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WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Bath is unique because the whole city is a World Heritage Site.  The geography comprises a river valley surrounded by hills which precludes the building of a ring-road and directs unwanted traffic into the centre.

TOO MUCH TRAFFIC

Central traffic –– Many residential and business needs might be met by an alternative to the car.
Traffic from outside –– Has different needs. Park + Ride is an attempt to take this out of the city centre.
Through traffic –– Does not want to go through the city but is obliged to do so; North-south from the motorway to Southampton and east-west to Bristol.  This traffic would not directly benefit from a rapid transit system.

At peak times the radial routes become congested, causing

1) Pollution, affecting buildings, retained by the bowl of hills.
2) Danger to other road users by mixed traffic in city centre.
3) Noise.
4) Visual intrusion.
 
 

 Probable factors causing inner-city reduction are traffic jams & parking costs.
 

ALTERNATIVES TO THE CAR
 

Existing	Buses, city and country extensive network privately run.  Park + ride for people from outside.  Trains.  Walking in city centre only or for leisure.  Cycling, hills are a problem.
Future	Rapid Transit, to be looked at.  Is there a rôle in Bath?    -  Which technology?    -  Would it compete with buses physically and financially?    -  How would it run through the centre?    - There was a study 3 years ago, on linking P+R to the centre. A       new study is to look at new technologies and       will probably lean towards Kerb Guided Buses.

What proportion of inner cordon traffic might shift mode? How does power station pollution compare with diesel engine?	Martin Willey
Modal switch predictions not known, not in study. Breakdown of information not available.	Mike Finch
Speaking as an asthma sufferer, does report take account of pollution, especially buses?	Unidentified
Buses are all subjected to M.O.T. test but the test may not represent actual working conditions.  Gas or other fuels may be the answer.	Mike Finch
In congested areas diesel engines do not work optimally. In Broad Street, open topped buses account for 1.8% of vehicles, the rest pollute too. Alternatives tested include gas, electric, exhaust particulate traps.	Vernon Bettison
Particulate traps and sulphur-free diesel?  Maintenance is a factor in engine emissions.  Power stations emit Carbon Dioxide pollution but away from populations	Barry Maunder
Our nearest supplies of sulphur-free diesel are at present in Aberdeen & Paris.	Vernon Bettison

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Buildings deteriorate through natural wear and tear, vandalism and air pollution.

Burning of coal used to be the prime cause of air pollution in urban environments, a 1952 photograph shows smog over Bath which is not obvious nowadays.  Comparison of recent photographs of Köln cathedral with some taken in 1900,  shows considerable deterioration of stonework.  A statue in Brompton cemetery shows typical staining and erosion.
The main pollutant was Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), it acts by converting the Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) in limestone, marble, Portland Stone and Bath Stone, into Gypsum (CaSO4) which dissolves in water.  Soot remains on unwashed areas.
The extent of erosion can be measured on a statue of St Andrew at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, where the uneroded lead plug in a lifting hole, now stands several centimetres proud of the eroded stone surface.
Bath stonework can be cleaned but soon becomes dirty again.  A photograph of Walcot Terrace shows one building left dirty, another recently cleaned and a third previously cleaned and now becoming rapidly re- soiled.
Electron probe microanalysis shows that CaCO3 in samples of affected stonework, is being changed by SO2 into crystals of CaSO4 which, being physically larger, prise the structure of the stone apart.  This is happening to a depth of 1cm and cannot be reversed by washing.

As present-day levels of SO2 are less than 10% of 1950s levels, why hasn’t there been a corresponding reduction in rate of deterioration?
At Bristol University, the rate of reaction is measured as a weight gain of samples of stone kept in artificial atmospheres with controlled levels of pollutant gasses.  It has been found that SO2 reacts as expected.  Other vehicle exhaust gasses, oxides of Nitrogen (NOx and NO2) also react in a similar way.  When water is present, the reaction speeds increase; but when water, SO2, and NO2 are all present simultaneously, the reaction is 10 to 24 times faster, depending on the type of stone.  It is the increase in NO2 from traffic fumes which has more than compensated for the reduction in SO2.

