Council publishes transport delivery update

On Tuesday 8 September 2026, Cabinet will discuss a report that comes around every couple of years on transport delivery: what the Council plans to spend on transport, where that money is coming from and for what schemes.

We've conducted an AI-assisted comparison of the data and projects on the list for 2026-32 against those given in the 2024-30 report, to figure out what's in, out and delayed.

Something to note is that 2027-32 funding is about to be allocated by the WMCA which might add new projects to the delivery list over the course of the next seven months. And there are some projects being delivered by WMCA that aren't necessarily included in the documents.

Having reviewed the list, our three questions for the cabinet member and deputy are:

1. Are you confident that the Council is on top of the delivery plan, particularly given that we're still delivering projects given 'time-limited' funding in 2021?
2. When is the Birmingham Transport Plan now forecasted to be delivered by, given this plan goes to 2032 and the Transport Plan was to last until 2031?
3. Given some neighbourhood-level interventions, for example Bournville Places for People, have dropped out of the plan as discrete schemes, will there really be no further work within these communities until a future neighbourhood major scheme?

Check the projects below.

New projects in 2026

These schemes were not included in the 2024 baseline delivery programme or have been newly added as major capital items in the 2026 delivery plan:

• Moor Street Gateway - New entrance linking New Street, Moor Street and HS2 stations: Creation of a new gateway entrance to Birmingham by linking New Street Station, Moor Street Station, and the new HS2 Curzon Street station, while improving routes for walking, cycling, and wheeling, enhancing bus and Metro connections, and introducing urban greening. (£60,000,000 total allocation; £800k in 2026/27).
• Birmingham Eastern Ring Road - Permeability and access study for the Middleway: Strategic study assessing permeability, access, and sustainable travel improvements along the eastern section of the Middleway (A4540 ring road). (£26,700,000 total budget; £200k in 2026/27).
• LNIP Pipeline Programme - Delivery pipeline for Local Neighbourhood Infrastructure Projects: Formalized capital budget allocation supporting the ongoing delivery pipeline for Local Neighbourhood Infrastructure Projects across outer wards. (£26,134,000 total budget; £4.46m in 2026/27).
• Clean Air Fund & Clean Air Zone Measures - Air quality monitoring and traffic mitigation schemes: Active capital delivery programmes funding targeted air quality monitoring, network management, and traffic mitigation schemes to meet Clean Air Zone requirements. (£22,440,969 and £6,115,694 respective totals).
• Healthy Streets Ward Fund - Ward-level capital funding for street quality and road safety: Ward-level capital funding allocated in consultation with local Councillors to invest in street quality, road safety, active travel, and air quality using the Healthy Streets Approach. (£15,500,000 total funding; £350k in 2026/27).
• HS2 Snowhill Link - Pedestrian connectivity between Corporation Street and Snow Hill Station: Pedestrian connectivity enhancements between Corporation Street and Birmingham Snow Hill Railway Station, improving walking routes along Union Street, Cherry Street, and Temple Row to the Colmore Business District from New Street Station. (£13,980,000 total budget; £580k in 2026/27).
• Snow Hill/City Centre Link - Pedestrian connectivity and streetscape enhancements around Snow Hill Station: Dedicated pedestrian connectivity and streetscape enhancements directly surrounding Birmingham Snow Hill Railway Station. (£9,442,524 total budget; £187.5k in 2026/27).
• BKQ Area Wide Active Travel - Walking and cycling infrastructure for Birmingham Knowledge Quarter: Area-wide walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure improvements across Phase 1 of the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter in Nechells. (£6,600,000 total budget; £600k in 2026/27).
• CRSTS Capacity Fund - Funding for scheme feasibility and design capacity: Dedicated City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement allocation to support scheme feasibility, design capability, and capital project delivery capacity. (£5,818,623 total budget in 2026/27).
• Thriving Centres - Programme Mobilisation - Ward-level funding for sustainable transport in local centres: Ward-level capital funding for sustainable transport and healthy streets initiatives designed to support the urban regeneration of local shopping and community centres. (£5,000,000 total budget; £500k in 2026/27).
• EBNS - Metro Extension - East Birmingham to Solihull Metro extension: East Birmingham to Solihull West Midlands Metro light rail extension running from Digbeth towards the Sports Quarter, Heartlands Hospital, and Birmingham Airport. (£4,300,000 total budget; £100k in 2026/27).
