A network of tram-style buses, based on a system used in the US state of Oregon, was unveiled in Birmingham this week, as part of the city’s new ‘vision for movement’.

The transport blueprint lays the foundations for a comprehensive network of rapid-transit, bus, rail, cycling and walking routes to underpin Birmingham’s economic regeneration. It builds on major transport schemes already under way in the city, including the rebuilding of New Street Station and the extension of Midland Metro.

At the heart of the vision is an integrated rapid-transit network – known as Birmingham Sprint – linking the city centre to the airport and elsewhere.

The proposals also include transformation of existing bus services, park-and-ride facilities to support rapid-transit and cycle routes, and improving the effi ciency of the existing road network by remodelling key junctions and installing traffic management systems which give priority to public transport, cycling and walking.

The vision is the result of a newly-formed partnership between the city’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Birmingham City Council, transport authority Centro, and National Express West Midlands. It forms part of the wider Big City Plan, a far-reaching blueprint for how the heart of Birmingham should develop over the next two decades.

Cllr Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ‘The vision for movement will form an essential part of our Big City Plan, adding the detail about how people will travel safely, efficiently and easily within a welcoming environment.

In a sophisticated partnership with the private sector, we are setting out clearly how we want to create a more connected city.

‘Bringing together the immense possibilities before us – which include high-speed rail, major infrastructure investments in New Street and Metro – I believe Birmingham now really is on the cusp of gaining a transport infrastructure that truly befits a global destination.’

David Bull, Birmingham’s assistant director of development strategy, said the council would use a variety of funding streams for the vision, including major scheme money, the sustainable transport fund, and integrated transport block funding. ‘We’ll also look at tax increment financing (TIF) for major city centre improvements, linked to the Paradise Circus development,’ he told Surveyor.