The City Centre saw various road closures, revisions and traffic-flow reversals in order to pave the way for the return of trams to the City's streets.
One of the main arteries - Corporation Street - lost its buses, which have dispersed to several other locations around the City, which is now based around 6 key "hubs". Other locations were also affected. Bull St also closed, whilst Carrs Lane and Lower Bull St saw its traffic flow reversed.
National Express West Midlands and Centro (joined by Bus Users UK volunteers) provided marshals to advise the travelling public, and large maps and information appeared in stops to inform of the large-scale changes. A lovely touch was provided by National Express West Midlands, which gave free tours down Corporation St and around the City Centre in its preserved 1954 Daimler 3225 - a vehicle which had first traversed Corporation St when new 58 years ago! It looked resplendent in it's Birmingham City Transport livery and brought a lot of admiring glances from shoppers! The bus later made history that evening at 11pm by carrying invited guests along Bull Street and Corporation Street as the last ever bus to do so! Several punters were still standing at bus stops awaiting their late night services, oblivious to the large information posters in the shelters! The bus then made another piece of history moments later by becoming the FIRST bus to travel UP Carrs Lane from Moor Street, as the road now has a reversed traffic flow.
What about all this "upheaval"? Why have thousands of passengers had their travel arrangements changed? Is it all worth it?
The resounding answer has to be a huge YES!
For many years I've been mildly critical of public transport in Birmingham. It's been "average", but I've always looked on enviously at other large urban areas across the UK and Europe where exciting projects have boosted public transport to a method of travel of FIRST resort - something we all have to aspire to in order to tackle wasteful traffic congestion and the damaging effects of pollution.
But in recent times, I've become more and more excited at the prospect of Birmingham finally getting into gear and upping the game when it comes to our transport.
Let's be clear - it's been a long time coming!
Manchester has an effective network of tram routes. Nottingham has some of the best buses and trams anywhere in the country. Birmingham had fallen behind with it's transport, but we're now catching up in a big way!
OK, so the French might have built an entire network of trams in the time it has taken Birmingham to agree a mile of tram extension from Snow Hill to New Street, but at last we're moving forward. And hopefully it's the precursor to more.
Seeing the tram on the City's streets sends an important message. Like Cologne, Brussels and Manchester amongst others, it says that the City takes high quality, effective public transport seriously.
That isn't to say that buses aren't important. They are the very lifeblood of public transport and will of course continue to play a vital role in moving people. The new Quality Partnership for Birmingham City Centre will see new statutory agreed levels of quality, and this can only be a good thing for the City. We're already seeing lots of new buses in town as well as the various examples of hybrid technology buses, providing the City with its cleanest, greenest buses ever.
We've also seen new rolling stock on the railways, and quicker journey times to London. High Speed 2 focuses on Birmingham, and whilst this is many years away yet, it is a welcome political investment in Birmingham. The "new" New Street station redevelopment will provide a much improved environment for travellers too.
Have we got public transport right in the City?
Of course not. Yet.
Like any industry, there is always room to improve, room to innovate, lessons to be learnt. Working in partnership to achieve these aims is vital, and - whisper it quietly - there seems to be a determination to achieve improvements across our public transport in the City and wider urban conurbation. It won't happen overnight, but I am genuinely convinced that we're moving forward in the right direction.
Centro are doing some great things on several levels, working with the operators across various modes, and the Network West Midlands "brand" is increasingly recognised.
So, the diggers have moved in, and within 3 years we'll be "back to the future" in a way when trams once more roll around the City's streets. Learning lessons from the past is helping the public transport professionals in Birmingham to move forward in the quest to provide better public transport.
When the "Road Closed" signs were pulled across Corporation Street at 11pm last Saturday, it was indeed the "End Of An Era" - but we are definitely looking forward to a Golden Future in public transport for Birmingham!
The picture shows both the end of an era and a bright future! Diamond Buses Optare Versa hybrid diesel/electric is one of the UK's most environmentally-friendly buses. It is picking up passengers on Corporation Street, Birmingham on the final afternoon before the road closed to allow works to begin to bring the Midland Metro tram down the famous street.
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