A Birmingham City Council decision on the future of the problematic Moor Street bus mall has now cleared the way for an expansion of the Midland Metro to be given the green light.
Although a public inquiry into the Snow Hill to Five Ways line closed in January 2004, an outstanding objection from bus company Travel West Midlands regarding the re-routing of buses to make way for trams was holding up a decision.
“We can formally inform the Passenger Transport Authority and the Department for Transport that we have a solution to the bus mall,” strategic director of development David Pywell told the city’s Cabinet meeting. He explained that the Government would now be in a position to rule on the outcome of last year’s public inquiry into the extension of the Midland Metro tram network through the streets of Birmingham city centre.
Bus services displaced by the Metro line had been intended to be reallocated to the new bus-only road, but this was partially-closed in late 2003 because of its poor safety record. Birmingham City Council has now agreed an alternative road layout with the bus company and Centro, which replaces confusing pedestrian crossings and can restore two-way working to the bus mall.
“We can now look forward to the day when there is an approved scheme for street running Metro in Birmingham city centre that integrates well with bus and rail services,” says Passenger Transport Authority chairman Cllr Gary Clarke. “The city desperately needs a modern public transport system and we should grasp the nettle and get on with it.”
Although the outcome of a feasibility study into an underground alternative to the Midland Metro is still a few months away, Cllr Clarke thanked his Birmingham colleagues for finally resolving the bus mall issue.
“It means that when the feasibility study makes its report there should be no remaining question marks over what we believe will be the more viable option,” he adds.
Centro, the public body spearheading the Midland Metro proposals says it has resolved all the other outstanding issues raised during the public inquiry process and is awaiting the Secretary of State’s approval for the scheme.
A parallel expansion of the Midland Metro, which also went to public inquiry during 2004, received Government approval just before Christmas. That will provide an 11km extension from line one at Wednesbury to Dudley town centre, Merry Hill and Brierley Hill.
