In view of the recent rebuild of White City Depot and subject to any
unforeseen ground condition problems this seems like a sensible
suggestion that should be explored.

Quote
Run trams under park
http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk...name_page.html
Jan 12 2007

Exclusive by Robert Dex

A TRAM depot could be built under-neath a park.
Planners have been asked to look at proposals which would also see a
tunnel cut through Burgess Park in Walworth allowing the cross-river
tram to travel through.
The idea has been proposed by Lambeth and Southwark London Assembly
member Val Shawcross and will now be considered by Transport for London
(TfL).
In a letter sent to TfL and seen by the South London Press, Ms
Shawcross wrote: "I would like TfL to consider conducting a feasibility
study on creating a tunnel crossing for the tram in the park.
"As large open spaces are at a premium for the location of a depot,
there might also be a 'cut and cover' option to excavate and create a
tunnel and a large underground depot and then restore level, grassed
and 'treed' parkland above it at ground level."
Ms Shawcross said the tunnel would not threaten the public's enjoyment
of the open space.
The 113-acre park was built over the pre-war streets of Walworth which
were demolished to make way for the Heygate and Aylesbury estates as
part of a slum clearance scheme.
And many of the streets and building foundations still exist only a few
feet under the grass.
Ms Shawcross said: "A tunnel crossing would avoid adding to the
disruption of the walking routes across the park.
"It would allow the tram to cross the park without further severance
and without reducing the traffic capacity along Wells Way. I hope TfL
will give some thought to this option."
A TfL spokesman said it was consulting on route options until the end
of the month.
He added: "The results will be considered and will help us in deciding
a preferred route.
"Later on in the year we will be having a consultation on local issues
along the route that will include the potential location of depots."
The favoured site for a depot is in the Copeland Industrial Park
between Peckham Rye and Bournemouth Road. The five-acre site is home to
six African churches, several businesses and about 60 artists.
Residents and businesses in the area have joined together to campaign
against the Peckham plans.
Eileen Conn, of Peckham Vision, said: "We would not comment on a
particular place for the depot but we do feel that TfL have not carried
out a proper search for a depot site."
Unquote

Bob wrote:

Ms Shawcross said: "A tunnel crossing would avoid adding to the
disruption of the walking routes across the park.
"It would allow the tram to cross the park without further severance
and without reducing the traffic capacity along Wells Way.

LOL. So she doesn't want anything to limit the number of cars crossing the
park, but God forbid that any trams should cross it!

I've got a better idea.... why not have a round pond stretching across the
entire middle of the park, and put the tram rails an inch beneath the water
level? That way the amenity value of the park would be increased, and it
would actually become a tourist attraction.

And they could get rid of Wells Way... the distance from Old Kent Rd to
Walworth Road is
* comparable with the width of Regents Park
* not much wider than the gap in the road network created by the
pedestrianisation of Belsize Terrace, or the barrier in Hermtage Road N15
* comparable with the gaps between Chelsea Bridge and neighbouring bridges
* is comparable with the gap in the road network created by the railway from
Brockley to Honor Oak Park.

John Rowland wrote:

Bob wrote:

Ms Shawcross said: "A tunnel crossing would avoid adding to the
disruption of the walking routes across the park.
"It would allow the tram to cross the park without further severance
and without reducing the traffic capacity along Wells Way.

LOL. So she doesn't want anything to limit the number of cars crossing the
park, but God forbid that any trams should cross it!

I've got a better idea.... why not have a round pond stretching across the
entire middle of the park, and put the tram rails an inch beneath the water
level? That way the amenity value of the park would be increased, and it
would actually become a tourist attraction.

And they could get rid of Wells Way... the distance from Old Kent Rd to
Walworth Road is
* comparable with the width of Regents Park
* not much wider than the gap in the road network created by the
pedestrianisation of Belsize Terrace, or the barrier in Hermtage Road N15
* comparable with the gaps between Chelsea Bridge and neighbouring bridges
* is comparable with the gap in the road network created by the railway from
Brockley to Honor Oak Park.

I'm going to post about the Cross River Tram in a bit more depth here
very soon, given that it's currently out to public consultation until
the end of the month.

However for the moment all I'll say is that I'm familiar with the area,
and whilst the idea of a continuous park is splendid, Wells Way is a
rather critical road for north south traffic. If it was removed it
would create substantial problems in terms of extra traffic flow on
Walworth Road and to a slightly lesser extent Old Kent Road.

There is already a subway beneath Wells Way connecting the two sides of
the park. Burgess Park is a great bit of open space, but it has a
somewhat unfulfilled potential - there's plenty of other schemes that
would improve the park apart from removing Wells Way.