| Topic: | What is a modern trolleybus and improving modal shift | |
| Posted by: | Colin Izzard | |
| Date/Time: | 12/08/10 23:43:00 |
| What a wealth of information and opinions already shared in this thread and some good external references - but many readers may have outdated conceptions of what a modern trolleybus is and so not see it as a vital component in making a modal shift for Uxbridge Road As I see the issue, the need is to make travel along Uxbridge Road more efficient and presumably a good public transport system will make this possible. A tramway has massive detraction as it is generally exclusive to other road users. There is already too much dangerous pollution along our main highways so low emission traction is desirable. We do already have the A40 as the mostly efficient means of bypassing the borough by vehicle and coping for those on longer journeys. The Uxbridge Road is our living and trading area and needs to remain people accessible but without forcing all local journeys into the side roads and so ruining the amenity of residents. Ideally we could find a business sponsor to promote a design competition for the people of Ealing and the other boroughs to offer constructive ideas for a longer term solution. This would be preferable to recent past experience of consultation which feels unsupported and not ultimately valid A modern trolleybus can be viewed in many cities, quite surprisingly many American cities have good examples and integrated public transport systems, and Europe too can inspire. These modern trolleybuses are often dual powered with a diesel engine to cope with the stretches where overhead wires are not practical and to get around brief obstructions when wires are in use. As stated elsewhere, the power is drawn from a pantograph rather like many trains and is stable compared with the single pole of years gone by. It is also simple to raise and lower as required similar but faster than happens on parts of the North London Line. When the wires are in use we have transit with less emission and much quieter. With the trend for all large buildings already and in future plans, the overhead wire network could soon be fixed without thousands of free standing poles. Where there is enough road space, these buses could make swift progress and perhaps be limited in stops like the 607 Express A great example of buses in use is the centre of Seattle where buses from the outer areas use diesel and the high occupancy lanes of the freeways to an edge of centre point then raise the wires and glide cleanly through the town, even making use of a special bus tunnel under the main Broadway shopping area with metro like access to street level. Attractive, practical, designed to encourage people to be less dependent on the car at times. Getting people to use Park and Ride to encourage the modal shift. Some of these vehicles are articulated like the Bendybuses but I suppose that would not get support. I would say send the decision makers to see Seattle and other systems but we need to rein in spending in the new age of austerity. If spending were not such an object we could make more use of the Uxbridge Roadway by creating an elevated section perhaps to run metrotype vehicles rather like they do in Bangkok and what a bonus it would be for all the high rise dwellers not to have to descend to the lowest street level. We need solutions that will work for us locally. Cannot see my ideas really coming to fruition so will be happy to accept a consolation of a redesigned public transport interchange over the station area with pleasant views of the Village Green (Haven Green) |