It\u2019s a subject which often comes up \u2013 could Bath and Bristol be home to a tram system once again? And then often soon after nothing happens as other priorities come up and its decided the plans would be too expensive to implement. But there is now a refreshed hope that something could happen with the local Green party suggesting it could become a major part of the next Mayoral election.<\/p>\n
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The new hope that something could eventually has come after a recent presentation by Dr David Walmsley, a transport expert who has recently worked on some projects with UKTram. At this meeting Dr Walmsley talked about the various benefits trams and light rail bring to a city and gave details on how projects get their approvals.<\/p>\n
And now having attended that meeting, the Green Party are of the belief it will be a major talking point during the May 2025 Mayoral election for the region.<\/p>\n
Cllr Heather Mack, who will be the Green Party candidate at the election, posted on social media: \u201cI’m excited about the prospect of bringing trams to Bristol and Bath, we need to create the system and the right environment for the demand to follow. It\u2019s definitely on the cards. Underground sections make it a lot more expensive, but I’ll need to see the full feasibility study to see if it’s necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Emma Edwards, Green Party leader in Bristol, added: \u201cWe learned trams are not only feasible, but vital for a growing city that is trying to decarbonise and be accessible. What we need is the political will, which is why we need a Green Metro Mayor for the region like Heather Mack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Road congestion in the region has long been an issue with the belief that this has caused issues with development and investment. The idea of mass transit is nothing new which many different schemes having been considered and then rejected. It has been thought that it would have to underground due to the unsuitability of it running above ground, a belief which obviously increases costs.<\/p>\n
Although not directly linked to this meeting, the Labour candidate for the Mayor, Helen Godwin, has also said that transport needs to be revamped, but has stopped short of saying what any mass transit option would look like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s a subject which often comes up \u2013 could Bath and Bristol be home to a tram system once again? And then often soon after nothing happens as other priorities come up and its decided the plans would be too … Continue reading