• Safer Streets & School Journeys Programme - Funding to address road harm risks around schools: Capital funding to proactively address road harm risks around schools and residential neighborhoods through physical traffic-calming and safety infrastructure. (£2,670,000 total budget; £1.5m in 2026/27).
• James Watt Queensway Super Crossing - High-capacity pedestrian crossing near Aston University: Highway upgrade project delivering a high-capacity pedestrian crossing across James Watt Queensway, connecting Aston University Campus with Corporation Street, Steelhouse Lane, and Birmingham Children's Hospital. (£2,300,000 total budget; £300k in 2026/27).
• NO2 Early Measures - Targeted CAZ traffic interventions including Hockley Hill bus lane: Targeted Clean Air Zone traffic interventions, including an AM & PM peak inbound bus lane on Hockley Hill, Constitution Hill, and Great Hampton Street with ANPR enforcement and parking re-organization. (£1,200,000 total budget in 2026/27).
• A457 Icknield Street Cycleway (ATF5) - Cycle facilities connecting Icknield Street to local roads: Active Travel Fund Tranche 5 cycle facilities connecting Icknield Street to Hingeston Street, Clissold Way, Legge Lane, and Graham Street. (£1,074,787 total budget; £874.8k in 2026/27).
• CCMA Lower Trinity Street - Timed pedestrian and cycle zone with HVM infrastructure: Implementation of a timed pedestrian and cycle zone alongside Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) infrastructure in Digbeth, funded via the City Centre Cells (ATF4) allocation. (£910,000 total budget in 2026/27).
• Capability and Ambition Fund Tranche 3 - Funding for technical scheme design and engagement: Active Travel England grant funding allocated to enhance technical scheme design, active travel planning capacity, and community engagement. (£782,000 total budget in 2026/27).
• Fatal Collision Response Protocol Programme - Immediate safety interventions following severe collisions: Road safety capital fund to deploy immediate highway modifications and physical safety interventions at locations following severe or fatal collisions. (£750,000 total budget).
• Speed Indication Devices Programmes (WMFS Contribution) - Installation of electronic speed reduction signs: Installation of electronic Speed Indication Devices (SIDs) along priority speed-reduction corridors, delivered in partnership with West Midlands Fire Service. (£500,000 total budget).
• S278 Schemes (Draft Forecast) - Developer-funded highway and junction improvements: Developer-funded highway improvements, access junction upgrades, and public realm reconfigurations secured under Section 278 legal agreements. (£432,000 total allocation).
• S106 Church Rd PedX scheme - Conversion of Zebra Crossing to a signal-controlled crossing: Conversion of an existing Zebra Crossing on Church Road in South Yardley into a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing, funded via Section 106 contributions. (£360,000 total budget).
• Local Improvement Budget Programme (LIB) 2022/23 - Residual ward-level minor road safety improvements: Residual ward-level capital allocation supporting localized minor road safety, access, and streetscape improvements. (£255,000 total budget).
• Red Light Enforcement Camera Pilot - Camera enforcement at signalized junctions: Installation of static camera enforcement at signalized junctions citywide to enforce red-light compliance and reduce junction collisions. (£62,660 total budget).
• Kings Heath Local Centre Scheme - Permanent reallocation of suspended parking for wider footways: Permanent reallocation of suspended on-street parking spaces to provide widened footways, two 24-hour loading areas, and three dedicated disabled Blue Badge bays following active travel trials. (£50,000 post-completion budget).
• Cross City Bus Package 3 West (City Centre to Dudley) - Bus priority improvements for the 50 and 82/87 routes: Targeted bus priority interventions by TfWM to improve journey times and reliability for cross-city routes on the 50 and 82/87 services. (£1,000 initial development allocation).
• Inner Circle (Route 8) Sustainable Transport Corridor - Reliability measures along the Route 8 bus corridor: Corridor development study assessing bus priority, traffic signal integration, and journey reliability measures along the Number 8 Inner Circle bus route. (£1,000 study allocation).
• Stratford Road (Route 6) Sustainable Transport Corridor - Sustainable travel study for the A3400 corridor: Sustainable travel feasibility study examining bus priority, active travel, and traffic management enhancements along the A3400 Stratford Road corridor. (£1,000 study allocation).
• Minor Local Schemes - Minor local access interventions: Brownfield Road (£1k) and Clapgate Lane (£1k) initial development allocations supporting localized modal filter assessments, traffic management, and minor access interventions.

