News / Bristol
Cracking the challenge of Bristol’s transport problems
Mayor Marvin Rees vowed to crack the substantial challenge of solving Bristol’s transport problems as he prepares to take control of the city’s infrastructure.
He admitted there won’t be a short term solution as the council faces a highways budget reduction totalling £1.7m over three years, but set out priorities that include clean air and sustainable transport.
Mark Bradshaw, the current head of transport, stands down on April 14, following a cabinet reshuffle and used his last address to members to call for more people to walk, cycle and use public transport in the city – something he says is crucial in reducing toxic air and congestion.
is needed now More than ever
The council’s cabinet approved the allocation of £7.6m block funding from central Government to Bristol’s transport network and heard how additional, ‘innovative’ revenue sources are being sought to help make up the budget shortfall.
The Green party’s Martin Fodor welcomed the bid to secure additional funds, but called on the council to clarify how the money will be targeted.
He asked if it will include safety schemes, such as on routes to schools, or go predominantly towards bigger projects of the 12,000 capacity arena behind Temple Meads and the Metrobus.
“It could mean very different things for the city as to how this money will be used,” said Fodor.
“There are lots of pressures and lots of gaps but it has to be clear how funding will be used in the future.”
Setting out the scale of the challenge in Bristol – that incorporates more than 700 miles of highway network, with an asset value of £4billion – Bradshaw said: “We are doing whatever we can, working within the often short term opportunist environment to search for the funding.”
Rees said: “It has been an ongoing challenge for us and we are determined to make a start on cracking it. It won’t be a short term challenge, it’s a long term challenge.
“All streams of funding are being used to support investment in the transport network.
Read more: ‘The remaining pieces of the South Bristol transport jigsaw’
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