Look at the difference trams can make!
Dijon and Oxford. Bordeaux and Hull. Montpellier and Bournemouth. What’s the difference between these UK cities and their French siblings? That’s right – the French cities have trams!
Popular, accessible and zero-emission, trams have the potential to transform local and regional transport networks. But while trams are a common sight in France, there are only nine tram networks in the UK.
How could Oxford, Hull and Bournemouth benefit from setting up tram networks? Our talented intern, Toby Horner, set to work comparing them with similar French cities which have trams.
If you care about sustainable, people-friendly urban transport, Toby’s findings are pretty exciting…
Dijon and Oxford
Two historic cities, the same size and density. But while traffic congestion in Oxford is increasing, Dijon’s tram network has helped cut private car usage significantly.
The modern Dijon tram network opened in 2012. It is well linked with the city’s bus and cycle networks, and offers enviable journey times. Annual ridership is a mind-boggling 24 million passengers.
Travelling in Dijon costs a flat €1.40 for a bus or tram ride. While fares fund a quarter of the cost of running the system, and a further quarter is provided by the local authority, half is provided by the Versement Transport. This is a levy on all local businesses that employ more than 11 people, which by law must be invested in local transport infrastructure.
Oxford is currently next in line in the UK to secure what is called a Workplace Parking Levy – a similar system which taxes employers on their car parking spaces. Oxford’s linear structure, with just a few major road corridors facilitating the majority of movement through the city centre to neighbourhoods, would make it an excellent candidate for trams.
So, is it time for trams in Oxford? Read the full comparison and make your own mind up.
Bordeaux and Hull
Two port cities of a similar size, replete with historic buildings. But while four tram lines keep Bordeaux moving, Hull lost its trams in the 1940s.
The first line of Bordeaux’s modern tramway opened in 2003. The system now has four lines and a total length of 77.5km, serving 133 stops.
The centre of Bordeaux is a UNESCO world heritage site, and there were worries that the overhead wires would threaten its integrity. So, trams in the city centre are powered by an innovative ground-level power supply system, with a central rail that is only live when the tram is directly over it.
Bordeaux’s trams have improved the city’s air quality, made streets more walkable, and supported new growth corridors.
With 21st-Century trams bringing such enormous benefits to Bordeaux, is it time for trams to run through Hull once more?
Read the full comparison and make your own mind up.
Montpellier and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Two seaside resorts…
Both shut down their tram networks in the mid 20th Century…
But while Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) still has no trams, Montpellier has brought them back – with resounding success!
In 2000, Montpellier opened the first of now four tramlines, 51 years after abandoning its first tramway network. By granting the tram an exclusive right of way and high priority at traffic signals, Montpellier made it the fastest mode in the city.
And most impressive of all, in December 2023, Montpellier made public transport free of charge to all residents, which saw usage increase by a third!
Meanwhile, traffic congestion is a big problem in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. On average two and a half full days are lost every year when travelling at rush hour.
Poignantly, the resort once had a thriving tram network, but closed it in 1936. Is it time for BCP to follow Montpellier’s lead and bring back trams? Read the full comparison and make your own mind up.
Lessons from France
What practical lessons can the UK learn from France about funding and implementing tram networks? Toby highlights two key findings:
- The French Government makes ‘Plans de Déplacement Urbains’ – the French equivalent of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans – compulsory for urban populations above 100,000. There are 42 of these in France. They can be a great tool for reimagining what a city’s transport system would look like around the installation of a tram network.
- France allows local authorities to fund their own tram and integrated transport systems through the Versement Transport. This is a levy on all local businesses that employ more than 11 people. As a legal obligation, it must be put towards improving the transport system. A similar Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) was instrumental in the success of Nottingham’s tram network. But to this day, Nottingham’s is still the only WPL in the country, despite its economic, social and environmental success, and its potential to be replicated elsewhere.
If – after reading these comparisons – you agree that it’s time there were more trams in the UK, you may like to read our Time for Trams report, and tell your local authority about our Tram Network.
Photo above: David McKelvey via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
