West London Transit

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West London Transit One Track Mind or Broad
Vision?
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The Uxbridge Road is an important transport
corridor
But only PART of a large West London transport
network
WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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WLT as Tram or Trolleybus Whats the Same?

1. Improved air quality
2. Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
3. Modern attractive form of transport
4. Level Boarding and Easy Access
5. Improvement in ride quality and safety

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Trolleybus Whats Better?

• Tram
• Costs 450 million plus support
• Requires maximum flows to justify
• Large slice of investment cake

• Trolleybus
• Costs around 135 million
• Cost effective at current bus levels
• Money available for other projects

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Trolleybus Whats Better?

• Trolleybus
• Road works over short sections
• Present network maintained
• Trolleybus and bus stops integrated
• The N207 operated by trolleybuses

• Tram
• Requires whole road dug up.
• Buses need to feed trams
• Stops segregated from bus stops
• Tram operation of N 207 impossible

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Trolleybus Whats Better?

• Tram
• Blockage service disruption
• Kerbside - disabled load/unload
• Centre - right turns/delays to trams
• Demolition - vibrant shops residences

• Trolleybus
• Trolleybuses divert - minimal delay
• Trolleybuses can go around
• Trolleybuses go to left of traffic
• Greater flexibility No demolition.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Trolleybus Whats Better?
WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Tram TfL Claims to be Better?
TfL claim tram is only option because
Trolleybuses are untried technology

BUT over 360 trolleybus systems are
in daily use.
Trolleybuses must be fully guided

BUT only one system is partially guided.
Trolleybuses would cost 70 of the tram figure
BUT TfL have never costed unguided trolleybus
system
Trolleybuses could not handle the flow as they
are too small BUT 2 X 18 m. less than 40 m.-
capacity equal
Only a tram will eradicate congestion
WELL lets examine that.
WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion (Tramway)

• TfLs claim in reduction assumes
• Car traffic increases on road as is,
• WLT as tramway car traffic disappears,
• New road does not cause new congestion,
• No transfer from other bus routes to car,
• Large number of car users transfer to tram.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion (Tramway)

• Car traffic increases on road as is,
• WLT tramway car traffic disappears.
• Difficult to reconcile these statements figures
  extrapolated from elsewhere.
• (1) no gridlock but decline to 34kph.
• (2) TfL says traffic in other streets will
  increase but less overall. Who wins?

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion (Tramway)

• 3. New road - new (different) congestion?
• Example - West Ealing (Lido Junction) layout will
  cause congestion (including buses)
• Stopped tram on shared highway congestion.
• System disruption widespread congestion
• No simulations of the specific layout

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion (Tramway)

• 4. No transfer from other bus routes to car,
• 5. Large number of car users transfer to tram.
• Costs/disruption require traffic reduction.
• Patronage must be greater than bus usage
• Predictions inaccurate scheme unjustifiable

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Choice of Modes
Passenger feedback shows -

• Convenience for required journey,
• Length of time of overall journey,
• Reliability,
• Comfort,
• Environmental Feel-Good Factor,
• Frequency and Price.
• (Passengers do NOT prefer steel wheels on rails!)

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion and Modal Shift (Tramway)

• No transfer from other bus routes to car
• Bus routes altered, more changes - confirmed by
  total of bus users included in patronage,
• More composite bus/tram journeys,
• Overall less convenient, longer, less reliable,
  less comfortable (walking/waiting in weather),
• Still partly using ordinary buses (now worse),
• Many bus users will transfer to car if they can.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion and Modal Shift (Tramway)

• Large number of car users transfer to tram.
• MORI poll indicates car journeys not just along
  but also across Uxbridge Road,
• Change car to composite bus/tram similar to bus
  users in (4). Same comments apply,
• Other schemes high modal change from car needs
  fast journeys or Park and Ride or both,
• MORI Poll confirms shift car to tram not large.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion and Modal Shift (Trolleybus)

• 4. No transfer from other bus routes to car
• High level of use not required to justify costs.
  No manipulation of other bus routes
• No additional change required. Unavoidable
  changes at same stops - no walk in the rain.
• No less convenient, no longer, no less reliable,
  no less comfort. Improvement possible.
• No bus to car shift - possible shift car to
  trolleybus because of bus improvements.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Traffic Congestion and Modal Shift (Trolleybus)

• 5. Large number of car users transfer to tram.
• MORI poll shows Uxbridge Road flows by bus and
  car across Uxbridge Road,
• Trolleybus also difficulties in shift from car.
• Much lower capital cost of trolleybus wouldnt
  need such shift to justify it.
• Saved capital can be used for range of options to
  shift from car to public transport.

WLT One Track Mind or Broad Vision?
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Government View
We have always said that trams can be effective
but they wont be suitable everywhere and there
may be better alternatives. Tram schemes need to
offer value for money and we do not approve
schemes at any cost. John Twigg, Junior
Transport Minister
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West London Transit One Track Mind or Broad
Vision?
www.tbus.org.uk info_at_tbus.org.uk