PM10s are microscopic airborne particles measuring less than 10 microns, they can evade the human body’s defences and enter the lungs.  Air samples taken in Bath contain PM10s of various types:
Spherical iron particles –– Originating in Wales, usually harmless.
Hollow silica spheres –– Fuel ash, which can sometimes cause medical problems by carrying SO 2 into the lungs.
Diesel PM10s –– Spongy, with a large surface area in relation to their size, the surface adsorbs SO 2, NOx and Hydrocarbons which are carried into the lungs in relatively large quantities and cause severe medical problems.  On buildings they cause deep chemical damage, give a sooty appearance and supply a hydrocarbon substrate to algal growth which, in turn, gives green discolouration.
 
 

Are other pollutants visible?	Donald Jepson
Oil mist, which can stick to PM10s encouraging algae.	Prof. Allen
Are all PM10s diesel particulates?	Andy Spearman
No, anything under 10microns is a PM10 but the large surface area of diesel carbon PM10s is what makes them dangerous because they adsorb and transport other chemicals into the lungs	Prof. Allen
What proportion of pollutants is due to transport?	Roger Newport
Electricity generation by gas is increasing so this would reduce all pollution except Carbon Dioxide.  –– Motor vehicle production is also a cause of pollution.	Prof. Allen
Are catalytic converters advantageous on short (e.g. urban school) runs?	Unidentified
Not until properly hot.	Prof. Allen
Aren’t homes biggest source of pollution?	Unidentified
Yes	Prof. Allen
Can we have power without pollution?	Mike Rowden
Gas power is probably best but still produces Carbon Dioxide, so does electricity generation.	Prof. Allen

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Advertising has been used to promote a ‘love affair’ with the car.  Proof of this: Photograph of our first car with family behind it; and parked on a bus stop.  Motor industry spends £25 on advertising for every £1 spent by all the public transport industry put together.  Although car ownership per capita is lower in U.K. than on the Continent, we have much greater car usage.
 
 

Newcastle.–– 1948 a dual carriageway was planned, in 1970 it was built as a double-decked motorway.
Houston (U.S.A.).–– 18 lane highway reduced to 18 m.p.h. in rush hour.
America.–– Out-of-town shopping centre car park, so large that it needs a bus service from cars to shops.
In 1963, Buchanan said ‘traffic will always fill the urban roads available’, recent thinking confirms that restricting roads will actually reduce traffic.

Road traffic produces more pollution than all industry and power stations combined.  Major pollutants are:
Carbon Monoxide –– Virtually all from road traffic.  Tokyo police have to wear oxygen masks.  If roads were factories they would be closed down by the Health & Safety Executive.
Nitrogen Oxides –– 50% from traffic, much of the rest from power stations, contributes to acid rain.  200 power stations are easier to control than 30million vehicles
Aldehydes –– Carcinogens
Benzene & other organic solvents –– Carcinogens with no safe level of exposure. (W.H.O.)
PM10s –– Carry carcinogens.

Ten thousand deaths per year were previously accepted as due to vehicle pollution, now this has been revised to 16 to 24 thousand, compare with 4 thousand deaths from road traffic accidents.
Vehicle emissions trigger asthma attacks.  Britain has the highest level of childhood asthma in the world.  Merseyside Health Area spends £120 million per year on asthma medication (excluding lost school and working time + disruption)
 
 

More walking __
Journeys walked at present (nationally):
< 1 mile ~ 80%         1 – 2 miles ~ 42%         2 – 3 miles ~ 22%.
Unpleasant in towns due to noise, fumes and danger, (1200 pedestrian fatalities).
1994 – Royal Commission Report on Environmental Pollution “Traffic emissions pose a serious health problem”.
1997 – Extraordinary supplementary report, “drastic action is needed”.
Proposed solutions:  Higher petrol taxes, Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997, better public transport.
Innovative vehicles –– Electric cars, in 1898 held world land speed record but await improvement.  If fuel cell problem could be cracked it would stop pollution but not congestion.  Californian study suggests complete conversion to electric transport would increase load on power stations by only 5%. Vehicles also pollute during manufacture and disposal.
Public Transport –– Requirements:   Image, travel information, passenger reassurance, security, service.  Present systems fail on all counts, a long way behind cars.
Bus deregulation (1986) ___ A decline in bus use of 1.5% per year became 2.1%, new bus purchases fell from 5000 pa to 2500 pa.  Although bus operators have worked hard to compensate, they are now facing deep trouble.  Car use must no longer be encouraged, buses should market their image better, selling destinations rather than journeys (this works well for airlines).
An integrated transport system should involve geographical interchange, through-ticketing and linked timetabling.  All modes of public transport will benefit.
Light Rail –– Usually includes the following features:-

