Transport

If there is no budget for maintaining public art such as fountains and clocks, what will happen to them?

Emergency work will be funded on a case-by-case basis. We will also look at sponsorship and existing social value commitments for key assets.

Will school crossing patrols end?

We have funding for 3 years, through Clean Air Zone revenues, to support the short-term continuation of school crossing patrols and consider alternative delivery models for the medium term.

Through the Birmingham Transport Plan and the draft Road Harm Reduction Strategy, we will prioritise people over motor vehicles to improve safety and encourage people to use walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport wherever possible.

With road design which puts people first and ongoing work to support schools with travel planning and improving air quality, the reduction in car use will reduce and eventually eliminate the need for school crossing patrols in their current form.

Will reduction in street lighting mean streets will be less safe at night?

We remain committed to keeping our citizens and visitors to the city safe and feeling safe at night and recognise that street lighting has an essential role to play.

There will be some changes to the current service provision. We will continue to monitor the impact of these changes. 

Isn’t this the wrong time to reduce flood risk management?

The council appreciates there will be a proposed change in its approach. We will adopt a more focused, risk-oriented strategy for inspections and maintenance to make sure high risk drainage assets are kept as clear as possible to help reduce flood risk.

Proposed changes will be subject to public consultation. The council remains committed to prioritising our work where it is needed most.

How will this budget affect the many transportation projects that have started or are due to start?

The way in which transport projects are funded means there is very little scope to deliver savings by stopping or scaling back their delivery.

Most funding comes from external sources and must be spent on the scheme or schemes for which the funding was awarded or contributed.

Some funding is from income generated by measures such as the net surplus from the Clean Air Zone and Bus Lane Enforcement. In each case, legislation dictates how that incoming money may be spent. This means this could not legally be diverted to cover shortfalls elsewhere in the Council’s budget.

Some funding comes from borrowing against future income or assets. Funding of this sort has been subject to significant scrutiny and is being scaled back or removed where appropriate – this type of funding for existing transport projects has been negotiated at a regional level, and remains in place.

Why are you spending money on cycle lanes and Places for People schemes?

Money for these schemes comes from different funding streams rather than the general council budget. This includes government or WMCA grants, that are ring-fenced and so cannot be used for other purposes.

Continuing to deliver Birmingham’s transport policies as set out in the Birmingham Transport Plan is an important part of the council’s recovery plan because it will help us deliver statutory duties relating to highway maintenance, road safety and network/congestion management in a more efficient way.

Ultimately, transport’s contribution to a more prosperous, inclusive and healthy city will help reduce the long-term demand on core Council services in the long term.

Page last updated: 22 April 2024