Leeds's £254m trolleybus network approved

[DaveNewcastle]

from BBC News, 22/3/10
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/8579871.stm

Plans to operate trolleybuses in Britain for the first time in 44 years have been approved by the government.

The decision means commuters in Leeds could be travelling into the city centre on a network of electrically-powered buses within six years.

Public transport provider Metro said the £254m, 14km (8.7 mile) network would "provide a major economic boost" for the city.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said the scheme would ease congestion.

Metro hopes the network will be operating by 2016, 44 years after Bradford, the last UK city to use trolleybuses, shut its system in 1972.

The trolleybus plan has been granted "programme entry approval", which allows Metro to draw up detailed plans for the scheme.

A public inquiry will then be held in 2011 and construction could start in 2013.

The Department for Transport would contribute £235m towards the scheme, with the remaining funding coming from local authorities.

The trolleybus network, which will be called New Generation Transport (NGT), would link two new park-and-ride sites at the edge of Leeds with the city centre.

The buses, which carry up to 160 people, would also connect the city's two hospitals and universities.

 

[Oswyntail]

Great - how exactly will this "ease congestion" as, IMHO, the only difference between this and a proper tramway is the lack of a dedicated path. So I presume there will be dedicated paths, so why throw out the money used on developing the tram plan all those years ago?

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Be careful with what you say - you know what might happen, don't you?
Someone will think you are right and try to compromise, by providing the dedicated paths instead of the wiring, so ending up with more guided busway!

 

[Ivo]

And who is to say that Labour haven't simply passed this with the intention of pleasing its Leeds electorate?

I must sound like OT today - something like five anti-Labour statements...!

 

[Mojo]

Cuckoo! Cuckoo! What a waste of money.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Cuckoo! Cuckoo! What a waste of money.

not necessarily, could be ready in time for peak oil

 

[Mojo]

It's an expensive way to not get people out of their cars!

Interestingly enough, Nottingham trams which are a similar length to the proposed bonkers bus network in Leeds cost a similar amount to this. A proven and successful method of transport, which can carry more people, can deliver regeneration, increase land value, is safer and can deliver modal shift in excess of 20%. I'm not saying that all systems will cost this little under the current structure (look at the farce in Edinburgh due to poor management and poorly written contracts) however there is scope for the costs of light rail to be reduced to provide value that could equal the costs of Nottingham's system today, by benefiting from mass orders and experience in management, operations, engineering and design that doesn't exist today due to there being such few systems in operation.

 

[WatcherZero]

Its argued that the economics are artifically stacked against Light Rail. Local authorities are responsible for 25% of costs as opposed to 10% under rail/highways, utilities diversions they have to contribute 18% of costs to utilities companies as opposed to 7.5% under other modes.

http://www.pteg.net/NR/rdonlyres/D2...D54B6E998/0/PTEGLightRailReportFINAL15Feb.pdf

 

[Ivo]

Its argued that the economics are artifically stacked against Light Rail. Local authorities are responsible for 25% of costs as opposed to 10% under rail/highways, utilities diversions they have to contribute 18% of costs to utilities companies as opposed to 7.5% under other modes.

http://www.pteg.net/NR/rdonlyres/D2...D54B6E998/0/PTEGLightRailReportFINAL15Feb.pdf

And unlike most countries' Governments, the UK parliament will turn down the expensive but ultimately better option in favour of the cheap alternative. An example? The third runway at Heathrow.

And to be honest, a damning definition of this scheme:

£250m for Leeds buses. At £30m a mile.

With ideas like this, Leeds can forget becoming the principal city in the north any time soon...!

 

[gordonthemoron]

Leeds is rather larger/more spreadout than Nottingham. However, Leeds buses are **** whereas Nottingham ones are great

 

[Crossforth]

I live in Leeds and I just can't see it working.

If it went out more into the suburbs then I can understand it but its mainly focused on the city centre, so what's the point?

 

[MCR247]

Leeds is rather larger/more spreadout than Nottingham. However, Leeds buses are **** whereas Nottingham ones are great

Never been on Leeds buses, but Nottinghams are excellent

 

[142094]

Leeds has the ftr. That's about it. Plus I love the way the council decided to have a massive queue for taxis extending all the way into City Square and Boar Lane, so all the buses are blocked going towards the east and St Jimmy's.