£50M cable car across the river thames ..

northernneil

as well as a £35M revamp of Kings Cross,

where as the government investment in my home town with creaking infrastructure is roughly £0

well actually -£138M as they withdrew the promise of a tram system

thanks again London, enjoy your cable car !

rick_chasey

Will do.

rolf_f

northernneil wrote:

as well as a £35M revamp of Kings Cross,

where as the government investment in my home town with creaking infrastructure is roughly £0

well actually -£138M as they withdrew the promise of a tram system

thanks again London, enjoy your cable car !

Hmmm, that grates a bit. Leeds has to be about the least well served big city in the UK when it comes to public transport. Mind you, the tram system was particularly stupidly designed in terms of the proposed routes......

Stick8267

But even with all the investment Londoners are net contributors to the rest of the country, last figure I heard was over £1 000 per head per year (this may be out of date).

We may be the region with the largest investment but we're also the region with the largest earnings and hence tax bill.

Oh yes, we're also the capital and home to some 15% of the population.

There are, of course, all sorts of reasons not to build the cable car. Stupid idea, should put a bridge up.

mattshrops

you are also the very last place in the country i would like to live so youre welome to a poxy cable car
you will all be able to ignore each other whilst using it :shock:

daviesee

northernneil wrote:

well actually -£138M as they withdrew the promise of a tram system

Google "Edinburgh tram" and you may not feel so bad. Complete waste of time and money but a perfect example of a shambles! :evil:

daviesee

Stick8267 wrote:

We may be the region with the largest investment but we're also the region with the largest earnings and hence tax bill.

Investment may be the reason for the highest earnings and tax bill, no?

Spreading the investment may spread the wealth, Or you could just use the rest of the Country for weekend breaks and wind farms. Oh............

deptfordmarmoset

mattshrops wrote:

you are also the very last place in the country i would like to live so youre welome to a poxy cable car
you will all be able to ignore each other whilst using it :shock:

Oi, there's some great people in this part of the world! And if you can live in a big city but feel like you're living in a series of overlapping villages, then you've tamed the city. I used to hear northerners say that London is full of miserable people but I finally realised that London is actually full of miserable northerners who haven't yet learned to treat London as a friendly place because they close off to a big place full of strangers. The longer you live here, the less you're like that.

FocusZing

Stick8267 wrote:

But even with all the investment Londoners are net contributors to the rest of the country, last figure I heard was over £1 000 per head per year (this may be out of date).

We may be the region with the largest investment but we're also the region with the largest earnings and hence tax bill.

Oh yes, we're also the capital and home to some 15% of the population.

There are, of course, all sorts of reasons not to build the cable car. Stupid idea, should put a bridge up.

Christ! I think after the negligence in the banking sector in the City, it might of been wise to show a little respect to the rest of the country, and try to stimulate a less London centric economy.

Then again it's a draw for tourists and will cost punters to use it. 15% of the population I didn't realise it was that high.

Anonymous

mattshrops wrote:

you are also the very last place in the country i would like to live so youre welome to a poxy cable car
you will all be able to ignore each other whilst using it :shock:

LOL, you have visited us then.

Dose seem a stupid idea. Isn't the idea of a cable car to go up mountains and across difficult terrain.

And what with it being in London I hate to think how much it'll cost to actualy use it.

shouldbeinbed

I know its a piffling amount in the global scale of things but thats a lot of nurses or better kit for soldiers and if the country is borrowing £1 of every £4 we spend, there's £50million of them that we really don't need to borrow, spend or could pay back.

Is it a tourist gimmick or an idea to ease cross river traffic for the locals on the bridges? If the latter then WTF.

EKIMIKE

Revamp Kings Cross - fine. Maintaining existing infrastructure makes sense.

Cable car - very sceptical as above....

Overall - investing in projects is what we need. Creates jobs (maybe only temporary) and (in theory) improves the living/working environment. In which case, mixed bag.

northernneil

EKIMIKE wrote:

Overall - investing in projects is what we need. Creates jobs (maybe only temporary) and (in theory) improves the living/working environment. In which case, mixed bag.

I agree about projects being needed, but London has a huge amount of projects going on currently ... there are other places other than London which need investment to improve peoples lives.

I cant argue that London is our (in my opinion) only 'world class' city and obviously needs the appropriate investment, however it already has a fantastic transport system. You might not think it if you live there but its true compared to pretty much everywhere else in the UK.

