BUSES could be running in underground tunnels beneath Oxford’s congested streets in a multi-million-pound scheme unveiled by Ian Hudspeth.

The county council leader said a mile-long tunnel, inspired by the Metro Bus Tunnel built in Seattle in 1990, could see electric buses take passengers between The Plain all the way to the train station. And he said another tunnel could run underneath Cornmarket from St Giles to St Aldates.

Another radical solution being looked at is another bus tunnel underneath the congested A40 which would run west of the A34 to Elsfield Way in North Oxford.

Revealing plans as the council looks at its transport strategy up to 2020, Mr Hudspeth said a tunnel for buses would allow the High Street to be fully pedestrianised, with the tunnel even used by cyclists.

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  • Ian Hudspeth in Oxford's High Street

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  • An artist’s impression of how the tunnel under High Street might look

Mr Hudspeth, who in July proposed the idea of trams or a monorail along the A40, said he recognised that bus tunnels would involve massive costs and engineering challenges in a street world famous for its architecture and college buildings.

And he said they were looking at a range of funding options including charging employers who provide parking spaces for their employees, and congestion charges.

But he said: “Given the sheer scale of the growth and change that lies ahead for Oxford, we have to approach things in a radical way. These are not detailed plans, they remain ideas and they remain uncosted.

“Some of the ideas we are looking at might seem massive in scope and cost, but other cities around the world have delivered ambitious projects to solve their transport problems. So why not Oxford?”

Oxford Civic Society chairman Peter Thompson said: “We agree that a radical solution is required and admire Mr Hudspeth for his blue sky thinking. But before any serious money is spent on looking at this, some careful consideration needs to be given to the cost of tunnelling.”

Mr Thompson, a chartered civic engineer, estimated the cost would be far in excess of £100m.

He warned that medieval cellars and tunnels, the foundations of listed college buildings, together with pipes and wiring, would mean tunnelling would have to be deep.

“That will raise issues about the ground condition, geology and water table,” he said.

“Such problems can all be solved but it is a question of whether the cost can be justified in a city the size of Oxford. But my biggest concern is what would happen where the buses emerge from the tunnel. Portals at each end of the tunnel would take up a great deal of space.”

Graham Jones, spokesman for Oxford High Street Association, said: “This will leave people in High Street open-mouthed. I think there a quite a few college cellars under the High Street, which might have to be removed. But sometimes, even out of the most outlandish ideas, something emerges that actually makes sense.”

Mr Hudspeth said the tunnel idea had been put forward by council transport officers, with the idea partly inspired by the 1.3-mile Metro Bus Tunnel built in the American city of Seattle in 1990, at a cost of $455m.

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  • Pioneer Square Transit Bus Station in Seattle

A 1.1-mile (1.8 km) tunnel in London’s Docklands opened in 1993 at a cost of £293m.

Adjusted for inflation the cost works out at £445m, or £230,000 per yard.

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company’s operations director said: “People in Oxford only need to look at the current mayhem to see that the city’s big traffic problems need a big answer. This is certainly a bold idea.”

Public views would be sought about tunnels as a concept before any costly feasibility study was considered.

The other options being proposed including new park-and-ride sites in Eynsham, Cumnor, Woodstock, Lodge Hill, Sandford and Garsington Road.

The council is also investigating the idea of creating bus terminals on the edge of the city, which would be served by shuttle buses that would bring passengers into the city centre.

The public will be consulted on these measures, and the idea of bus tunnels, in January until March. The county council hopes to produce its final version of the Oxford Transport Strategy in Spring 2015, which is developed as part of the Connecting Oxfordshire project.

A tram route linking outer suburbs to the city, a guided bus way system and a monorail scheme are among the previous ideas put forward.

Mr Hudspeth said bus operators and workplace parking charges could contribute towards the cost of schemes, along with national and European funding and developer contributions.

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