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Colin Rosenstiel · July 27th 03, 12:02 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Michael Bell) wrote:

One of Colin Buchanan's books refers to a quite separate idea
of about 1900, put forwards by entrepreneurs, to create two
cross-routes, one East-West, the other North-South, with an overhead
railway for express traffic, a surface tramway underneath it (this
was 1900!) for short-distance traffic and massive property development
along the route, this is where they would recoup their investment. It
was to be simply chopped through the existing built-up area. Once
again Parliament wouldn't allow it, but it may also be that the
promoters didn't have the necessary money. Once again, it would
have made London into a completely different place. To think about
it is almost like a Sci-fi alternative future story. But we live
in the boring old world we have drifted into rather than the
exciting world we might have got into by planning and vision!

Arguably the Kingsway scheme of the LCC was a partial implementation of
these ideas. It had major redevelopment, a new street and a tram tunnel.

--
Colin Rosenstiel