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New light rail schemes are far better at attracting motorists and cutting congestion than improvements to bus services, according to a new report, launched today (23/2/05). ‘What light rail can do for cities’ (produced for pteg-Passenger Transport Executive Group by consultants Steer Davies Gleave, and available at http://www.pteg.net/lightrailandcities.htm) reviews the record of the seven operational UK light rail schemes. It finds that UK light rail is delivering on ridership, regeneration and modal shift. The report’s findings include: · Typically, light rail achieves six times the level of traffic reduction achieved by major improvements to bus services. Around 20% of rush hour light rail users have switched from the car - compared with between 4% and 6.5% for bus improvement schemes. At the weekends, up to 50% of light rail passengers previously travelled by car
· All UK light rail and tram systems are popular and are near or at capacity in the rush-hours. UK light rail now takes 22 million car journeys off the road every year
· When passenger numbers are high, light rail can be more cost effective than the bus alternative
· Tram schemes have played an important part in delivering regeneration and shaping how and where it occurs. All UK tram schemes have led to increases in commercial and residential property values Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, is part of pteg and today (weds) welcomed the report. Mike Parker, Director General of Nexus, said: "Light rail is hugely popular with the public, but has fallen out of favour with some commentators - after an expensive form of PFI inflated the cost of new schemes. Indeed it’s becoming increasingly fashionable amongst the chattering classes of the transport debate to suggest that the bus can do the job of a tram. Although better bus services are key to any credible strategy for tackling urban congestion, as we are demonstrating with our proposals for Project Orpheus, for the busy corridors, where over 2500 people are travelling in the peak, the tram will be more cost effective than the bus every time." "Metro has been the pioneer of light rail in the UK and will be 25 years old this year. Over half our commuters are car users who have made the choice to leave their car at home. "The Metro provides a faster and predictable journey time. The Metro, unlike the car, doesn't get held up in traffic." The report will inform pteg’s evidence to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee inquiry into light rail (deadline for submissions is Friday February 25th) with the National Audit Office due to give evidence to the Committee today. The report is also launched on the eve of a conference in London, organised by Robert Gordon University, on ‘affordable mass transit’ Details on this conference can be found at: http://www.rgu.ac.uk/abs/events/page.cfm?pge=17827 pteg represents the seven Passenger Transport Executives of England and Scotland which between them serve more than 13 million people in Greater Manchester, Strathclyde, West Yorkshire (Metro), Tyne and Wear (Nexus), South Yorkshire, Merseyside (Merseytravel) and the West Midlands (Centro). All PTEs have plans for new light rail schemes, or extensions to existing systems. Four of the seven operational light rail schemes were promoted by PTEs, and a PTE was the first to bring the tram back to Britain’s streets with Manchester’s Metrolink in 1992.
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