Stop dithering and give Kingston Crossrail

Cllr Bamford said: "Crossrail is vital to
Kingston's future. We are currently the
second biggest retail centre in London,

How do they figure that one? Surely they are behind the West End and
Croydon, and I would have thought they were behind Romford and Harrow as
well.

My guess would be that on some measure or other Kingston beats
Croydon. In terms of sheer personal prejudice, I prefer shopping in
Kingston anyway.

Crossrail's a bit of a red herring as far as Kingston's transport
needs go. There are already two perfectly good railway lines to London
and no-one would want to get onto the District/NLL or any line running
through over it at Richmond as it's so bloody slow. The directions
poorly served are on the other side of the town. What I'd recommend
would be a tramway network with the following lines:
1) to Epsom via Surbiton, Tolworth, and Ewell Village (running on Wood
St, Eden St, Brook St, Penrhyn Rd, Surbiton Rd, Surbiton Hill Rd,
Ewell Rd, Tolworth Bway, Kingston Rd, High St Ewell, Epsom Rd, East
St, High St Epsom, Waterloo Rd, Station Appr)
2) to Leatherhead via Surbiton, Chessington, and Chessington WOA
(branching off (1), from Ewell Rd running on Ditton Rd, Hook Rd,
Leatherhead Rd, ROW parallel to Kingston Rd, alongside the railway,
Station Appr, Station Rd, North St, High St Leatherhead)
3) to Heathrow T4 via Hampton Court, Hampton, and Feltham (running on
Wood St, Clarence St, Kingston Bridge, Hampton Ct Rd, Church St, High
St Hampton, Uxbridge Rd, Hampton Rd W, Uxbridge Rd, Hanworth Rd,
Hounslow Rd, Bedfont La, Staines Rd, Gt SW Rd, then into the Airport)
4) to Weybridge via Hampton Court, East Molesey, and Walton-on-Thames
(branching off (3), from Hampton Ct Rd running on Hampton Ct Bridge,
Bridge Rd, Walton Rd, Terrace Rd, High St Walton, Ashley Rd, Queen's
Rd, Hanger Hill, Station Appr)