The Leeds tram debacle is an embarassment on every level - not just our inability to build the damn thing, but also the fact that a tram seems to be the absolute limit of ambition for major urban areas like Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham etc. These cities ought to have, and could happily sustain, metro networks. But that is fantasy land when we’re still apparently not sure if we should just give Leeds more buses.
I’m aware Andy Burnham has floated the idea of a metro for Greater Manchester but I don’t feel optimistic that I’ll live to see it.
It’s unbelievable, isn’t it. I am happy to believe in the wonder of buses, but I’m even more willing to believe in the fact that the people of Leeds haven’t been asking for this for 40-ish years without a very good reason. The fact that every larger city (and a lot of smaller cities) run a system like this should be all the evidence you need.
“Could it be a bus?” is also such a dumb request. Leeds did buses when the last tram scheme was shelved. It did guided buses and low floor tram-style buses called FTRs, and that experience largely just confirmed that buses have limits and the city needs a mass transit system. When they ask Leeds to go think about buses again it makes you wonder what grasp they have of the history of this project.
Apologies for the rant. I’m from Leeds, this subject is very triggering for me.
I seem to remember the A3 hindhead tunnel was similarly stuck for a generation and cancelled. And then everyone seemed to realised at once how stupid that was, I think even the Green Party said it made sense. And suddenly, more or less, there it was.
If HM Gov can’t be trusted with releasing the funds for a Leeds Tram how can Tracy raise the money locally? Are there examples in the uk of third party backing fo similar priced projects?
In theory, local authorities can borrow the money. In practice, they need Treasury approval to do it (which is usually withheld). But there has been flexibility over this in some cases - notably the Nottingham tram. In that case, they used a workplace parking levy to underwrite a funding package, which led to the tram coming into being within about 10 years
The A303 debacle really makes the UK look stupid. A key road artery down to the southwest which repeatedly narrows from dual carriageway to single lane - including past a national monument - Stone Henge - where the traffic reliably stops to look. The upgrade was originally proposed in 1993. Stop - start for 20 odd years. Reapproved in 2023 and cancelled in July 2024.
I always thought it indefensible that the road runs closer to the stones than the M40 runs to Beaconsfield services. But they did put it there in the mid-1700s, so planning was a bit less onerous then.
The Leeds tram debacle is an embarassment on every level - not just our inability to build the damn thing, but also the fact that a tram seems to be the absolute limit of ambition for major urban areas like Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham etc. These cities ought to have, and could happily sustain, metro networks. But that is fantasy land when we’re still apparently not sure if we should just give Leeds more buses.
I’m aware Andy Burnham has floated the idea of a metro for Greater Manchester but I don’t feel optimistic that I’ll live to see it.
It’s unbelievable, isn’t it. I am happy to believe in the wonder of buses, but I’m even more willing to believe in the fact that the people of Leeds haven’t been asking for this for 40-ish years without a very good reason. The fact that every larger city (and a lot of smaller cities) run a system like this should be all the evidence you need.
“Could it be a bus?” is also such a dumb request. Leeds did buses when the last tram scheme was shelved. It did guided buses and low floor tram-style buses called FTRs, and that experience largely just confirmed that buses have limits and the city needs a mass transit system. When they ask Leeds to go think about buses again it makes you wonder what grasp they have of the history of this project.
Apologies for the rant. I’m from Leeds, this subject is very triggering for me.
I seem to remember the A3 hindhead tunnel was similarly stuck for a generation and cancelled. And then everyone seemed to realised at once how stupid that was, I think even the Green Party said it made sense. And suddenly, more or less, there it was.
If HM Gov can’t be trusted with releasing the funds for a Leeds Tram how can Tracy raise the money locally? Are there examples in the uk of third party backing fo similar priced projects?
In theory, local authorities can borrow the money. In practice, they need Treasury approval to do it (which is usually withheld). But there has been flexibility over this in some cases - notably the Nottingham tram. In that case, they used a workplace parking levy to underwrite a funding package, which led to the tram coming into being within about 10 years
The A303 debacle really makes the UK look stupid. A key road artery down to the southwest which repeatedly narrows from dual carriageway to single lane - including past a national monument - Stone Henge - where the traffic reliably stops to look. The upgrade was originally proposed in 1993. Stop - start for 20 odd years. Reapproved in 2023 and cancelled in July 2024.
Makes UK look like a bit of a joke really.
I always thought it indefensible that the road runs closer to the stones than the M40 runs to Beaconsfield services. But they did put it there in the mid-1700s, so planning was a bit less onerous then.