In Leeds for example the cost of using buses (only public transport system we have) has gone up 50% in the last 5 years and subsequently usage has actually reduced by 12%, leading to company which owns the monopoly to removing routes exacerbating the problem.

Just wish the Government would spread the love and spending £50M on a freekin cable car rubs me up the wrong way ...

1littlevictory

A cable car across the thames?

Does that mean they are expecting the London Eye to fall over soon, and they'll just use that?

izza

1littlevictory wrote:

A cable car across the thames?

Does that mean they are expecting the London Eye to fall over soon, and they'll just use that?

No.

It just means we are embarrassed by the fact that the last time we went for the simple option and built a footbridge over the Thames. After years of planning and paying through the nose to fancy engineers, designers, surveyors and polish builders it was built, opened and..........

....... promptly closed as it wobbled too much.

To this end, since we are clearly specialists in wobbly transportation, a cable car is the natural progression.

Drysuitdiver

northernneil wrote:

EKIMIKE wrote:

Overall - investing in projects is what we need. Creates jobs (maybe only temporary) and (in theory) improves the living/working environment. In which case, mixed bag.

I agree about projects being needed, but London has a huge amount of projects going on currently ... there are other places other than London which need investment to improve peoples lives.

I cant argue that London is our (in my opinion) only 'world class' city and obviously needs the appropriate investment, however it already has a fantastic transport system. You might not think it if you live there but its true compared to pretty much everywhere else in the UK.

In Leeds for example the cost of using buses (only public transport system we have) has gone up 50% in the last 5 years and subsequently usage has actually reduced by 12%, leading to company which owns the monopoly to removing routes exacerbating the problem.

Just wish the Government would spread the love and spending £50M on a freekin cable car rubs me up the wrong way ...

wish london had the free loop bus like leeds does

Drysuitdiver

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

mattshrops wrote:

you are also the very last place in the country i would like to live so youre welome to a poxy cable car
you will all be able to ignore each other whilst using it :shock:

Oi, there's some great people in this part of the world! And if you can live in a big city but feel like you're living in a series of overlapping villages, then you've tamed the city. I used to hear northerners say that London is full of miserable people but I finally realised that London is actually full of miserable northerners who haven't yet learned to treat London as a friendly place because they close off to a big place full of strangers. The longer you live here, the less you're like that.

as a northener living down here I can agree that the most miserabler are the Northeners who don't want to integrate, or have there own little enclaves. sure nobody talks to each other on the tube in the morning and evening rush but the last time i got a train /bus in the north it was like this too.

rick_chasey

I thought the cash was coming out of the local pot, not the national pot?

daviesee

Rick Chasey wrote:

I thought the cash was coming out of the local pot, not the national pot?

Isn't that just like saying that free uni places in Scotland is funded from the "local pot", ie Hollyrood?
Just asking

If it is then fair enough. It is up to them and their budget. But if I was a local, I could think of better ways to use the cash.

rick_chasey

daviesee wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I thought the cash was coming out of the local pot, not the national pot?

Isn't that just like saying that free uni places in Scotland is funded from the "local pot", ie Hollyrood?
Just asking

If it is then fair enough. It is up to them and their budget. But if I was a local, I could think of better ways to use the cash.

Shoulda voted Red Ken then...

bearfraser

cheaper with "Jetpacks" and i bet they wont be letting any cyclist use their new stupid cable car.Never mind the fact that we cant get funding for some cycle bridges here about 500 miles north of the Watford gap.


tectonics rocks my world

Ben6899

King's Cross is one of the major stations on the UK rail network... and it was a shithole. These current improvements look very promising and they're certainly well-needed.

Cable car over the Thames? Needed not so much, I agree.

Leeds Supertram. I'm reminded of the phrase: "white elephant". Speaking as a Chartered Civil Engineer; I can assure you it was a very flawed concept on many levels and that it was scrapped for the greater good.

I don't think the "Chippy Northerner" routine is strictly necessary.

northernneil

Ben6899 wrote:

Leeds Supertram. I'm reminded of the phrase: "white elephant". Speaking as a Chartered Civil Engineer; I can assure you it was a very flawed concept on many levels and that it was scrapped for the greater good.
[/quote

I was using the super tram as an example, as I agree it was a flawed system, the point I was making was I'd welcome ANY investment. £50M would go a long way up here, certainly longer than a bit of wire.

