The wheels on the bus | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 |
Sydney, like major cities almost everywhere else is coming to terms with the stresses that increasing population place on water supplies and public transport.An article in the SMH today discusses the debate on the re-introduction of light rail into the city to meet the expected 31% increase in usage over the next 15 years (which equates to an additonal 2000 buses)
It seems that like London, the middle years of the 20th Century saw the existing tram lanes ripped up in favour or personal (ie, car) and bus transport, but with the increase in car ownership and additional population that's no longer a susitable situation.
Needless to say there are arguments fore and against.
The Minister for Transport, John Watkins, said yesterday that the light rail solution was simplistic in tackling Sydney's congestion. "I'm not convinced that whacking light rail tracks down one or two of our major city streets is the answer to congestion in Sydney because it means you would have to ban motor vehicles from those streets," he said.
So, probably the best approach is do nothing and other cities in the world must be doing it wrong.
West London Tram Scehem
Cross River Tram Scheme
Leeds Super Tram (though it looks like the Transport weeners have killed this one off in December '05)
French trams rock!
Global view of light rail systems
