On Wednesday, the politicians in Bergen will finally tackle the most heated political issue in the last ten years. After all sun signs, the city council will now decide that the Bylane to Åsane will run along Bryggen. The price tag for the massive public transport project is set at NOK 21.2 billion. But only NOK 380 million for planning is secured if the route is approved. The rest must be politically negotiated towards a new national transport plan next year. Nevertheless, the professional circles are getting ready for the start of construction in 2025. – There has always been uncertainty related to light rail development, but I do not see how the politicians cannot prioritize this, which is so important for Bergen. That’s what Terje Simmenes says, acting project director of Bybanen development. This is how the Labor Party-Venstre city council wants the Bybane route to Åsane to look like: First stop we will be in Kaigaten in the center of Bergen Before the journey continues to Fisketorget and along the Bryggen in Bergen This is the money problem Even if the Labor Party-led city council in Bergen gets through in the city council, they depend on more than a helping hand from the state to realize the plans. Due to war in Europe and a challenging economic situation, things are now looking bad for the splicing team. This is why: National transport plan Bybanen is part of the national transport plan for the current period with government coverage of 50 per cent. However, these funds have not been secured in the new plan to be adopted next year. A number of stakeholders have provided input on what the government should prioritize now that the state has to save. One of the most important is the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, which will now push the start of construction. MUST BE WEIGHTED: In an e-mail, transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Sp) (centre) writes that it is important that the government makes good and comprehensive priorities in the transport sector that stand the test of time but take into account that there are tighter economic times. Here with county mayor Jon Askeland (Sp) and mayor Linn Kristin Engø (Ap) during the opening of the light rail route to Fyllingsdalen. Photo: Charlotte Sanden / news The government’s ambition When the Labor Party and the Center Party formed government, they agreed to increase the state coverage rate from 50 to 70 per cent on large public transport projects in and around the big cities. The Labor Party’s national meeting was in favor of preserving the high coverage rate. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Sp) still cannot guarantee that it will happen. In an e-mail, he writes that the ambition is firm, but that it must be balanced against the fact that there are tighter financial times. Nygård will meet representatives from Bergen municipality and Vestland county council to discuss the Bybanen on Tuesday 6 June. The city council wants the Bylane to run through Sandviken. The right wants to skip the stop at Sandviken church. Furthermore, the route will go via Eidsvåg to Åsane and end in Vågsbotn. Fears that the professional community will disappear – As long as there is hope for funding, we will keep our people. If we do not get funding in the next transport plan, we will have to downsize the department. Our people are sought after and they will disappear to other jobs. That’s what Jostein Fjærestad says, who is acting department director for mobility and public transport in Vestland County Municipality. Danish and Spanish engineers with special expertise have been brought in to create the plans for the Bybanen til Åsane. If they disappear, Fjærestad fears that it will be difficult to build up the competence environment again later. – They have specialist expertise in track, of which there is little in Norway and they are difficult to replace, he says. Bergen city councilor and champion of the Bybane plan, Rune Bakervik, acknowledges the danger of the project being dragged out further: – It also shows how important it is that we get the funding in place, he says. STANDS AND FALLS ON NTP: – It is absolutely crucial that the construction of the Bybanen to Åsane is included in the new national transport plan in order to secure the state funding so that we can start the construction. That’s what Jostein Fjærestad says, who is acting department director for mobility and public transport in Vestland County Municipality. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Høyre wants to cut costs The Labor Party-led city council in Bergen presents its proposal to the city council on 31 May. In the plan, the 13 kilometer route to Åsane is divided into six sub-sections, three as area regulation plans and three as detailed regulation plans. All sub-sections must be voted on individually: The politicians will vote on this. In the plan, the 13 kilometer long route to Åsane is divided into six sub-sections, three as area regulation plans and three as detailed regulation plans. In addition, there is one detailed regulatory plan that provides for a construction tunnel from Sandviken, and use of the “Saltimport plot” as a temporary rigging and construction area. The politicians must vote on these stretches. Each section is an independent development plan and has been assessed separately: Kaigaten – Sandbrogaten Sandbrogaten – Eidsvågtunnelen Eidsvågtunnelen – Tertneskrysset. Tertneskrysset – Vågsbotn. Main cycle route Festningskaien – Sandviksveien Fløyfjelltunnelen – Rigging and construction area Fløyfjellstunnelen, extension to Eidsvåg In addition, the city council urges the city council to make the following decision: The environmental cover over the E39 in Eidsvåg is not a necessary part of the national highway system, and must be financed with local funds. Those who benefit from the cap must contribute to the financing. Pursuant to § 11-17 of the Planning and Building Act, the zoning plan for the Northern access road to Bergen, parcel Nygårdstangen – Eidsvåg, is revoked. If the plan is approved, Bybane development will start, which will lead the project in planning for the start of construction in 2025. This includes, among other things, initial land acquisition. In the City Council’s plan, there is a need to demolish 29 homes, 24 commercial properties and three combined properties. According to the City Council, more than 400 comments and statements have been received on the planning proposals. Several of them relate to safeguarding the Bryggen and the cultural environment in the center and Sandviken, others have pointed to noise, flood risk and financial consequences. Source: Bergen municipality The Right will vote against the Bryggen proposal, but they are in favor of the Bybanen til Åsane. Their big concern is that it will be too expensive and that the financing is not secured. – It is a lot of money and we are concerned that the tolls in Bergen should not be increased. This means that if you are actually going to build a track to Åsane, then you have to make drastic cuts, in addition to the state having to step in. That’s what the Høyre group leader in the city council, Charlotte Spurkeland, says. – NOT REALISTIC: The Conservative Party’s group leader in the city council, Charlotte Spurkeland, says the Conservative Party does not have a ceiling on how expensive the path to Åsane can be. – But we must try to achieve something that is more realistic than the way it is now and does not increase tolls. Photo: news Hordaland / news Hordaland Fighting for funding The Bergen City Council has promoted the Bylane to Åsane as its main cause. This led, among other things, to the former Ap city council under Roger Valhammer during the same city council period, asking cabinet questions about the matter and resigning. There was not a parliamentary majority for a bourgeois change and Norway’s largest city was thrown into limbo before one of three Rødt representatives reversed the matter and the city council resumed. Valhammer’s successor, Bakervik, believes the Bybanen til Åsane was the most important reason why he took over the post. – You have no secured financing, how can you be so sure that this will work out? – Because we have a government that is adamant that we must contribute to reducing climate emissions, and in the west the Bybanen is the biggest project. Here I have a clear expectation that the government will stand by its promise, he says. CLEAR EXPECTATIONS: – The state has undertaken to take a share of the large public transport projects. Photo: Lotte Solheim Johannessen / news
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Now the Bybanen to Åsane will finally be approved, but there is a lack of money to build it – news Vestland