• 1) Steel wheel on steel rail
• 2) Electrical power
• 3) Compatible with road traffic
• 4) Variety of rights-of-way
• 5) Minimal signalling
• 6) Peak demand met by ‘trains’
• 7) High labour productivity

    We have to do something about traffic pollution and congestion.  Public transport is the solution but present methods are shown by consumer behaviour to be unacceptable.
    Light rail (tramways) are a proven solution and financing is now becoming feasible for towns and cities the size of Bath.
 
 

When will through-ticketing be introduced by Badgerline?	Andrew  Furse  Hyder consulting
Two months ago!	Vernon Bettison
The idea does not seem to be widely marketed	Martin Willey
Through ticketing is expanding rapidly (examples given)	Vernon Bettison
Tickets are available at a booking office but not on the bus	Martin Willey
In Oxford they now are	Prof. Lesley
We are held back by archaic railway booking system	Vernon Bettison
(Show of hands?) –– Fewer than 10% know of through ticketing	Martin Willey
Bus future is good but a few poor examples detract from the good ones.  Where is the space to put tramways in Bath?	Vernon Bettison
Integration is the key, not replacement of successful bus services.  First group already owns bus, train and tramway.	Martin Willey
Integration should be the aim with ‘horses for courses’. Social exclusion in transport should be avoided.	David Redgewell  Transport 2000
How do we persuade the 85% who never use bus that it is an acceptable form of transport?  Bus has a marketing problem.	Prof. Lesley
Why not trolleybus?  No change to roads, no pollution.	Unidentified
The image doesn’t ‘sell’ transport	Prof. Lesley
Can new Southgate be exploited as an integrated transport interchange?	Rae Harris
All French systems use integration and it is very successful. Continental advert for Mercedes car shows driver catching tram, “Man intelligent enough to own a Mercedes is intelligent enough to know when to use it”.  Unlimited car use unacceptable now in Germany.	Prof. Lesley
What assumptions were used to produce pollution figures?	Unidentified
U.K.A.E.A. study shows car to bus transfer will alter SO 2 levels but little else.  Los Angeles study shows car to electric transport reduces total pollution.	Prof. Lesley
Hills are a problem for cyclists in Bath, can trams carry or integrate with bicycles?	Ian Wood
Yes, as in Holland.  Either in the tram or by lock-up at tram stops.  New TRAMpower vehicle has been tested with cycles.	Prof. Lesley

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Rail and Light Rail projects are much more capital-intensive than bus-based projects so the burden of repayment is greater.  Government funding is unlikely, so we look to the Private Sector.

2) Mezzanine Financiers ––  Intended to fill gaps in funding between banks and investors; they have the same expectations as investors, so can be disregarded.

3) Banks –– Primary source of finance. London has over 500 banks and their job is to lend money but none has any real experience of long-term transport projects.

Although initially enthusiastic, a bank will soon become cold towards a project it doesn’t really understand.  The bank must be enthused and supplied with large amounts of information which it would not otherwise have.  The bank must be involved at the right time, after major areas of uncertainty have been removed

    There is up to 3% variation in interest rates between banks, so choose your bank wisely.  A longer term for pay-back will ease repayment costs.  Calculate your own requirements and present them to the bank.
    Some banks will only finance 40% of a project, others up to 80%; the higher the bank percentage, the less equity needed to fill the gap and the easier will be the repayment.
    Bank interest rate is calculated from a baseline which can vary according to the length of fixed interest period agreed; sometimes a long period is advantageous, sometimes a short period depending on predicted interest rate trends.

    Risk can be spread by the bank or the borrower.
New technology risks –– If it fails, can someone agree to foot the bill?
Contractors risks –– Well understood and can be insured against.
Cash flow risks –– When the project is up and running, cash flow might turn out to be be inadequate to support repayments.  Banks must be given proper forecasts otherwise they will draw their own pessimistic conclusions.  Core cash flow will determine the amount they are prepared to loan.  It must at least equal interest and repayments but if extra can be generated it will allow equity funding to be sought, reducing the required bank debt percentage.
    If guarantors can be found for such things as traffic flow, more debt will be forthcoming.
    Usually guarantors will be people involved in the project such as operator or contractor.  This is often regarded as the price of entry into the project.  A landowner who provides the land could become an equity partner.
    From the above, it can be seen that the more capital- intensive a project is, the harder it has to work to repay debt.  Reducing the initial infrastructure costs ( eg  LR55 system) will greatly ease this problem.
 
