CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Tram latest

(2152 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by chdot
  • Latest reply from toomanybikes

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    I think ENews is making this up...

    Trams and buses are being diverted away from the route as officers attend the scene.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/princes-street-closed-due-to-ongoing-police-incident-1-4793424

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. Morningsider
    Member

    New plans for Leith Walk announced, which sound surprisingly encouraging:

    http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/2555/community_invited_to_see_how_their_input_has_shaped_trams_to_newhaven_plans

    However, the plans aren't available online (yet?) and, as always, the devil is in the detail.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. toomanybikes
    Member

    " introducing a segregated cycleway for the full length of Leith Walk." Can only be a huge positive, even if the design isn't 100% perfect (the lack of plural there for "cycleway" example), it's a huge improvement on the initial plans.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    Councillors were due to vote on the £165 million project in December, but the decision will now not be taken until a meeting of the full council in March. The council said the delay was to allow more time for checks to ensure the bids received to build the 4.6km extension were robust.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-tram-extension-decision-delayed-for-three-months-1-4818573

    Not that CEC has finalised the details (segregated cycle routes etc.)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

  6. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Nick Cook said: “The broad political support enjoyed by STEC speaks to the huge opposition many working people have to the SNP and Labour’s misguided and costly decision to extend the tram."

    Aye, right.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. Morningsider
    Member

    I suppose political support doesn't get much broader than Colin Fox and Nick Cook.

    I do love it when a Tory tries to chastise anyone for pursuing a "misguided and costly decision"...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Remember that both Mr Cook and Mr Fox drive Mercedes.

    And the Will of the People can't be 'misguided' and Brexit isn't 'costly' it's an investment and it's another Tory party that's done it, not Nick's one OK?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. Frenchy
    Member

    Remember that both Mr Cook and Mr Fox drive Mercedes.

    Mr Fox has a VW nowadays, I think. Perhaps in addition to, rather than instead of, a Mercedes.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. neddie
    Member

    Mercedes no longer really a premium brand anymore. The 2000-plate one I had a while back was a heap of junk.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

  12. jonty
    Member

    Is that a genuine cost increase? Or is it just a statement that inflation has happened since the project was first mooted, or a rough estimate becoming more scientific?

    I've never really trusted these newspaper 'cost overruns' stories ever since they started claiming that the Borders railway was delayed by N years at an X% cost overrun, which was (as far as I can tell) based estimates in a report from over a decade ago, well before enabling legislation had even hit the parliamentary floor.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. Klaxon
    Member

    I’d call this the first floor from which all future overruns could be measured. It’s the one going to committee for final approval, backed by a final(ish) high level design and estimates from contractors on that basis.

    Adam McVey mentioned even a couple of years ago they expected the cost could rise a bit from the very early estimates as the ramping up of HS2 will tie up a very large % of the UK’s rail design and construction workers

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. Stickman
    Member

    Transport Committee vote in favour of completing the line: now up to the full council to decide.

    SNP, Labour, Greens in favour; Lib Dem and Tories against.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-councillors-back-controversial-tram-extension-plans-despite-public-safety-fears-1-4881124

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. ejstubbs
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/leith-could-become-city-s-biggest-park-and-ride-if-tram-extension-is-approved-1-4889085

    Leith could become the Capital’s “biggest park and ride” if the tram extension is approved by councillors, critics have warned.

    Newhaven already is a bit of an unofficial park and ride: Pier Place seems to be popular for folks taking the 11 or the 16 in to town. But I suspect most of those are local-ish residents for whom the walk to the bus is too far (or they believe it is). Would people from south, west or east of Edinburgh really trail all the way in to Leith or Newhaven when there are already actual park and rides on the outskirts of the city? (I've never had a problem getting a space at Hermiston P&R on the relatively rare occasions I've had need to - and which have been exclusively during the working week, when you'd expect demand to be highest.)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. Frenchy
    Member

    Extension to Newhaven approved by councillors the now.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. Ed1
    Member

    Is this bad news for the cycle path?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. Frenchy
    Member

    Is this bad news for the cycle path?

    Which cycle path?

    The plans include extending the current cycle paths on Leith Walk at least as far as the Foot of the Walk (perhaps further, I can't remember).

    There were hopes that cycle access to Leith Walk would be maintained during construction, but I think I read earlier that that won't happen.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. acsimpson
    Member

    "Is this bad news for the cycle path?"

    I assume you mean the NEPN. This isn't the Newhaven loop which went down the old railway line. It is the Leith Extension which goes down Leith Walk and then turns west to go to Newhaven.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. Ed1
    Member

    Yes it was the NEPN I meant thanks

    Posted 5 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    The strategy document states: “A potential tram loop around the city centre, in association with further expansion of the network, will provide fast, reliable and high capacity access to the city centre on appropriate radial routes.”

    The current timeline points to a business case being drawn up for the tram extension between 2024 and 2026.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/edinburgh-2029-new-tram-loop-proposed-for-city-centre-1-4924528

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

    So, apparent move away from trams on Roseburn path(?)

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    If North Bridge is now the plan, there really wasn't much point in originally routing the tram around St Andrew Sq?

    Regarding the tram 'loop', Lady Lawson St was earmarked for some seg cycle infra, no? Hope this does not affect it.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. Klaxon
    Member

    'Tram line 3' always was a sensible plan

    The addition wide loop around the city centre will mean the network can continue to run even during Princes St shut downs and will provide a very quick link from all of Southside to west Edinburgh employment sites. A great improvement.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. neddie
    Member

    Lady Lawson St was earmarked for some seg cycle infra

    It looks like the segregated infra will now go directly down Lothian Rd. Which is far superior in terms of directness, convenience and going to where people want to go.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    It looks like the segregated infra will now go directly down Lothian Rd.

    But that might actually be useful.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. jonty
    Member

    > If North Bridge is now the plan, there really wasn't much point in originally routing the tram around St Andrew Sq?

    North Bridge was always a long term aspiration, so the designs would have considered it. I don't think there is space for a two-track tram to do the downward turn from Waterloo Place into Leith Street. (I am happy for a rail engineer to prove me wrong!)

    EDIT: although they seem to think they can get a tram up Lady Lawson Street?? Less gradient there perhaps. Also could be OK for it to be single track for a bit?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

  29. chdot
    Admin

  30. Rosie
    Member

    A good article on Sydney’s trams. A similar story can be told as Edinburgh's. They ripped up the very good tram network in the 50s and are now replacing it at great expense. A similar story to Edinburgh's and many cities. The Next Big Thing was motorised transport. Buses begat private cars, with the resulting mess we see.

    Sydney gets so hot in the summer that office workers are regularly sent home. Australia has a hot climate of course, but the car-addiction can't help.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/28/erased-from-history-how-sydney-destroyed-its-trams-for-love-of-the-car

    Posted 4 years ago #

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