Ben6899

northernneil wrote:

£50M would go a long way up here, certainly longer than a bit of wire.

I agree. I'm from "up here". But I think we can all objectively agree that a cable car is not really required or a priority for Londoners WITHOUT bringing up the whole "what about us up here!?" question.

Just my opinion, fella.

Ollieda

Surely this is just a gimmick considering the large influx of visitors expected next year.

Prehaps the thinking is that if finished in time for the olympics then it will ease congestion on other transport routes and people will be greatful for it then sort of forget about it later on.

Just like the millenium bridge is now seen as a landmark and featured in a lot of london based films and shows, looks like its something we're proud of now!

rolf_f

Ben6899 wrote:

Leeds Supertram. I'm reminded of the phrase: "white elephant". Speaking as a Chartered Civil Engineer; I can assure you it was a very flawed concept on many levels and that it was scrapped for the greater good.

In what way? I'm curious. The routes seemed pretty misguided to me (Headingley particularly stupid as one of the least badly served parts of Leeds) which is somewhat fundamental but I don't see why we couldn't have had a tram system in principal - at least something better than the comedy Nottingham 'system'.....

Drysuitdiver

the actual crossing points east of tower bridge are extremely limited.

you have woolwich and greenwich foot tunnels, doable by bike if you like carrying your bike down steps as the lifts are fooked.

the roitherhithe tunnel- i don't like driving through let alone cycling or walking.

Blackwall tunnel- closed to foot and cycle traffic- motorcycle , cars and bigger only here

woolwich ferry- not bad for cyclists but for foot passengers its a bit pants ( Ok its a lot pants)

Dartford crossing- cycles allowed for free but must go in back of tunnel/bridge escort vehicle . no foot passengers.

there is the tube crossings of the jubilee and the overground but they are also charged and you can't take your bike on.

the london Cable car will allow bikes currently , and the cost if its oyster compatible , which they are saying it will be, will be a zone 2 to zone 2 or zone 3 to zone 3 cost of which is £1.40 peak single . its a much needed transport link and could cut a huge amount of time off journeys using buses tubes from SE to E london. just looking at transport links local to bvoth cand using them propwerly could reduce passenger numbers on the tube at peak direction/time .

simonaspinall

I really don't think London needs further transport infrastructure.

Certainly not when the rest of the country, even in the south east around London is considered. Yes, you can always argue that something is more convenient but look at the frankly incredible mobility that is already available in London compared to Leeds (reference to OP)

The luxury of the tube, light railway, buses and the fact that a lot of major landmarks and buildings are within easy travelling distance in London is amazing! As if a cable car is needed as well!

BarryBonds

awsome i love cable cars

daviesee

@ Drysuitdiver.

Do you really think bikes would be allowed on the cable car? I don't.

deptfordmarmoset

simonaspinall wrote:

I really don't think London needs further transport infrastructure.

Certainly not when the rest of the country, even in the south east around London is considered. Yes, you can always argue that something is more convenient but look at the frankly incredible mobility that is already available in London compared to Leeds (reference to OP)

The luxury of the tube, light railway, buses and the fact that a lot of major landmarks and buildings are within easy travelling distance in London is amazing! As if a cable car is needed as well!

Having spent much of my childhood in Leeds and now living in SE London, I think it's fair to state that the populations of east London and south east London by far outnumber the population of Leeds, nay, the population all three Ridings of Yorkshire. Now, look at a map centred on, say, Woolwich and count the river crossings in the 15 or so miles between Tower Bridge and the Dartford Crossing. Now look at a map of Leeds and count the river crossings over the Aire. I think you'll find that Leeds has far, far more crossings than that part of London.

And the '' incredible mobility'' of London means that a recent 20-mile as-the-crow-flies return trip from Deptford to Rainham entailed cycling over 50 miles. If a similar situation exists around urban Leeds please let me know...I can't imagine having to cycle over 20 miles just to be able to get across the Aire from one part of Leeds to another place just outside Leeds.

There actually is an intense need for more river crossings but the problem is that there are already too many people living where the crossings would discharge the traffic. It's a stalemate of inadequate provision on a huge scale, not an over-provision viewed from a provincial perspective.