"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
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"tim" wrote in message
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"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
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tim wrote:
IMHO you just spend a lot of money to replace an inadequate
system
with a more desirable but still inadequate system

What in your view would be an adequate system in this context?

I've no particular idea for this route as I don't know what it's
problems are. What about doubling the frequency of the
buses, much cheaper than building a tram line

But London needs a 21st century transport system. The lines
that were planned more than 30 years ago (crossrail 12 &2 and
Chelsea/hackney ) should have been built by now and then
there would possibly be enough slack in the central area to add
short links from the suburbs.

But of course that hasn't happened so we can't do it.

So someone suggest that we should spend lots of money building
tram lines on already congested streets with what result?

As has been indicated in this newsgroup people in general will travel on a
rail vehicle where they won't travel on a bus. So the intention is to
persuade people to transfer from car to tram and reduce congestion. I'm
told
it works in continental Europe, if we could have similar strategic
planning
and management there's no reason it can't work here.

I wonder how electric trolley buses would fare compared to internal
combustion in public perception? Better acceleration, cleaner, less noise
and vibration, obvious line of route (follow the wires to find next stop).
Unfortunately there are no such systems in UK public service for people to
form any opinions towards!

Speed and reliability and hence bus perception may also be down to less than
adequate priority measures - less extensive than implemented with new LRT
perhaps, and is implemented for all surface modes in the best Worldwide
examples.

Advantage for LRT is bigger vehicle per driver and ability to turn off the
street environment onto segregated alignments narrower than can be
negotiated by unguided buses. Also possibility of inter-operation on railway
lines as Karlsruhr.

http://www.lrta.org/facts46.html

Guided superbuses of the future might tackle the vehicle size issue, but
unless 'dual-mode' they could not venture on to standard rail tracks.

Mechanically guided bus marginally narrows minimum guideway width when
segregated (compared to unguided bus) but places awkward high curbstones,
impractical for many applications in pedestrian areas for instance, and
totally unsuitable for shared use with non-guided vehicles. A peculiar
variant is the single central rail-slot following technology by Bombardier
used in Nancy.

http://www.lightrailnow.org/features/f_ncy001.htm

Electronically guided bus concepts have been developed, but none in public
service yet I believe.

--
Mark
http://www.maprail.com/