Could we see a second city crossing in Sheffield City Centre? As part of an ambitious City Centre Access and Movement Plan, the City Council are looking at the possibility of a Supertram extension which as well as providing an alternative route through the city would also improve resilience of the current network.
In the blurb about the Plan, the Council state: “Sheffield’s city centre is in an exciting period of transformation. It’s the economic centre of Sheffield and of South Yorkshire, with huge potential for growth. As more people live, work, and shop in our city centre, the demand for space in and around the centre will increase. To shape how our city centre public spaces and streets should look and feel in the future, we are developing a City Centre Access and Movement Plan.
“We want this plan to be bold and transformational. Our vision is for a cleaner, greener, thriving city centre, with more space for people. We need to ensure everyone has access to reliable, sustainable and realistic transport options. Ultimately, we believe great cities should focus on moving people efficiently and sustainably, creating spaces that work for everyone.”
The plan is wide-ranging but from a tram point of view the most intriguing suggestion is that a second route would be built across the city centre. The document says: “Support the development of a second Supertram route within the city centre that connects key growth areas and destinations, including Royal Hallamshire Hospital and Moorfoot. This proposed loop will enhance the operational resilience of the network by ensuring that disruptions in the city centre do not impact the entire Supertram system. It will also create opportunities for future extensions to additional destinations, subject to further study by SYMCA.”
As well as that ambitious plan, the document also says that the current Supertram Renewals programme will be completed to “ensure the existing Supertram network is fit for purpose for decades to come.”
The Council are now consulting on their transport plan – which is far reaching and doesn’t just include the trams with a survey available to be completed at https://haveyoursay.sheffield.gov.uk/city-centre-access-and-movement-plan.
I think Sheffield’s councillors need to go have a look outside! Since bringing in the Clean Air Zone and effectively pricing out any vehicles used for business from the city streets, many businesses have either left the centre or closed branches that fall within the CAZ entirely. More and more people choose to do not just their shopping, but also their recreational activities at places like Meadowhall, Crystal Peaks and venues along the Don Valley.
The world is changing, with both working and shopping from home now the norm for many. Drivers are Boycotting businesses that remain within the CAZ and even electric car owners now aviod it.
I relatively recent survey asked what people wanted from Supertram. One thing it asked was if the system should be renewed, scrapped entirely, or simply maintained as necessary to keep the current fleet operational. The overwhelming response was the latter, with absolutely no huge sums put into anything, including fleet replacement. We were told when the supertram was built that trams were cost effective because the vehicles would have at least a 50 year lifespan. Blackpool was cited as evidence at public consultation meetings in 1990/91. I know because I was there. Well, we’re not at 35 years yet, with the additional 7 tram trains less than 10 years old and original role almost redundant as the frequency of the service that terminates round the back of the bins at Parkgate retail park slashed from it’s original less than stellar frequency.
Forget the city centre and lets see the council spend some money on the people who live in the deprived wider area for a change. And that doesn’t mean giving them expensive public transport that they don’t want.