Here’s an idea – scrap tram plan: John McLellan

Trams started running from the city centre to Newhaven in June, completing the originally planned line from the airport.  But plans are already being drawn up for further extensions, starting with a route from Granton through the city centre to the Royal Infirmary and onto DalkeithTrams started running from the city centre to Newhaven in June, completing the originally planned line from the airport.  But plans are already being drawn up for further extensions, starting with a route from Granton through the city centre to the Royal Infirmary and onto Dalkeith
Trams started running from the city centre to Newhaven in June, completing the originally planned line from the airport. But plans are already being drawn up for further extensions, starting with a route from Granton through the city centre to the Royal Infirmary and onto Dalkeith
In polarised public debates, it’s rare when opposing sides are both right, but that appeared to be the case at a forum to discuss the pros and cons of proposed tram lines to Granton.

Former Lord Provost Lesley Hinds was correct when she told last week’s meeting that the suggestion of running the track across the Dean Bridge and down Orchard Brae was complicated, compromised safe cycling and was "potentially undeliverable". It would also be hideously costly compared to the Roseburn Path route.

But Euan Baxter from the Save Roseburn Path campaign was also right that it’s a well-used local park and a key part of Edinburgh's active travel network. I cycled along its length on Saturday to watch Watsonians play Heriots at Goldenacre (and advised obviously lost Taylor Swift fans they were going the wrong way for Grove Street).

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But being organised by the Spokes anti-car campaigners, another option was not up for discussion; the most obvious, given the Scottish Government will not put up the £44m Edinburgh Council needs for the cost of pre-construction work and producing a business case.

The option is to call the whole thing off as too expensive, the one lesson clearly not learnt from previous experience, with pro-tram councillors carried away because completing three miles of track from Picardy Place to Newhaven cost “only” £207 million.

“The way transport planning is done you come up with the benefits first and then you work out the costs later on,” said Mr Baxter. And that’s the problem.

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