Transform Scotland, the national alliance for sustainable transport, has today published its written deputation to the Transport and Environment Committee on the Strategic Business Case of the North-South tram route.
Nigel Bagshaw, Transform’s policy advisor on trams, said:
“We are unconvinced by the claims that both shortlisted alternative route options for a tram connection between Granton and the City Centre pose deliverability challenges, that the South section of the route should be the Council’s priority, and that further work is required on route options to the North before this section could be progressed.
“We strongly urge the Transport and Environment Committee to vote to proceed with the outline Business Plan procedure as agreed in previous policy and implement the entire north-south line, giving priority to construction of the Northern section whilst planning exactly how to build the Southern section.”
The advantages that the existing line has brought, and the recent effects of not being able to operate the section from Princes Street to Newhaven, has demonstrated how vital the trams are to the city.
The cost of not progressing the Northern section will be huge in terms of impact on modal shift, capacity, connection of areas of multiple deprivation, mobility, climate targets, congestion, health, development, housing, and economic benefit.
In summary, Transform recommends that the committee:
- Agree that the findings of the Strategic Business Case demonstrate a strong case for investment for a North-South tram route.
- Recognise that whilst there is a strong case for a tram connection between Granton and the city centre, the Strategic Business Case shortlisted two alternative route options, both of which have deliverability challenges.
- Recognise that the Northern alignment should be the Council’s priority.
- Agree the need to retain ambition to deliver a mass transit connection between Granton and the city centre.
- Agree that the Strategic Business Case demonstrates the positive impact that a North-South tram route could have on the wider City Region and recognise the importance of aligning this work with the wider regional mass transit network plan (SEStransit).
- Agree that this project should be consider as part of the wider SEStransit programme, which will be developed to Strategic Business Case stage.
