Harlow Council excited about proposal for new Metro system
News / Thu 2nd Jul 2020 at 11:41am
HARLOW is expanding. Our population is set to grow by 65% over the next 15-20 years.
To meet this challenge, Harlow needs a radical sustainable transport solution that’s green, efficient and we can be proud of.
Harlow Labour is proposing a transformational METRO system comprising ultra-modern E-trams. Running on tyres along single track with passing places controlled by GPS, the trams will run mostly off-road but sometimes as through the Town Centre along existing routes.
A network will link with Gilston to the North – Enterprise Zone – Churchgate St. – New Hospital to the East and other routes to the West and South and even under a joint project with Epping be extended through North Weald to the Central Line.
Danny Purton will be presenting the proposal to the Garden Town Board over the next few weeks.
YH interviewed cllr Purton in order to find out a little bit more about the proposals.
tenpin
2020-07-02 18:01:05
I am afraid that readers should not get to excited about the grandiose plans of Cllr Purton, It is clear that Essex County Council do not support these Plans and the Garden Town Group have made it clear that they are only expecting more buses to be provided. An article last month reported on a report from 'Transport for New Homes' about the 20 Garden Towns, which clearly stated that residents would depend on driving and that none were likely to provide all week bus services to all households throughout the day. Elsewhere, it has clearly been said that new transport routes need to be in place before homes are built otherwise it becomes impossible to change residents mode of transport. Creating new lanes crossing the town will take many years and cause huge disruption during construction. It is interesting to note that the Governments prospective for Garden Towns was to create self contained communities to avoid urban spread as a bolt on to existing towns. Here we have an administration which is looking to do just that.
apolitical2
2020-07-02 22:04:24
The best transport system we need is the central line tube from Epping to Harlow
tenpin
2020-07-02 22:45:38
Trouble is apolitical, just where would the route go, where would a station (s) be sited, how many roads would it need to cross, stopping traffic as it went by. Same problem with Cllr Purton's Plan. Just one example, it will need to go within feet of the playground of Commonside School, cross Southern Way, stopping traffic as it passes. As for who will pay the millions of pounds needed ... well us the Council tax payer and all those who buy homes on these new housing developments because the developers will have to increase house prices to cover their contribution.
kthe5
2020-07-03 18:55:34
tenpin, I think you are right but I hope you are wrong. Linking to the Central Line would help with anyone who has to commute into London. If at some point in the future, links to Roydon, Ware & Hertford followeing the A414 could also be very benificial. "As for who will pay the millions of pounds needed … " I have some ideas on how this could be funded: Slap a Union Jack on each train and claim £900K for each train. "how many roads would it need to cross" Easy. Build a bridge over each road. Stick a few triffids on each bridge, call each bridge a "Garden Bridge", that's at least £53M each. Add on the fact that £350M a week will be saved after Brexit, I'm sure a few quid will be found for projects like this. Call it the Brexit Expressway and Dominic Cummings, sorry, Bungling Boris will throw money at it.
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