Use Trams On Great Western Way

[Cambo]

Great idea Colin they could even link it to go into the OLM?

 

Failing a tram system wot about a cable car system following the same route?

[Glenda Powell]

Just to let everyone know my request for CCTV on the GWW has been passed it is being installed in the Autumn, the City Council has given the money for the first years running cost.   Glenda

[SON OF GRIDKNOCKER]

Brilliant idea! Well done Colin (some of the European models are very sexy!). Why not get It's Our County to include your idea in their manifesto? Anybody know who the IOC candidate standing in that Ward is?

[dippyhippy]

I love the idea of a cable car, Cambo!

 

Let's have one running from the top of Aylestone Hill all the way into town...... then jumps on a tram! Or vice versa depending on where you live!

 

Trams, cable cars and cycle routes...... now that would be the future for me!

 

Local businesses or schools could "sponsor" seats to help raise money to get this project up and running...??

[dippyhippy]

Does part of The Great Western Way fall in the Widemarsh Ward?? The Courtyard Theatre end??

 

If so, it would be Amanda Martin!

[Glenda Powell]

It is in the INDEPENDENTS manifesto that was in the HT last week under the heading of local  transport - integrated use of existing and new routes in and around the county to formulate a solution fit for the end of 21st century. using a mixture of an Eastern crossing, rail, which would include the GWW, park and ride, river transport improved bus services and cycling facilities.

[Jimbo]

I'm standing as a IOC candidate not in any of the proposed tram routes though. I think it's a fantastic, furturistic idea and just what this city and county need, who cares who comes up with the ideas as long as someone does, I for one would vote for it.

[Colin James]

Just to let everyone know my request for CCTV on the GWW has been passed it is being installed in the Autumn, the City Council has given the money for the first years running cost.   Glenda

 

This is good news, thanks for the update Glenda 

[dippyhippy]

That's a good point, Jimbo.

 

We all need to get behind the ideas that are best for Hereford as a whole.

 

The best idea I have heard so far, is to vote out the Conservatives.........! Surely nobody can dispute that this is a brilliant suggestion???

[Jimbo]

I agree that's the best idea I have heard for ages dippyhippy

[twowheelsgood]

Interesting that none of the highly paid consultants and council officers mooted this in the recent Belmont Road 'greening' proposals - the best they could come up with was a bus lane and some trees in a space that couldn't possibly accommodate them.

 

Yes, the tramway is a sound idea - it was when Albert Heijn proposed it, nothing has changed. Extend it up to the Courtyard. Keep it simple and cost effective. Keep the cycling facility.

[greenknight]

Evening all and what a great centre stage positive topic to bring to the headline page just as our page comes up in the Hereford Times ....brilliant Colin and thanks for getting the Voice to paper!

[Glenda Powell]

The proposed route if Mr Heinz proposal had been accepted  was from Belmont to the Courtyard theatre along the old Barton sidings railway.

[Colin James]

I have checked today and the old line is still there in places, if you go over the little bridge by Curry's and look to your left (assuming that you are heading north) you can see the old tracks still there. I would suggest running it from the top of Redhill/Newton Farm to The back of Curry's near Mortimer road, I actually think it curves around there and continues directly to the train station, so it could even end there.

[greenknight]

Maybe our conservative candidates can invest some of their cash into this project ...perhaps profits coming up from forthcoming London house sale...declared of course!

[greenknight]

This is not pie in the sky it has legs Colin or should I say rails!

[Colin James]

This is not pie in the sky it has legs Colin or should I say rails!

 

I think so and so do quite a few other people, I am sure they will be those who try to poo poo it but if enough of us get behind this campaign, tweet and share as much as possible we may just get some real serious action. Its all about spreading the word and gaining momentum, everyone I have spoken with this past 24 hours since I published the idea have been 100% behind it too which is really positive. Several Councillors from various parties are also on board )no pun intended lol) we all need to work together to make this really achievable for our city.

[greenknight]

How about getting a petition like your lights campaign on our front page? Sorry I'm a little prehistoric because I see the benefits of social media but refuse to sign up to Facetwit and bookter.

[Chris Chappell]

It is a great idea and runs through my Ward. Dr Heinz wanted to pay to set it up but not for the running costs. No one came forward to run the trams as it was not considered profitable. This was at the time when Cheltenham were considering scraping their road bus.

