Nottingham tram network. He later became the Chairman of the Concession company *D-B-F-O-M) Tramlink Nottingham Ltd and Tramlink Nottingham Holdings Ltd which held the main contract for 23 years. Qualifications: BSc, CEng, MIMechE, DIA, CDipFA, CIM
Yours sincerely
Dave Andrews
Bath Area Trams Association
