Transport revolution is
‘We need cultural change, but some would say our plan is not bold enough’
CARS will no longer be king in Birmingham, the council’s transport boss declared as drastic proposals to revolutionise travel in the city over a decade were confirmed.
But the Birmingham Transport Plan has been branded ‘unrealistic greenwash’ as opposition politicians pounced on it.
The Labour-led city council this week outlined radical proposals to ban cars travelling through the city, re-purpose the A38 tunnels, establish 20mph as the default speed limit and overhaul car parking.
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment, admitted the ideas would be controversial but stressed they were needed to tackle air pollution and a growing population over the next decade.
But opposition councillors condemned the plans, fearing a ‘stationary’ middle ring road and communities cut off.
Cllr Jon Hunt, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, conceded there were some good ideas, particularly the new 20mph limit, but added the plan contained a “huge amount of unrealistic greenwash”, a term used to describe disinformation from an organisation trying to present an environmentally friendly public image.
He also described the plan to ban cars from the A38 Queensway tunnels under the city centre as ill-considered, adding: “Birmingham City Council must decide whether it accepts a role for the electric car and other zero carbon systems in the future. Simply waging war on privately owned transport makes no sense in a large complex city. It must also explain how people using public transport will get around a hugely
THE city’s Cabinet member for transport Cllr Waseem Zaffar declared the Birmingham Transport Plan was needed to tackle air pollution and a growing population.
He said: “This is our city and Birmingham is being transformed, but we need a fit-for-purpose transport system that tackles and reverses health inequalities in every single neighbourhood.
“And to do that we need a cultural change.
“We’re ready to make these bold changes, some would argue they are
Cars banned from driving through city centre
No more free car parking
Buses and trams to have priority Downgrading the A38 tunnels 20mph speed limit will be ‘default’
enlarged city centre people to walk or enough.”
The Conservatives were more scathing and warned of a ‘devastating impact’ the tunnels proposal would have on workers and businesses.
Group leader Robert Alden said: “The transport plan set out by Labour for Birmingham shows yet again how out of touch they are with the needs of residents and businesses in this city.
“Their plans to close the tunnels will bring the city to a standstill, destroying jobs and pushing more congestion and pollution to the residential areas on the edge of the ring road.
“Their ‘go anywhere’ transport plan is likely to become a ‘go nowhere’ transport plan.
“Their plans lead to communities being cut off from each other and commuters stuck on a stationary
area. cycle
Telling is not not bold enough, they are radical, but also realistic.”
The 36-page plan contains four big moves, the first of which is to reallocate road space away from cars.
This includes projects already under way such as the West Midland Metro extensions and the development of Sprint bus routes, but will also likely mean more bus and cycle lanes and bus gates created.
The second move, and most controversial according to Cllr Zaffar, is to transform the city centre by stopping or restricting cars travelling directly through it.
This will see the city divided into ring road that acts as another concrete collar around the city.”
Shadow transport and environment chief Cllr Timothy Huxtable argued the plan was a continuation of Labour’s alleged ‘war on motorists’.
He said: “It punishes those who have no choice but to use their car and does no-where near enough to develop the world class public transport we need to give people a genuine alternative to getting around.”
The criticism was echoed by Cllr Meirion Jenkins (Cons, Sutton Mere Green) who described the plan as “especially strange since we live in a motor city”.
He said: “These plans hurt motorists least able to insulate themselves from Labour’s anti-car zealots.”
Particular concerns for the impact on the retail industry were expressed by the group’s deputy leader Cllr Ewan Mackey.
But some spoke up in favour of the proposals.
Cllr Olly Armstrong (Lab, Northfield), a member of the authority’s transport scrutiny committee, said: “This plan is a good start and we need to start: our planet is fracturing.
“For this to work it has to have affordable, connected, safe public transport networks (including early and late times for shift workers), cycle routes and a change in how we create spaces to walk.
“We have the vision, now this Tory government need to release the funding to do it at a deep, transformative level.”
Cllr Tristan Chatfield (Lab, Weoley and Selly Oak), finance and resources boss, also posted his support on social media and said: “A big shift to a city made for humans not cars.”
Their plans to close the tunnels will bring the city to a standstill Tory group leader Robert Alden
‘cells’ and while buses, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel from cell to cell directly, cars will have to go in and out via the ring road which itself will be upgraded.
The other major aspect of this proposal is to re-purpose the A38 tunnels, with Cllr Zaffar saying the public will be involved in developing suggestions for their future use.
The third big move is to prioritise ‘active travel’ in local neighbourhoods, primarily by imposing 20mph as the default speed limit on residential streets.
Those are the non-designated routes which make up 90 per cent of the city and do not include the major A and B roads. There is also the intention to expand the car-free school streets pilot launched at six schools last September.
The fourth pledge is to manage demand through parking measures which will see many city centre car parks removed and redeveloped, as has already been confirmed for the Paradise Circus car park behind Baskerville House. It could also mean an increase in charges to deter car travel.
“Cars will no longer be the king in this city, our public transport systems will become king,” said Cllr Zaffar.
The draft plan’s release is a major milestone for the council which has now officially signalled its intent for the future of transport between now and 2031. One big question is when will these proposals become reality.
The BTP offers no specific timeframe for each of the ‘big moves’ although Mel Jones, the council’s head of transport and network strategy, confirmed that the arrival of HS2 in 2026 was held as the ‘key milestone’.
The plan will go to the council’s cabinet next week and then put out for public consultation from January 28 to March 27.
www.birmingham.gov.uk/transportplan