Greens call for above-ground mass transit as independent study shows it’s the right choice for Bristol

An independent report by the West of England Combined Authority into mass transit options for Bristol reveals the astronomical cost of building underground sections compared to above-ground mass transit.

This report was produced in response to a Green Party motion to Bristol City Council in March 2022 calling for a feasibility study into the options for mass transit in the city [1].

In response to the report Carla Denyer, MP candidate for Bristol Central and co-leader of the Green Party, said:

“The Green Party welcomes this report into mass transit for the city. This evaluation of the different options for mass transit shows that an above-ground, low-carbon mass transit system is what is right for this city and its people.

“Improving above-ground mass transit and investing in active travel would enable the people of Bristol to get from A to B quicker and cheaper, give us cleaner air, reduce carbon emissions and decrease congestion on our roads, which will benefit everyone, including those who have to use a car out of necessity such as some disabled and elderly people.”

Emma Edwards, Green Party Shadow Cabinet member for Transport and Active Travel and Leader of the Green Group of Councillors on Bristol City Council, said:

“We share the belief that a mass transit system should be transformational and create a modal shift, as other cities around the country have already shown.

“This report highlights that the fastest, most affordable way this can be achieved for the people of Bristol, in line with our commitment to reach net zero by 2030, is investing in above-ground transit.

“The only reason to spend excessive time and money on digging an underground is to maximise the space available to motorised vehicles. That is not ambitious or transformative.

“To be truly transformational, any system designed should not only provide rapid transit but discourage non-essential car use. Our city should be built for the benefit and health of people and communities, not cars.”

“That being said, this report does not go far enough in evaluating the environmental impact and exact time scales of the different options. We want to see the next phase of feasibility studies dropping the notion of an underground altogether, and instead focusing on which of the above ground options is truly the best in achieving mass transit and net zero in the quickest time possible.”

Notes:

[1] Greens call for all options to be considered on mass transit – Bristol Green Party