September 2002

Dr Nick Palmer MP has posted the following to his email group about the results of NET's investigation into his alternative route.

"...patronage along the route would be higher than on the official route. However, the journey time from Bardills would be at least 10 minutes longer... ...There would be substantial extra capital costs ... The overall net impact of these factors was to reduce the benefit/cost analysis ... to no more than 85%. ... the ratio has to reach 100% to get funding (the official route is rated at 115%)..."

Read Nick's full report here.

UPDATE: NET's press release and the summary document can be found here and here (Word Documents)

Dr Matthew Frost writes:

"During the BACIT trip many of you were aware that I was taking some noise measurements with a decibel meter. ... I feel these readings generally support all the published data I have found that show trams are generally quieter and certainly no more noisy than buses."

Read the full story.

There are a couple of new links on our Links page. First up is Get Street Wise about the parking restrictions in Nottingham and we also have Congestion Free Nottingham about the workplace parking levy. Both sites are run by Nottingham City Council.

A lengthy study on the impact of the Croydon Tramlink has been published by Transport for London. As BACIT web site reader and self proclaimed transport fan Stephen says:

"After a great deal of woffle on statistical techniques, it has some very, very good data on Travel Patterns and the Impact of tramlink. Well worth a read - there are some real gems of information in there."

During our trip to Croydon, we were accompanied by a Nottingham Evening Post reporter. Last night the Post ran a double page spread on the trip and Croydon's tram system. A very fair and balanced article that highlighted the problems the tram's construction caused to local residents and business but also how everyone, which the exception of the motor trade, thinks the system is excellent.

Yesterday's trip by BACIT to see the Croydon tram system proved to be a highly informative day out. BACIT members, an Evening Post journalist, two local councillors and a couple who will lose their garden if Line Three is built made the trip to see what is widely regarded as the best tram system in the UK.

A full write up will be appearing here soon and keep an eye out for an article on the Evening Post over next few days.

If you read the Nottingham Evening Post letters page you will have seen Steve Williams, a top person in BCBRA, trying to criticise the tram over its provision for disabled people. This is our reply:

"As ever, BCBRA have missed the point. ...Current public transport in the area can carry exactly zero wheelchairs. The introduction of the tram will be a huge boost to the quality of life of the disabled people in Beeston and Children and its sickening that BCBRA are so desperate that they resort to playing on the fears of the disabled. "

Read more

Over at the BBC Speak Out site a lively debate is going on. Some of it intelligent and some of it not so intelligent. Only enough, all the mud slinging is amongst the anti-tram campaigners north and south of the river. My favourite quote (for obvious reasons) is:

"I wish you would put a sock in it! Those of us north of the river who are trying to save our community from the tram are having a hard enough time with the pro tram crowd picking over everything we say..."

Amongst all the bickering there is informed debate on the environmental impact of constructing the tram and the production of hydrogen for the anti's preferred tram alternative, hydrogen powered buses. Well worth a read.