Local taxes and rising land values could help fund Bristol’s new underground network, according to two major new studies.
Land along the four proposed underground routes is expected to shoot up in value, if and when the long-planned mass transit system is finally built. Better public transport links would mean property developers building more housing in nearby areas, the studies said.
Consultants working for Bristol City Council said an underground could boost the region’s economy up to a level on par with London and the south-east. But it’s unclear exactly how rising land values would help fund the multi-billion pound project, as only few details were published.
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Bristol mayor Marvin Rees published two summaries of the new studies on his blog, which contain some new details about the underground project. The two studies have not been published in full, and a council spokesman declined to give details on when they would be.
Mr Rees, who has been mayor for six years, said: “Those of us old enough can remember the endless announcements for tram lines, the announcements of transport systems of the future, and political promises that offered 21st-century travel options. The reality is nothing was delivered and Bristol commuters continue to crawl.
“We have made real progress since first announcing our aspirational plans, and remain unapologetic about our ambition for Bristol. There is no time to fail and no time to delay. Ahead of the strategic outline business case and a West of England combined authority (Weca) consultation on options, we’re publishing the executive summaries of two major studies into the potential of mass transit for our city and region.”
But it’s unclear when the two studies will be published in full, or the new business case and consultation; and meanwhile big questions remain unanswered about how much the whole project will cost taxpayers to build. The Weca board is expected to vote in September on investing more money into the project, when further details should be revealed and made public.
A future Bristol underground system could move 3,000 passengers per hour in each of the four directions, according to the first study, which was carried out by consultants CH2M and Steer Davies Gleave. The study also explored what technologies could be used, including self-driving vehicles, and costs of the project. The metro scheme “has the potential” to cover its own operating costs, and could lead to more house building along the new routes.
Tram lines might result in demolishing many buildings on major routes into the city centre like Church Road or Gloucester Road, according to the second study, which was carried out by consultants Jacobs and Steer. The study found that an overground system would cost a fifth of the price of an underground system, but would cause “significant adverse impacts on communities” living along the tramlines, as well impacting on main roads.
While an underground system would cost much more to build, according to Jacobs and Steer, it would lead to more opportunities for property developers to build along the routes, and boost the region’s economy. Rising land values along the routes could also help fund the construction of the underground, through some form of as yet undefined local taxes.
The consultants said: “The wider economic benefit potential to the region is key and transformational. This would drive the West of England economic area to a level only currently experienced in London and the south-east.”
A future metro system would run along four key routes: to south Bristol and the airport, to north Bristol, to the east of the city, and southeast to Hicks Gate and Keynsham. Plans for a Bristol underground first surfaced in 2017, and previous estimates have put the total cost at £4 billion.
Mr Rees added: “These expert studies demonstrate that delivering an underground transport system for Bristol isn’t some grand design. It’s us punching at, not above, our weight, in line with Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow. We’re a core city and a global city, not a village. We need a modern, low carbon transport system, yesterday. We must keep this project on the rails and finally transform the way we travel in and around our city.”
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