BIRMINGHAM MOBILITY ACTION PLAN WHITE PAPER NOVEMBER 2014 “By 2031 Birmingham will be renowned as an enterprising, innovative and green city that has delivered sustainable growth meeting the needs of its population and strengthening its global competitiveness.” Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) 2014 The journey TOWARDS THIS VISION has begun already. BETTER FOR BUSINESS LEADING GREEN CITY PROSPEROUS, HEALTHIER, FAIRER Foreword The Birmingham Mobility Action Plan Green Paper started a conversation about transport in Birmingham and the development of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Birmingham. The Green Paper consultation provided an opportunity to take stock of the city’s transport needs and listen to our residents, businesses and other key stakeholders about how we should move people and goods to, from and around our city. People told us they wanted to see a step change in our transport system and a large amount of work has now been undertaken to develop this thinking further and refine our Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. I am now setting this out in this White Paper: Birmingham Connected. Birmingham Connected provides a long term vision for transport which is essential for our city to grow and succeed. Transport improvements can take many years Councillor Sir Albert Bore to realise. We have achieved so much in recent years but we have much to do. In 15 years the city will start to reap the benefits of the first phase of the High Speed 2 project but we need to make sure that the infrastructure is in place that allows us to maximise those benefits to the city and beyond. We have recently been very successful in securing significant funding from Government for investment in transport infrastructure to support this. This will help us to develop our walking and cycling networks, provide better bus journeys, extend our light rail network and improve local rail services. Further funding has also been provisionally allocated for additional schemes. This will all help us to start to deliver the vision and ensure we have a well-connected city providing good access to education, healthcare and job opportunities. The Council cannot deliver this vision on its own; transport doesn’t stop at our boundary. We must work with our partners in local and national government, transport operators, businesses, health authorities and with those who live and work in the city to find new approaches to these issues including how we can generate the additional funding we need. It is also fair to say that transport investment benefits some of those partners. We want to have an honest discussion with them about how together in partnership we can look to deliver a connected Birmingham. This White Paper acknowledges the critical role that transport plays in sustainable economic growth and the creation of a fair and equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. By investing in our transport infrastructure Birmingham will become even more attractive as a place to live, invest, work and visit. By having a vision of what we want, we can make the case for increased investment in transport. We can make the case to the Government for the funding flexibilities and powers that will allow the city to make the right decisions at the right level. This is only the beginning of this journey. There is still much to be done. The Birmingham Connected approach sets out a vision to move our city forward and I am excited about the future. Councillor Sir Albert Bore Contents 01 Introduction 01 02 The Role & Purpose of Birmingham Connected 05 03 The Birmingham Connected Approach 11 04 Components of an Integrated Transport System 17 05 Delivering Birmingham Connected 37 06 Monitoring our Success 42 01 Introduction Birmingham Connected sets a new direction for transport. It ushers in a new era in creating choice for how we move people and goods, Fabric delivering projects and of our City infrastructure, and CONNECTIVITY the ways in which THINK we fund them. Urban Realm JOBS Transport reduce inequalities It will reinforce BMAP Vibrant GROWTH transport’s role in Region CITY PEOPLE change continuing to RADICAL POLICIES Healthy create a Birmingham Development Plan successful, JOBS Economic Aspirations vibrant, CYCLE NETWORK Pedestrians SUCCESS healthy and our PLANGREEN CITY sustainable NEW INFRASTRUCTURE Strategies city. Bus rapid transit system Pedestrians Policies THIS WHITE PAPER CYCLE NETWORK local centres BIRMINGHAM social benefits VISION RAIL CONNECTED Transport VibrantGENERATE JOBS INTERGRATEDINTEGRATED Healthier WORK change Training GROWTH Vibrant remove barriers Urban to mobility Realm CITY 01 Birmingham Connected - Introduction The Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) sets out our The journey towards this vision has begun already. strategy for jobs and growth, meeting housing needs and The BMAP Green Paper, published in November 2013, sustainable progress. Birmingham Connected is directly started an enormously positive conversation. The public linked to the strategies and policies