Projects completed or removed since 2024

These schemes were present in the 2024 delivery programme but have no remaining budget or have dropped off the active programme list by 2026 due to completion or removal:

• LED Lighting Upgrades to Active Travel Corridors - Citywide LED street lighting upgrades: £5,500,000 original budget fully spent/removed.
• To be allocated (LNIP) Placeholder Funds - Unallocated placeholder budgets for neighborhood projects: £11,645,000 across Active Travel, Corridors, and Infrastructure placeholders removed and replaced by formal pipeline schemes.
• Route To Zero Transport Programme - Sustainable transport initiatives supporting net-zero targets: £1,800,000 original budget removed.
• Birmingham Cycle Revolution Phase 3 - Citywide active travel and cycle infrastructure upgrades: £1,737,000 budget concluded/removed.
• West Side Metro Contribution - WMCA - Contribution to the Metro extension: £1,500,000 completed/removed.
• BLE Delivery Sprint, MMA, & Cross City - Bus lane enforcement camera deployments: £1,300,000 completed/removed.
• Future Major & Public Transport Projects - Placeholder for future major transport initiatives: £1,250,000 placeholder removed.
• BCR City Centre Connectivity - Short-term barrier removal for active travel in the core: £1,000,000 completed/removed.
• Ward Minor Transport Measures (Legacy) - Legacy rolling programme of minor street improvements: £800,000 completed/removed.
• Planning Led Transport Development - Development of transport schemes alongside planning: £600,000 budget line removed.
• Future Public Transport Projects - Future TfWM led public transport schemes: £500,000 line removed.
• A34 North Managing Demand Development - Options for managing demand at key trip attractors: £250,000 completed/removed.
• Birmingham Cycle Revolution Phase 2 - Citywide active travel and cycle infrastructure upgrades: £234,000 completed/removed.
• Paradise PTI (U-Turn) Future Phases - Public transport priority restrictions on Lyon Queensway: £200,000 line removed.
• Bournville LTN - Active travel infrastructure and traffic reduction measures: £150,000 removed.
• Colmore Row Pedestrianisation - Removal of general traffic to create transport interchange: £112,000 merged into City Centre Cells delivery.
• Definitive Map Statement - Legal documentation of public rights of way: £100,000 line completed.
• Cycle Parking (BCR) - Cycling parking infrastructure across the city: £95,000 line completed.
• Car Clubs - Development of a car club offer across Birmingham: £68,000 study line removed.
• Selly Oak New Road Phase 1b (Post-completion) - Highway and junction enhancements in Selly Oak: £50,000 completed.
• Navigation St/Swallow St S278 - Street changes linked to Metro Centenary Square Extension: £50,000 incorporated into Cross-City Bus.
• Signing Strategy (BCR) - Improved signing and wayfinding on existing cycle routes: £50,000 completed.
• Cross City Bus Package 1 (City Centre) - Defect remediation for city centre bus priority works: £5,000 closeout completed.

Slippage in delivery

The following projects have had their major capital spend shifted into later financial years compared to the 2024 plan:

