"Fund to hand out £4.7bn from axed HS2 northern section to smaller projects"
Its going to be buses isn't it?
@avon_deer More buses means they can justify more road building projects that will cost as much as HS2, if not more.
@avon_deer Mmhmm almost certainly.
@avon_deer Anything less than a tram network in West Yorkshire is a cop-out IMO. Light rail like the DLR/Underground would be much better but at the very least a full tram network is required. Heck, just getting a tram link between Bradford Leeds and Wakefield would impact commuting traffic in a good way.
The way to get people out of cars is with a regular service that cannot be impacted by cars, that’s why buses will almost always fail to make an impact.
@avon_deer I’ve stopped commuting by car because driving in Bradford is a nightmare at times but that also impacts the bus service. Having a tram most of the way home would be huge for the reliability of my commute.
@avon_deer @renbymon ....with a side order of contracts slipped to party donors etc., most like. :/
@renbymon That's the thing though, they will not build more roads; let alone segregate them to make mass transit viable. Mark my words, the outcome of this "project" for West Yorkshire will be a fleet of shiny new buses that get stuck in the exact same congestion that using mass transit should entitle it's userbase to avoid as a reward for using it. People will then shrug their shoulders and decide that if they're going to be fucked by traffic anyway, they might as well be fucked by it in the comfort of their own car. Usage will not improve and the central government will use that as "proof" that the North is not worth investing in for mass transit.