PowerSwitch

The government isn't all bad. They're putting £60million into the Birmingham tram system.

And they're funding the extension of the Coastal path for the 2700 miles right round England.

Sounds like they want to give us something to do in the hols so that we don't miss going to Europe after Brexit!!

£12m a stop! gold plated tramways? Wait, it's more than double that it's just the governments contribution Why is it costing £150m?

cubes wrote:£12m a stop! gold plated tramways? Wait, it's more than double that it's just the governments contribution Why is it costing £150m?

Disabled access, elfansafety, consultations, reviews.

These schemes are not traditional low technology trams, but are more like railways that run in the street.
An old fashioned tram was a vehicle that in general design resembled a bus, but that ran on rails embedded in the street surface. They stopped at tram stops that consisted of a simple sign affixed to a post, just like a bus stop.
Todays trams are hugely complicated vehicles and the tram stops are more like small rail railway stations with raised platforms.

adam2 wrote:These schemes are not traditional low technology trams, but are more like railways that run in the street.

That is why I am not enthusiastic about light rail. Trolley buses are OK, but trams as they now are often undermine buses.

johnhemming2 wrote:

adam2 wrote:These schemes are not traditional low technology trams, but are more like railways that run in the street.

That is why I am not enthusiastic about light rail. Trolley buses are OK, but trams as they now are often undermine buses.

The trouble is that we are not designing, as far as I know, an integrated transport scheme. Buses should feed into light rail and heavy rail and light rail and buses should feed into the heavy rail system. They should radiate outwards on their return journeys. The Croydon tram system does feed into the heavy rail system at East Croydon but I think it does so in competition with local buses rather then the buses being a feeder into the light rail system.

The buses could also be smaller, lighter single deck buses running at closer intervals but that would cost more as more drivers would be required; good for employment but not for costs so no chance with that proposal!

Some of the drive for tram stations comes from the requirement to provide level access for the disabled and prams. Would it be cheaper to provide a hoist on each tram for the occasional wheel chair/large pram user or to build a station at each stop? While I'm on the subject, we have had altercations locally between the occasional wheel chair user and the less occasional pram user both competing for the limited space allocated for both uses. If the buses were more frequent this wouldn't be such a problem.

johnhemming2 wrote:

adam2 wrote:These schemes are not traditional low technology trams, but are more like railways that run in the street.

That is why I am not enthusiastic about light rail. Trolley buses are OK, but trams as they now are often undermine buses.

and bicycles, trams are their enemy.

In wolverhampton they have trams that cross the middle of traffic roundabouts.