The WoE’s transport predicament

We applaud Mayor Norris’s efforts to a stronger Transport Authority and bus-rail integration, both desperately needed. As is bus franchising and mass transit.

It has been wrongly suggested that building tram routes causes massive disruption. But new trams routes in other cities, are opportunistic, largely not sticking to busy thoroughfares.

Please take a look at the map as an example of what could be done on part of a first possible route, Bath to Bristol:

Instead of installing trams on the busy A4 approaches into Bristol where there isn’t a temporary alternative for car commuters (who would eventually use the tram), modern trams can be largely off-road, apart from street- running in the already traffic reduced city centre, through the understory at Temple Meads (Cf. Manchester Piccadilly) and along Feeder Road. It also brings public transport to St Philips, and Avon Meads Retail (for the first time) and makes use of Whitchurch Rail Alignment (Tesco superstore and Callington Road Hospital) with other route potential, then travels out to the new Hicks Gate P&R via the car parks of the retail sheds, alongside the A4.

A similar approach can be taken with other routes.

We’d be happy to explore further.

Martin Garrett
Gavin Smith
Transport for Greater Bristol

View Full Map in PDF Format: Bath-Keynsham-interurban-map-v2

and alternative map see: https://bathtrams.uk/bath-to-bristol-street-running-tram-via-saltford-bottleneck-reduces-not-increases-congestion/