 

The two nearest schools were Haywood and Hunderton but not many of the pupils were far enough way to want to use the tram. People from RedHill, And Newton Farm could use the bus which would get them closer to the city centre or Rotherwas. Residents in Hinton and Ross Road area were more likely to bus or cycle or walk into town if they did not use the car. To make it viable the price of a ticket would need to be far more than most people could afford, and it was considered that there were not enough people who would want to use the tram going north while there would be fewer people wanting to go south at peak times. The Great Western. Way is a long way from Rotherwas so this also cut down the number wanting to use the service.

 

It could be linked to park and ride but for that to be viable there would need to be a car park for 500 cars. Somewhere close to make use of the tram. RedHill or Newton Farm, Brampton Road or Marlbrook Road? Both likely to be unpopular with local residents with extra car movements.

 

There was another problem too. There needed to be at least two trams each way every half hour so a passing point would need to be provided for a tram thus taking out space used by cyclists and pedestrians. There was a fear cyclists might catch there wheels in the rails.

 

If a tram service is going to happen along the GWWay it needs to be run by a not for profit social enterprise with funding from the lottery and grants from national and regional government. Maybe the model train group in Broomy Hill could run it but they are only open inthe spring and summer months. For a service that would be of use to the public, it needs to be a regular service.

I am more than happy to put my name forward to start up a social enterprise but I am not sure that it will solve the problems of traffic chaos in Belmont Road and of course with the IOC and Tories both supporting a bus lane down Belmont Road I am worried that the ASDA round about and Belmont Road will become even more congested than now!

[Mick]

It is a great idea and runs through my Ward. Dr Heinz wanted to pay to set it up but not for the running costs. No one came forward to run the trams as it was not considered profitable. This was at the time when Cheltenham were considering scraping their road bus.

 

The two nearest schools were Haywood and Hunderton but not many of the pupils were far enough way to want to use the tram. People from RedHill, And Newton Farm could use the bus which would get them closer to the city centre or Rotherwas. Residents in Hinton and Ross Road area were more likely to bus or cycle or walk into town if they did not use the car. To make it viable the price of a ticket would need to be far more than most people could afford, and it was considered that there were not enough people who would want to use the tram going north while there would be fewer people wanting to go south at peak times. The Great Western. Way is a long way from Rotherwas so this also cut down the number wanting to use the service.

 

It could be linked to park and ride but for that to be viable there would need to be a car park for 500 cars. Somewhere close to make use of the tram. RedHill or Newton Farm, Brampton Road or Marlbrook Road? Both likely to be unpopular with local residents with extra car movements.

 

There was another problem too. There needed to be at least two trams each way every half hour so a passing point would need to be provided for a tram thus taking out space used by cyclists and pedestrians. There was a fear cyclists might catch there wheels in the rails.

 

If a tram service is going to happen along the GWWay it needs to be run by a not for profit social enterprise with funding from the lottery and grants from national and regional government. Maybe the model train group in Broomy Hill could run it but they are only open inthe spring and summer months. For a service that would be of use to the public, it needs to be a regular service.

I am more than happy to put my name forward to start up a social enterprise but I am not sure that it will solve the problems of traffic chaos in Belmont Road and of course with the IOC and Tories both supporting a bus lane down Belmont Road I am worried that the ASDA round about and Belmont Road will become even more congested than now!

 

Well there is the poo poo that Colin referred too! 

 

It will work if we all get behind it. In Germany the trams I noticed recently are sponsored by advertisers. You do not need 2 trams you could just have one tram going back and forth every 20-30 mins, which is better than the bus service we have now. The lines from one end to the other is less than 2-3 miles. Chris you mention that people from Redhill and Newton Farm could use buses, there are no buses!! What happened to the good old Hopper service? There is not even a bus from Newton Farm to Bobblestock without changing buses and bus companies.

 

This idea is the best idea I have heard from anyone in years, it really is, so lets ALL get behind it for Christ sake. 

[Colin James]

I have had long discussions with several Councillors and potential Councillors in the past 24 hours since publishing the tram topic and all are 100% behind the idea. I am pleased that Councillor Chris Chappell agree's too as we will need his support too. 

 

During the various discussions held, I covered many area's including how many stops a tram would/could make and I ended up with between 6-8 stops. I have just returned from Istanbul, where like in Germany (Referring to Mick's comments) the trams are sponsored with advertisements, almost like wraps on them (which actually looks quite good) and from the experience I gained there, 8 stops took no more than 10 minutes and some of those distance in between were far greater than what there would be along the GWW. A tram starting at the top of Newton Farm and stoping 8 times ending either at the back of Curry's or at the train station would take no more than 10-15 mins and that is if the tram stopped at every stop, so you are looking at a maximum waiting time of 20-30 mins for it to return to that first point in Newton Farm, you do not need 2 trams necessarily. I saw many cyclists too and there is no problem with cyclists catching their wheels or any problems with pedestrians either, bare in mind the amount of people, vehicles, cyclists, tourists and animals in a busy Istanbul street and you will appreciate that actually, this would be NO PROBLEM at all in reality, if it can work in a mental place like that it can certainly work in little place like Hereford.

