As a city one of the many things synonymous with London is its world-famous underground system. However, elsewhere in the UK, underground systems and tram networks are generally limited. With this in mind, could the UK change its approach towards transportation and adopt mass transit systems in our smaller cities?
So, time to look at a case study. For this topic, I have chosen the historic West Country city of Gloucester. The city famous for such notorieties as, cheese rolling, great rugby and for being the hometown of actor Simon Peg. At this point you’re probably calling the suggestion of mass transit in such a small city a fantasy and a perhaps even a potential white elephant. Public finances are tight, so why would local authorities even consider such an idea? Well the obvious reason is the increasing level of congestion that appears in growing cities such as Gloucester. Businesses lose huge amounts of money due to congestion. On top of this, no-one is particularly happy about spending a significant portion of their days stuck in traffic.
If congestion is such a problem, then why not build more roads/bypasses or upgrade existing sections of road? Unfortunately, this is not a long-term solution. The basic problem to this approach goes as so: Improving roads encourages people to get into their cars. Consequently, more bypasses, road widenings and upgrades are continuously needed, in order to accommodate a growing number of private vehicles. This is known in economics as induced demand and is a widely accepted concept in terms of road usage. Studies have been conducted in a variety of locations including California and Spain. They provide proof that infrastructure to accommodate private vehicles, leads to traffic quickly filling up the enhanced infrastructure. At the moment the general approach being taken in and around the city of Gloucester, is to improve the road infrastructure. Projects to improve the A40 and Elmbridge court roundabouts, have recently been undertaken. Duelling the South West Bypass is a major project to be undertaken in the near future. Unfortunately, the overwhelming evidence suggests that this will lead to more private cars and hence further congestion.
There are also other additional problems caused by increased vehicle use. In recent years, the problem of air pollution has been brought to mainstream attention. The damage to people’s health puts a huge strain on healthcare resources and also to businesses losing employees to periods of illness. Public Health England estimates that in 2017, the cost to England’s health services from air pollution, was £157 million. Furthermore, legal clean air zones are coming into force across the United Kingdom. Therefore, any growing city must consider that it may eventually have to enforce a clean air zone. Additionally, authorities cannot ignore the ever-present problem of climate change, which unfortunately the city is not immune from. Gloucester’s vulnerability to flooding is set to be exacerbated by climate change. Consequently, there is a large incentive to move towards transportation which produces less CO2.
The problems caused by private vehicle use (pollution, congestion, greenhouse gas emissions), can be classified as negative externalities. In other words, these are the external costs not paid for directly by the drivers of private vehicles. When all these issues are actually taken into consideration, the cost of private vehicle use is much higher, than just the fuel and maintenance costs incurred by drivers. Moreover, the case for alternative transportation becomes much more competitive.
However, despite these issues, surely Gloucester is too small for a mass transit system of any kind? Well maybe not. Now an underground system for the Gloucester-Cheltenham area is not going to happen in the near future, (apologies to anyone whosever dreamed of their small town/city getting a London styled underground). However, many smaller European cities have tram networks. The city of Innsbruck in Austria has a similar population to Gloucester and yet has several tram lines. The German city of Gera, has a population of less than 100,00. Despite this, the city actually has three tram lines. Additionally, the population of Gloucester is growing steadily. By 2041 Gloucester’s population is predicted to have reached 150,900 and nearby Cheltenham’s population will have reached 128,000. Combining these areas together gives a total population of well over a quarter of a million people. This increasing population will put further strains on the cities’ transport infrastructure. Furthermore, Gloucestershire County Council admit that congestion has been worsening and will continue to do so. Hence providing suitable transport for these cities’ futures must be considered. So, if these projects can work abroad, why not here in the UK?
The suitability of mass transit depends on a variety of factors ranging from fuel prices to income. However, the main factor to consider is population density. In other words, how many people are located in a particular area. Population density is an essential component of making mass transit economical and sustainable. People need to be able to access stations easily. The stations also need to be in close vicinity of businesses and leisure activities which people wish to get to. With a high population density, stops will be easily accessible for lots of people. Hence it is financially sustainable to run frequent services, which further encourages public transport use. If a city is spread/sprawled out this is made difficult, as stops will still be far away from where people actually want to go. Instead this encourages private vehicles; as people can get directly to their destinations much more conveniently, than compared with taking public transport. However, many suburbs in the United Kingdom are sprawled out, in comparison to European cities. Many were built in the post-war period with automobiles in mind. Consequently, these low-density suburbs rely on roads to connect them to the rest of the city and to other suburbs. Conversely, many continental cities have higher population densities. Often, they contain high rise housing and are far less suited to private vehicles. Hence, the population density of cities is a significant factor, affecting the suitability of a mass transit system.
So, does this mean that Gloucestershire’s major population centres are set to rely on private vehicle’s? Possibly not, as already stated both Cheltenham and Gloucester’s population are increasing. The population density is also increasing, with current predictions suggest that this trend will continue. Additional housing needs to be built and if the greenbelt and floodplains are to be protected, brownfield sites within the city will inevitably have to be built on to provide future housing. This policy of development has been implemented in the past decade, with a large number of dense housing/apartments being built at a former brownfield site in the docks. Gloucester City Council aims to limit development at the edges of the city and instead wishes to see more brownfield development. Consequently, population density will inevitably increase. With this trend continuing, the current road infrastructure will struggle to accommodate the additional volume of private vehicles and solutions such as mass transport must be considered.
Furthermore, Gloucester’s population density may be more suitable for mass transit than first thought. There have been attempts to work out a minimum density threshold needed to support a transit system. Although evidence does vary, the general consensus is that a population density, of around 35 people per hectare is capable of supporting a light rail/tram system. Though certain researchers suggest lower thresholds, for example 22 people per hectare. Gloucester’s population density is approximately 31.5 people per hectare (2016 estimate) and growing. The French city of Brest which has a lower population density than Gloucester, recently constructed a tram system. Hence, Gloucester can be considered to have an acceptable population density to support a light rail/tram system!
Efficient transportation is a necessary component for economic growth and prosperity of any aspiring city. With the population and also population density of Gloucester predicted to increase, it is time that the city begins to consider mass transit in the near future. Many cities with populations and population densities similar to Gloucester, are capable of supporting such systems. Furthermore, the additional problems associated with private vehicles cannot be ignored forever. Therefore, with enough political will, a mass transit system for many smaller cities in the United Kingdom may not be as farfetched as it first appears.
Transportation Contemplation 