 

Does the Government address the shortfall in funding?	Martin Willey
Cash grants are the most important form of support, guarantees are usually too short-term.	J.Digby-Rogers
Does the Eurotunnel fiasco demonstrate failings of the banks?  Would banks become shareholders if necessary to save a failing prject?	Arthur Smith
Eurotunnel was a gigantic ‘cock-up’, I worked on it!  The project was just too big and the banks were forced to give equity.  Smaller projects are more predictable and banks may be prepared to offer equity.	J.Digby-Rogers
Would Bath’s tourism be seen by a banker as an advantage to viability of a project in  a small city like Bath?	Barry Maunder
Yes, if this were confirmed by a traffic study.	J.Digby-Rogers
What equity arrangements have worked best?	Martin Willey
Contractors are usually the most willing source, encouraged recently by the Private Finance Initiative.	J.Digby-Rogers
Could the residents of Bath make up the shortfall by becoming shareholders?	Don Lovell
Yes, it works for football stadia, every bit helps.	J.Digby-Rogers

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    A series of about 20 historic slides was shown, depicting aspects of the previous Bath tramway system.  Mr Maggs recounted anecdotes of several amusing incidents which had occurred during its operation.  He presented the following factual information:

    In 1904 Bath Electric tramways replaced an earlier horse-drawn system. The tracks eventually covered nearly 15 miles

G.W.R. Station	Kingsmead Square		Weston
"	"	Newbridge	Newton St Loe
Guildhall	London Road		Bathford
"	Bear Flat		Combe Down
"	L wr Bristol Rd		Twerton
"	"	(single deck only)	Oldfield Park

    Considerable disruption was caused by road closure during installation.  The fleet consisted of 36 double decked cars, 6 single decked and one water car with snow broom.  The depôt and power station were in Walcot Street.
    In addition to passengers, the tramways carried parcels (hot food delivery), milk, perishables, post to outlying villages and bodies to the mortuary.  Profitable sidelines included a combined tram / theatre ticket, hire of staff for functions, messenger boys, a tea garden and a travel agency offering through- ticketing to Australia!

    Although there had been a clearly identified need for a shallow section track for use in tramways, it was not until eight years ago that the complete concept proposed by Professor Lewis Lesley was shown to Philip Sutcliffe at Edgar Allen Engineering Ltd.  It appeared to answer many of the problems being experienced at that time.

    This comprises a rolled steel rail bonded by Polymer into a concrete trough. The novel aspects of the system, which particularly appealed from the outset, included reduced traffic disruption when installing, reduced height which decreased noise and the Polymer encasement which reduces maintenance requirements.  Although intended as street-running track, it also has advantages where headroom is restricted.
 
 

Tarmac Precast Concrete Co . . . . . . . Precast concrete trough
Edgar Allen Engineering Ltd . . . . . . . Switches and crossings
Symonds Travers Morgan . . . . . . . . . Design consultants
A.L.H. Systems (Westbury Wilts.) . . .Polymer grout
Vost Alpine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rolled rail sections

    Because the initial cost of specially made rolling-mill rolls is very high we have not yet manufactured rolled lengths of rail.  Instead, Edgar Allen Co has cast our rail sections for the present trials, in Grade 90 Rail Quality Steel.
 
 

    With vehicles up to 80 tons, the load is so well spread that the usual preliminary diversion of Statutory Undertakings (i.e. sewers, water, gas electricity services) is not necessary in this case.  The proposal is to mechanise laying; a narrow channel being cut into the road surface with a laser-guided diamond gang-saw.  Only one half of the road is opened at a time, each track of a twin-track street being laid separately.  Concrete trough units are laid to line and level on a 25mm bed of asphaltic sand but they only need to be tied with gauge rods on curves of less than 50m radius.
    The rails, which would be pre-curved and tested before delivery, are sand- blasted on site to improve adhesion of the polymer.  Rails are lowered into position, bonded together and the polymer injected to hold them in place.  A skid-resistant surface can be applied to the polymer at this stage.  Any disturbed road surface is reinstated.

