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Peter Smyth[_2_] · May 25th 15, 05:58 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:

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.

That seems reasonable enough. I would assume in almost every case the
road was there before the tram came along?

Peter Smyth