Transport planners have released a revised version of ambitious proposals to transform how people move around the West of England. Walking, cycling and public transport will become the “natural” way to travel around Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset under the Joint Local Transport Plan published last week. The plan for a connected transport system across the region sets out an £8.9billion wish-list of projects for completion by 2036 including a £2.5billion “mass transit system” with sections of underground rail. Due to be considered by the four local authorities affected over the coming months, the revised plan follows a public consultation in February and March of last year that drew around 4,200 responses.

The last iteration of the plan now includes a goal to ensure transport is carbon neutral by 2030, in line with the climate emergency recently declared by all four councils. “To achieve carbon neutral transport by 2030 requires a substantial modal shift away from cars to public transport, cycling and walking,” the plan states. Achieving that goal means the introduction of road-user charges is now seen as “likely”, as are fuel tax increases, to discourage the use of privately owned vehicles. The plan acknowledges private cars will remain “essential” for some, but envisages most of the vehicles remaining on the road by 2036 will not be fuelled by fossil fuels. The Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4) still envisages four major routes for a mass transit system branching out from central Bristol to the north, south and east of the city and Bath. On-street tram and light rail are seen as preferable to going underground, which may be necessary in some sections but would push the estimated £2.5billion cost up further.  If approved, the system would make it possible to travel between Bristol city centre and popular destinations such as Bristol Airport and Cribbs Causeway in 15 to 20 minutes. The routes to the airport and Bath would initially be served by metroBus extensions. Other proposed new metroBus routes, include Bristol city centre to Avonmouth and Severnside, Bromley Heath to Yate and Almondsbury to Thornbury. Despite the emphasis on getting people out of their cars, roads are not ignored by the plan. New motorway junctions, Smart Motorway schemes and link roads are proposed, including a new junction 18A on the M4 connected to Yate via a new link road Smart Motorway schemes on the M4 between junctions 18 and 19, and the M5 between Junctions 17 and new 21A are also proposed. New and expanded Park and Ride sites will be focused on the main arterial routes into Bath, Bristol and Weston-super-Mare.  Sites under consideration include the A38 north between Junction 16 and Thornbury and the A432 near Yate. The JTLP4 will be discussed at a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council on February 12. The West of England Joint Committee, a joint decision-making body for Weca, the four local authorities and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, will decide whether to adopt the plan on March 20.  Two more public consultations will be held later this year. Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said: “To keep our region’s economy moving, reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality we need a better, reliable and sustainable transport network.  “While we’re making progress, particularly on improving our railways, we still face challenges ahead."