    Deduced from preliminary trials, LR55 has the following advantages over current tramway practice:
 

• Faster rate of tracklaying.
• Less road disruption during installation.
• Reduced impact on Statutory Undertakings.
• Exposed surfaces are skid-resistant.
• Reduced noise levels.
• Total isolation of stray electrical current.
• Reduced maintenance costs.

    A track which withstands the passage of rail vehicles may nevertheless be torn out by the continuous transverse passage of heavy road vehicles.  To test this, a track section was laid across the entrance/exit of Rotherham Bus Garage, receiving the equivalent of 30 years’ life in 21/2 years.  After this time, during which no adverse effects were encountered, a building was
constructed over the rail without notice, precluding subsequent recovery for examination.
    South  Yorkshire  Passenger  Transport  Executive then authorised a further section to be laid at the Alsing Road crossing of the Sheffield Supertram track.  Here it is subjected to heavy transverse road vehicle wear near a Heavy Goods Vehicle service area; and double the normal amount of tramway wear because it is at a point where double track becomes single on the approach to the Meadowhall interchange.  This demonstrated considerable confidence on the part of the tramway authority, as any failure in this critical section would cause major disruption.     Using the above-proposed laying techniques, no problems were encountered. Fortnightly inspection for the first six months showed the track to be performing well, the inspection period has been relaxed to three- monthly. After two years, the skid resistance is still good and nothing has needed replacement.

Could you tell us more about the steel?	Martin Willey
So far we have cast in Grade 90A steel, which is standard for most heavily used railways at present.  On curves we may opt for something harder and for switches and crossings, ‘work hardening’ manganese steel or similar alternatives,  otherwise occasional replacement would cause considerable disruption	Philip Sutcliffe
Do cars have difficulty with tram rails?	Unidentified
Places with established tramways, Calgary, Toronto, Boston, report no problems despite poor weather.  Only complaints.received from places where trams recently installed.  Complaints in Sheffield often exaggerated or tramway blamed for accidents from other causes.   I have experimented and had no problem when driving sensibly.  There is more of a problem for cycles and motor-cycles.	Philip Sutcliffe
Having lived in Germany, no problems once the rules are understood.  Trams have priority.	Unidentified
What are the advantages of rail over pneumatic tyre?	Unidentified
Better guidance, less maintenance.	Philip Sutcliffe
Is electrical insulation as good in wet conditions?	Alan Wilkins  Hyder Consulting
Polymer absorbs little water, so insulation is not much affected.	Philip Sutcliffe
Any system will suffer conduction through surface water.	Prof. Lesley
Will expansion cause rail to bow upwards when warm?	Unidentified
There would be a tendency but the temperature change throughout the rail mass is small and street-laid rail does not normally suffer from this.  We are looking into this at the moment.	Philip Sutcliffe
We did a failure test and the concrete failed before the polymer.	Prof. Lesley
Calgary has had no problem with a similar system.	Philip Sutcliffe
Are the underground vaults in Bath going to cause problems?	Unidentified
Without exact details it is difficult to be definitive but LR55 is very good at spanning gaps, much better than normal track.	Philip Sutcliffe
Is maintenance of Statutory Undertakings a problem?	Unidentified
No, we can work on repairs with the tramway system still running by using appropriate safety measures.	Philip Sutcliffe
Suitable safety procedures have been agreed for Edinburgh.  A catastrophic failure of gas or water main (a 1/40 year event) would close the tramway anyway; it is cheaper to leave plant in-situ.	Prof. Lesley
What is the cost per metre?	Martin Willey
No cheaper than conventional track but major savings in installation costs and reduced disruption.  – about £750 per metre	Philip Sutcliffe
3.5 Km track in the centre of Manchester cost £14M to install, with LR55 that should reduce to £5M.	Prof. Lesley
Could the rail section be laid directly on the surface?	Unidentified
It could, depending on circumstances.	Philip Sutcliffe
When bomb exploded in Manchester, track was laid on surface.  LR55 was wanted for this but, at the time, could only be cast in short lengths so was not quickly available.	Prof. Lesley
Would there be any problem, with A.C. traction current rather than the usual D,C, ?	Unidentified
The type of rail should make no difference.	Prof. Lesley
Would the figure of LR55 costing 30% of conventional, based on the Manchester example, apply more generally?	Unidentified
Yes when the cost of installation is considered.	Philip Sutcliffe
Has the Railway Inspectorate been informed of LR55?	Unidentified
They have been closely involved at every stage of the development.  Sheffield installation has approval, including skid resistant material.	Philip Sutcliffe
What sort of approval?	Unidentified
The specific installation is approved, general approval is not normally given, especially on skid-resistant material.	Prof. Lesley
What is the coefficient of friction?	Unidentified
On skid-resistant material it is similar to asphalt, the rail surface is 0.3	Prof. Lesley

