Midlands Metro 3

25-02-2008

So how come the Midland Metro tram upgrade is in danger of being derailed after the route through Birmingham was agreed five years ago?  Kevin Chapman of the West Midlands Campaign for Better Transport says the time for dithering is over.

News that the Midland Metro scheme  for city centre running appears to be in trouble is ironic just weeks after we were celebrating some progress (at last) on replacing Birmingham New Street, Britain’s worst rail station.

Suggestions from Jerry Blackett, the city’s Chamber of Commerce chief that businesses are split down the middle does not bode well, especially as it’s been a long sorry saga that rivals New Street.

The city centre Metro extension was considered by a public inquiry in early 2004.   The main issue was access to buses through the city centre.

Centro wanted the Metro to go through, Travel West Midlands wanted access for its buses as close to the city centre as possible.   Following the inquiry there were discussions between the city council, Centro, and TWM, and an agreement was reached.   The Transport and Works Act Order was granted, and you would think that progress would have been made.

May 2004 comes, and the change in control of the council.   To be fair, the Conservatives do honour their manifesto commitment and commission a study to see if Metro could run underground through the city centre.   However, the study tells them what most transport planners would have done in about five minutes ie underground running would be feasible, but it would be horrendously expensive.  That study takes 18 months.

We then have concerns about the trams going down Broad Street, amplified after the antics of some during various football tournaments who decide to “celebrate” by climbing onto buses and bringing traffic to a halt.

Suggestions are made that the Metro be diverted via an alternative route that takes it away from Broad Street – but this takes it away from its customers (most of whom are perfectly reasonable people) and crucially would require the Transport and Works Act Order to be amended (which would add another delay).

Safety’s a reasonable concern, but Manchester’s Metrolink runs near to the entertainment district – so how do they stop people disrupting the system?  Why did no-one in authority at the council ask?

A few months later Len Gregory, Birmingham’s transport supremo, together with a number of officers express worries that the Metro would “disrupt” the flow of traffic in the city centre, particularly at main junctions like Paradise Circus.

Centro are told to fix this, and to their credit they do, but why was this not sorted prior to the public inquiry in 2004?   If TWM had concerns, why did the councils transport planners not say what ones they had?

Now news has leaked out that Centro have been asked to “review” the city centre scheme.   One of the options being considered is terminating the route at Birmingham New Street, and ensuring this is done in time for the completion of the new station.

However, the area from New Street to Five Ways is rife with regeneration.   New office blocks are being built in Five Ways and the former Central Studios are being knocked down for the “Arena Central” mixed use scheme.   Of course, the city council are also talking about moving the Central Library and selling its current site for commercial redevelopment.

More jobs as Jerry’s members will know will be dependent on good transport links.   What will developers, some of whom have provided funds for redevelopment in Five Ways in the knowledge the Metro was on its way, make of the continued “ooh-err” approach?

Some of the development was planned many years ago, and will be factored into the Metro’s business case.   If the line does not go to Five Ways the whole economic viability of the scheme may be in jeopardy, as well as future commitments by developers for Paradise Circus.

Most developers will know when they’re planning a new scheme that all issues should be resolved quickly and if possible before any public inquiry.  Why weren’t they with Metro?

We are often compared with Manchester.   When the Government threatened Manchester with the refusal of extensions to its Metrolink system that city united as one and launched a campaign pointing out its benefits.   The Government backed down, and Greater Manchester now has a comprehensive Metrolink system that covers most of its conurbation.

Now New Street is about to be moving, Mike Whitby should get the Metro sorted.   We don’t want the Department for Transport throwing out the scheme on the grounds we can’t agree on what we need.

At the same time, the issues regarding Metro should be put into the public arena and scrutinised in the same manner as those of the Stratford Road Red Route, so some lessons are learned for future routes from the four years delay.   It is about time those on the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority started to ask the difficult questions.

If Birmingham is about to collapse into gridlock as the business community keep on about we also need to know where they stand.   Otherwise – Manchester will no doubt get all of the jobs and all of the investment we want, and we’ll be left with empty office blocks and chaos on the roads.

The Government also needs to stop changing the rules.  Rather than trying to couple up Metro with Road User Charging as they’ve attempted to they should let Metro stand on its own merits.  In any event, a road user or congestion charge will only work if there’s good public transport in place – as those who oppose it well know.

Centro should not be being told to review the city centre extension – just instructed to get on with it NOW and finish the job!

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