West London Transit Scheme
Decision on tram postponed
Mayor delays tram announcement to next year in face of local concerns and rising costs
Transport for London have announced that Ken Livingstone's decision on whether to proceed with the tram has been postponed from October 2003 to January 2004. The postponement was welcomed by Save Ealing's Streets, which has been urging delay.
Transport for London have held detailed discussions with Ealing residents' groups recenly over ways to avoid closure of the Uxbridge Road should the planned tram go ahead. TfL agreed to investigate alternatives to closure in more detail and report back to residents in September.
Save Ealing's Streets welcomed the encouraging progress.
Jane Ashley of Save Ealing's Streets said 'We had a constructive discussion with Transport for London about the Ealing pinchpoint and looked at a series of options from narrower trams to routing the tram away from the Uxbridge Road. Transport for London seemed genuinely interested in identifying a way of avoiding road closure and displacement of traffic in Ealing. I am hopeful that they will come up with detailed plans to achieve this in the autumn. The fact that Transport for London seem to be taking this issue seriously at last is a tribute to the hard work many residents have put into the campaign against road closures.'
Many residents are concerned that the planned closure of the Uxbridge Road at certain "pinch points", including Acton High St., will lead to a diversion of traffic into local roads. A recent poll by TfL showed that 55% or residents along the Uxbridge Road support the tram. However, local campaign group Save Ealing Streets have dismissed the results of the poll saying that TfL have yet to disclose the questions that those polled were asked. A telephone poll in the Ealing Gazette showed over 80% opposition to the tram.
It was recently disclosed that the ultimate cost of the tram will reach over £500 million against the original estimate of £240 million.
June 3 , 2003
Save Ealing's Street's manifesto
The Story So Far - Documentation on the Planned Scheme
Mayor Says Yes to West London tram scheme
"The Uxbridge Road will get trams, Chiswick will get traffic." October 2001 ChiswickW4.com
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