London Banter - View Single Post - New 'London Connections' map with added LO and new family member,TfL Rail

[email protected] · May 24th 15, 04:33 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Sun, 24 May 2015 11:56:50 +0100, Basil Jet
wrote:

On 2015\05\24 11:25, Paul Corfield wrote:

The other
"Transit" schemes were downgraded from tram or trolleybus operation to
bus schemes and even there only a half arsed scheme at Barking Reach
has been built with some fancy paving and branded bus shelters. It's
still just a double deck operated bus service.

This is the only infrastructure I've found...

I don't think half-arsed sums that up. It's definitely total-arsed.

Is the problem with trams that the tracks are bad for cyclists? I can't
see why trams need grooves or flanges in this day and age. A pair of
flat metal rails set in the tarmac with sensors which steer the wheels
onto the rails would reduce squealing, be safer for cyclists and would
allow points to have no moving parts. They would also be impossible to
derail.

Given that the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland are
perfectly capable of having cycle, tram and trolleybus infrastructure
working alongside each other with little difficulty I don't think
that's an issue. Of course the UK has little experience of such
infrastructure and parallel modal working that we will imagine all
sorts of risk, crises, accidents etc which is really a load of old
********. We decided that we didn't want to do that "continental
rubbish" after the 1950s and 60s so we've wasted nigh on half a
century wedding ourselves to the car when we could have achieved a
better mix of modes.

A further UK-only hazard is the 1870 Tramways Act which still makes tramway
operators responsible for maintaining the highway around the tracks at their
expense, in effect subsidising their opposition.

London is now struggling to install cycle infrastructure that is
adequate and appropriate because we don't have the relevant expertise
and the plans have been criticised by everyone - cycle lobbyists,
business, taxi drivers etc. What is being built now will inevitably
be a compromise and unlikely to satisfy anyone.

Of course the Embankment cycleway could have been a tramway reserved track
as well.

--
Colin Rosenstiel