• Sutton Gateway - Transport links and connectivity around the town centre: Originally planned peak spend of £10.0m (2025/26) and £12.8m (2026/27) slipped to £1.25m in 2026/27, £1.25m in 2027/28, and £8.8m in 2028/29.
• Digbeth Active Travel and Streets Programme - Street safety and public realm enhancements in Digbeth: Planned £25.0m in 2026/27 slipped heavily to £350k in 2026/27, £400k in 2027/28, £5.0m in 2028/29, and £12.5m in 2029/30.
• Southside Active Travel Streets - Pedestrian connectivity within the Southside district: Planned £4.42m in 2025/26 and £2.09m in 2026/27 slipped to £0 in 2026/27, £250k in 2027/28, £250k in 2028/29, and £5.0m in 2029/30.
• A38 Selly Oak to Longbridge Cycle Route - Segregated cycle route along the A38 corridor: Planned £10.75m/yr in 2025/26 and 2026/27 slipped to £3.40m in 2026/27, £11.48m in 2027/28, and £6.12m in 2028/29.
• Bradford Street Cycling Scheme (ATF3) - Dedicated cycle route along Bradford Street: Planned £2.20m in 2024/25 slipped to £487.5k in 2026/27 and £2.45m in 2027/28.
• City Centre Cells (ATF4) - Rationalisation of private vehicle trips within the A4540 ring road: Planned £2.75m in 2024/25 slipped to £0 in 2026/27 and £2.09m in 2027/28.
• HS2 Road Safety Fund and Transforming Vauxhall - Road safety and active travel measures in Vauxhall estate: Planned £2.85m in 2024/25 slipped to £600k in 2026/27 and £2.00m in 2027/28.
• A45 Coventry Road Cycle Route - Separated cycleway between Small Heath and Swan Island: Planned £5.75m in 2025/26 slipped to £4.23m in 2026/27 and £9.20m in 2027/28.
• Great Charles Street Active Travel Improvements - Active travel links across Great Charles Street: Planned £1.50m in 2025/26 slipped to £1.00m in 2026/27 and £1.00m in 2027/28.
• Snow Hill Growth Strategy - City centre accessibility and public realm investments: Planned £2.00m in 2025/26 slipped to £2.00m in 2026/27 and £2.90m in 2027/28.
• Snow Hill Accessibility - Steelhouse Square - Active travel priority and traffic management: Planned £1.67m in 2025/26 slipped to £530k in 2026/27 and £1.71m in 2027/28.
• Kings Heath & Moseley Places for People (ATF3) - Traffic calming, modal filters, and one-way streets: Planned £2.22m in 2024/25 slipped to £651.5k in 2026/27 and £963.2k in 2027/28 (this is likely to deliver ).
• A457 Dudley Road - Junction realignments, bus lanes, and cycle facilities: Planned £7.08m in 2024/25 slipped remaining £3.79m into 2026/27.
• Workplace Parking Levy Development - Development of a workplace parking levy scheme (also Project Cloudbuster - no details): Planned £500k in 2024/25 and £500k in 2025/26 slipped to £250k in 2027/28 and £500k in 2028/29.
• East Birmingham to Solihull Corridor - Active travel improvements in Bordesley Green: Planned £3.10m in 2026/27 slipped to £3.80m in 2027/28.
• Traffic Modelling & Surveys - Citywide transport data collection and network modelling: Planned £350k/yr in 2025–2027 slipped main budget to £800k in 2027/28 and £800k in 2028/29.
• Paradise Public Transport Improvement Phase 1 - U-turn facility on Suffolk Street Queensway: Originally budgeted for £50,000 in 2024/25 (with £200,000 assigned across future phases), main capital delivery slipped into 2026/27 (£790,000) and 2027/28 (£30,000), with the total allocated budget updated to £820,000.

Spending Brought Forward or Accelerated

Expenditure for these projects was brought forward into earlier financial years or increased substantially above original 2024 baselines:

• City Centre Active Travel Connections to Interchange Phase 1 - Connectivity improvements for active modes across the core: Spending accelerated to £10,228,878 in 2026/27 (up from £5,326,000 originally planned in 2024).
• Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) Cameras - Regional rollout of average speed cameras: Spending brought forward into a single £4,438,000 upfront capital allocation in 2026/27 (up from phased £200k/yr allocations).
• Capability & Ambition Fund - Active Travel England capability funding: Allocation brought forward and increased to £1,700,000 in 2026/27 (up from £327,000 total in 2024).
• HS2 Infrastructure Development - Transport infrastructure planning around HS2 nodes: Spending brought forward to £491,000 in 2026/27 (up from £200,000 planned in 2024).
• Iron Lane (Post Completion Fund) - Highway alignment and junction completions: Allocation brought forward and increased to £300,000 in 2026/27 (up from £100,000 planned in 2024/25).
• Sprint Hagley Rd - Phase 1A - Bus priority and active travel measures on Hagley Road: Spending brought forward into active delivery with £100k in 2026/27, £150k in 2027/28, and £50k in 2028/29 (up from £1k study token).

Lead photo by Adam Jones / Unsplash