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Ash wrote:

Brian62 wrote: I like the idea of sorting out Callaghan square, it's a place I tend to avoid when driving west-east, but I think closing top of Bute street is an error.

100% this. It would be interesting to know how much of the traffic realignment in actually required to run the new line and how much is just about traffic management. It dosn't make much sense in terms of hitting net zero to increase the length of car journeys and cause congestion.

Well, theres only about 500M of new on-street track so I would say that about 75% of this is "traffic management" and that is strongly influenced by an obvious desire to make it more difficult to travel by car within the city centre. I think this is a good thing - it SHOULD be more more difficult to take a car into the city centre. Or rather, I should be more costly to drive in the centre. That cost can come in the form of time/inconvenience or direct charges and I think I would prefer the latter.

Cardiff council have been toying with the idea of road user charging for a while but given how politically controversial this will be I don't think they are ready to grasp the nettle yet. They are probably also waiting to see which way the UK and Welsh governments go on this. So we keep getting traffic schemes that are ostensibly about improving active travel or public transport, but have a pretty obvious side-effect of making driving more inconvenient.

That is not ideal, seems like the WG aren't committed to improving Cardiff transport, with the Cardiff Parkway decision being sat on too.

Ash wrote:

Brian62 wrote: I like the idea of sorting out Callaghan square, it's a place I tend to avoid when driving west-east, but I think closing top of Bute street is an error.

100% this. It would be interesting to know how much of the traffic realignment in actually required to run the new line and how much is just about traffic management. It dosn't make much sense in terms of hitting net zero to increase the length of car journeys and cause congestion.

I went to one of the road shows and asked about closing the top of Bute Street. Initially I got the active travel and public transport lecture, which I didn't fully accept. So then I was told their models suggested that the current junction caused tail backs along Bute terrace. I questioned how pushing more traffic along Tyndall street/Windsor road and LGA/central link to meet up at an already congested piece of road would help. At which point I got a mumble in return of "maybe their models wrong and it's something that needs to be looked at".
I also asked about where and how the lines from Central will link with the bay line. The slope is going to be steep, but the modern trams can cope apparently, but the precise where and how of the join hasn't been decided. Which I found a bit of a surprise.
On the bright side the bike lanes and pedestrian environment looks like an improvement.

The trams should be able to cope with a 5% gradient - and the difference in elevation of the Bay line to Bute Street is only around 3 m so connection length could be as short as 60m. Not an issue.

Fyi...
https://cardiffmetro.wales/

this didn't seem to get much attention:https://www.graham.co.uk/about-us/news/graham-awarded-cardiff-crossrail-phase-1?fbclid=IwY2xjawHAUP1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbrzNczDXhJeRrGi-pwVzthnTnTLdJfm5lR_bZUMVxIqUsyBz6GGBiZcPQ_aem_rCJ6FnXnDwfi-KRUHwXbxw

the phase 1 "Cardiff Crossrail" contract has been awarded. Still a way to go though as detailed design will take almost another year.

It was a bit muted considering this is now an official project. Would be good to get the Pierhead Street extension authorised so it can be done at the same time. It's not exactly a long extension from Cardiff Bay station.

It's about the same distance as phase 1 when you consider that most of that will run along the existing Bay line. Theres only about 450-500M of new on-street track to get from the station car park to the Bay line. Similar distance from the bay station to the proposed new Pierhead station. It should be cheaper to do though because you'd hope they do most of the street layout and public realm changes as part of the Red Dragon replacement.

Interesting article by Mark Barry in WoL on the next phase of Metro work in Cardiff.

Things like increasing the frequencies on the City and Coryton lines are essential to offer a viable alternative to the car I think.

https://www.business-live.co.uk/opinion-analysis/next-phase-cardiff-crossrail-project-30700838