of the BDP. Investing in and stakeholders stood firmly behind the vision for a radically improved integrated transport system will realise change. This White Paper takes us forward from the the city’s potential to support sustainable economic growth, BMAP Green Paper; providing more certainty on the job creation and linking communities. proposals, having consulted on them and undertaken technical investigations into their feasibility. As well as the above Birmingham Connected covers a number of other agendas. Its vision is to create a To deliver on this vision for transport and movement we will transport system which puts the user first and delivers need the help of a number of delivery partners including: the connectivity that people and businesses require. We our neighbouring and wider regional authorities, Greater will improve people’s daily lives by making travel more Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership accessible, more reliable, safer and healthier and using (GBSLEP), West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority investment in transport as a catalyst to improve the fabric of (WMITA), the Highways Agency, Centro, Network Rail, our city. We also want to use the transport system as a way public transport operators, the business community of reducing inequalities across the city by providing better and the residents of Birmingham. It will also need to be access to jobs, training, healthcare and education as well compatible eith emerging governance structures within as removing barriers to mobility. the West Midlands. We all need to get behind the vision and aspiration set out in this document in order to realise the benefits for all. Things will change quickly. Huge sums are being invested in new infrastructure within or serving the city From this vision Birmingham Connected’s over the next five years, and there is even more to come. five core objectives are: Things changing in 2015/16 include: ● Upgrading the Ring Road. Efficient Birmingham - Birmingham Connected will facilitate the city’s ● New Street station will reopen fully in 2015 after a growth agenda in the most efficient and £600m redevelopment. sustainable way possible, strengthening its economy and boosting jobs. ● At the same time the Metro extension from Snow Hill to New Street will also open for use – with a further Equitable Birmingham - Birmingham extension to Centenary Square by 2018. Connected will facilitate a more equitable transport system; linking ● The first Sprint bus rapid transit route will open on communities together and improving the Hagley Road. access to jobs and services. ● A revolution in our cycle network and pedestrian focused urban realm. Sustainable Birmingham - Birmingham Connected will specifically reduce the impacts of air and noise pollution, ● Pilots for 20mph streets will be rolled out from next greenhouse gas emissions and energy year; making our streets safer for everyone. consumption. Healthy Birmingham - Birmingham Connected will contribute to a general raising of health standards across the city through the promotion of walking and cycling and the reduction of air pollution. Attractive Birmingham - Birmingham Connected will contribute to enhancing the attractiveness and quality of the urban environment in local centres, key transport corridors and the city centre. 02 01 Introduction Our investment in the short term will set us in the ● Reopen and upgrade rail routes to Moseley and right direction, but we will not stop there. Birmingham Kings Heath, Sutton Coldfield via Walmley and Connected sets a bold new direction for the next 20 years Tamworth via new stations at Fort Parkway and that will see funding increased and new infrastructure Castle Vale – supporting new housing and jobs in delivered. In this document we set out a number of these areas. exciting initiatives; we want to: ● Invest up to £400 million to upgrade Snow Hill ● Complete a £1.2bn integrated public transport Station, providing another gateway to the city after network within 20 years which will allow people to New Street Station reopens fully in 2015. travel across the city in high-quality vehicles, feeling safe and secure and enable fast movement through ● Deliver an investment package that delivers our some of the most congested sections of the network. local connectivity strategy for HS2 - linking This will include a minimum of three more Metro people across the city to it but also improving lines and up to nine cross-city bus rapid transit wider connectivity across the whole Midlands region; lines. Whilst delivering this network we will also promoting Birmingham as the place to do business. invest in the urban realm of our local centres, helping This would largely need to be in place for the opening to create vibrant community spaces across the city. of HS2 in 2026. ● Investigate options to allow us to generate funding ● Promote a Low Emissions Zone in the city centre to locally which will result in the benefits from improve air quality and help us meet our commitments Birmingham Connected being realised earlier.