Michael Bell wrote:

You see the effect the Crossrail proposal has! Knowledgeable people can
debate on this newsgroup the virtues of alternative uses of the money, but
in the eyes of the politicians and the media they're not "on the table".

The LRM proposal is on the table, eveh though it isn't in a prominent
position ATM.

No matter that the alternatives may be much better, the politicians will
only consider the alternatives that the big interest groups put forward.

Sooner or later, money will force them to consider the other
alternatives. You may be right about the big interest groups, but if you
take a look at the members of the LRM consortium, there are some big
interest groups in it. When you factor in the City Of London Corporation
(who want it constructed as quickly and efficiently as possible) the
chances of getting it built right are surprisingly good.