West of England moves closer to new public transport system
The prospect of an enhanced public transport system for the West of England took a step closer to reality today (Friday 26 July 2024).
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Committee, chaired by Mayor Dan Norris, approved work to move forward with developing plans for segregated rapid transport that go alongside the improvements to bus and rail travel that his Mayoral Combined Authority is already delivering.
Providing a new and separate transport system will ensure a more reliable service that gives the variety of transport options to meet the needs of different communities. It will also reduce the congestion in the urban areas of the region and improve the local economy and environment.
As Mayor I’ve been focused on how to make public transport better for all our residents here and now. But we also need to plan for the long term and it’s clear that our region needs a new transport system if we’re going to compete with London, Manchester, Nottingham, and Leeds.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris, in welcoming the Committee’s decision
I’m pleased that we’ve taken this step forward to delivering that system. With the level of investment required, it’s vital that we get this right and make the case to national Government that we have a plan that will work and deliver value for money.
I look forward to considering the options the report comes back with in due course.
A report on the options available is expected to be presented to the Mayoral Combined Authority in September.