 

A recent photo from Istanbul:

 

[dippyhippy]

It's really encouraging news, Colin, that everyone you have spoken to so far can see the potential in this idea. This could literally and physically, "Bridge the Gap" in Hereford..... bring folks together.

 

I have mentioned the possibility of sponsoring seats.....I honestly feel that if people "own" an idea, it becomes far more important to them, and helps to drive projects like this forward.

 

Even competitions, run in the community and schools, can help youngsters feel like they have a part to play in its development. Maybe design passenger "Stop, Shop or Drop" signs???

 

Little things like this can really fire up people's imaginations..........

 

Let's make this dream a reality! 

[Victor Wright]

It is wonderful to see such a positive reaction to a very simple but very clever idea. I think Colin has hit the nail on the head with this one. A super solution and nothing to knock down to make this a reality either the road is already there, win win as far as I can see. This could be linked to a mini station at the back of the Theatre somewhere to serve the OLM and again end at the train station to serve the town centre. It could even be linked to Rotherwas and the Enterprize Zone. 

 

This would take a huge amount of traffic off those main roads south of the river. This has my vote big time! 

[greenknight]

It is wonderful to see such a positive reaction to a very simple but very clever idea. I think Colin has hit the nail on the head with this one. A super solution and nothing to knock down to make this a reality either the road is already there, win win as far as I can see. This could be linked to a mini station at the back of the Theatre somewhere to serve the OLM and again end at the train station to serve the town centre. It could even be linked to Rotherwas and the Enterprize Zone. 

 

This would take a huge amount of traffic off those main roads south of the river. This has my vote big time!

 

My sentiments exactly Victor and recently posted similar comment on Grid Lockers post regarding the millions spent on the new no-where road in the centre of town. Also this is just what Hereford Voice is all about and the greater the positive response the more weight behind the argument. It has to be a cracking project worth funding from National Lottery and the like!

[greenknight]

Colin...you've created a monster..but with a huge smiley face!!

[Aylestone Voice]

I would be happy if more people used GWW now rather than sat in their cars in Belmont Road. 

But I agree that a tram or similar system is a good idea. It would however be vital that it ran alongside a footpath/cycleway. If that were to happen then it is likely that with the widening of the hard surface that many trees etc. would have to go and therefore the "tree huggers" and "wildlife enthusiasts" may need to be persuaded. Also you will have to consider things like a depot and turning for the trams and car parking for users at either end or midway.

[Jimbo]

link this tram system into a park and ride also, situate a carpark just off the A49 somewhere by the Grafton then link this up to the GWW and Hereford joins the 21st century. The amount of people I deal with that ask where Herefords park and ride system is and when I say they haven't got one they look at me in disbelief, let's move this city forward.

[Aylestone Voice]

To have a park and ride you really must have a dedicated bus lane. People tend to not use park and ride if they just have to sit on a bus in a queue of traffic - they may as well stay in their car. So for a park and ride at Grafton you need to add another lane to the A49 into the city centre or take away one of the existing lanes.

If you can get a tram from a P & R car park to GWW then that might work

[Colin James]

I would be happy if more people used GWW now rather than sat in their cars in Belmont Road. 

But I agree that a tram or similar system is a good idea. It would however be vital that it ran alongside a footpath/cycleway. If that were to happen then it is likely that with the widening of the hard surface that many trees etc. would have to go and therefore the "tree huggers" and "wildlife enthusiasts" may need to be persuaded. Also you will have to consider things like a depot and turning for the trams and car parking for users at either end or midway.

 

In Istanbul the trams run down the centre on the main streets, there are people and cyclists everywhere, you hear the occasional toot on the tram horn and it just works! They are not that big in size, so I do not think much, if any widening of the old line would be required, especially if they kept it to maybe one side this would leave plenty of room for pedestrians and cyclists alike. 

 

There are some artificial slops and bends that were put in when they put down the tarmac but this can easily be reverted to a straight line again with little effort.

[Glenda Powell]

About 18 months ago electric cabling was put in along the GWW which could only run down the right hand side because of the rail tracks and they ran into difficulties when they got to the Hunderton bridge going across the river, when I asked the men what was wrong they said its the rail tracks stopping them digging down for their cables to be installed. I do not see why any trees would need to be removed they were in place when the trains used the line.