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Our purpose today should be to promote public transport as a real alternative to the private car, we are not arguing buses against trams, they both have a part to play.
 

The talk was accompanied by 30 photographic slides and some overhead transparancies which illustrated various aspects of European tramways:
 

    Britain has scrapped most of the tramways which previously served the towns and cities.  The ‘family silver’ was not sold, it was thrown into the dustbin.
    This country has long shown a preference for double-decked trams [Blackpool 1970] but single-decked cars, with or without trailers, are preferred elsewhere [Basle]. To counteract motor-car expansion, the modern-looking P.C.C. tram was developed [Brussels].  For greater economy of working, articulated cars allowed large carrying capacity with a crew of only two,
(later 1), [Brussels].
    In recent times the low-floor vehicle has been developed to permit easy accessibility for wheelchairs and push-chairs [Grenoble].  With multiple doors, the loading time is very much reduced [Kassel].  Older vehicles can be converted by adding a low-floor centre section [Mannheim, Freiberg]. By timetabling the limited supply of newer vehicles at well publicised times, low-floor users know when they can travel.
    By having fewer seats and more standing room, large crowds can be accommodated; standing in the tram rather than standing at the stop.  The smooth ride on rails makes this acceptable, sometimes standing is preferred even though seats are available.
    In pedestrian areas the tram is safe because its course is totally predictable [Freiberg], cafe tables can be placed adjacent to the route, free from danger, fumes or noise. Narrow streets are suitable for tramways [tram going through  ancient archway in Freiberg].  Interlaced track permits two-way operation in narrow streets [Ulm?]

    Many continental cities, of similar size and character to Bath have tramways. [Berne, Grenoble, Basle, Ghent].  Tracks can be grassed-over [Grassed track ?]. In St Etienne 40% of all public transport passengers are carried by a single line.  Karlsruhe has an integrated rail and road system.
    Ticket validators without any advanced technology work perfectly well [Mannheim].  The advantage of computerised tickets is for management purposes but their statistics do not show why non-travellers aren’t travelling or whether travellers would prefer another method if it were available.
    Integrated transport systems can use zones, irrespective of means of transport, as the basis for charging [Rhein Ruhr]. Tickets can be used on bus, tram, local trains etc. but are not valid on inter-city rail.  Sometimes buses are excluded from the city centre [Mannheim].  Sequential services use the same stop, no searching for the right bus stop, no pay-on-entry so loading is
faster.  Interchange journeys make the best use of city- centre routes provided the interchange is conveniently arranged.  One ticket can be valid for 5 people mirroring the pricing structure of the car [Köln Bonn].
    Rail-based Park + Rides do not need a dedicated service, they adjoin normal tram services, thus overcoming some of the problems of bus-based P + R [Köln Bonn].  With Bike + Ride, the use of zonal ticketing means that  there is no need to take the bike into the city[Delft].
    Trams can carry 4 standing passengers per square metre, a level which is reasonably comfortable due to the smoothness of the ride, but can carry 8 per m2 at crush loading.  It is this ability to cope with sudden surges that makes the tram so effective.
 
 

    Trams are not an easy public transport option; if operators want an easy life, they should use buses; but the danger is that this could lead to lazy operation.  Trams must be properly installed and operated.  Whilst proper operation of a tramway will give a service second-to- none, haphazard operation would bring the system to a halt, leaving no room for complacency.
    Reducing the cost of tramway systems is always desirable but there is no single mode of transport which will solve the traffic problems.  Integration of bus, tram and train is the only successful solution.

Aren’t the problems of introducing trams in Bath (and other towns) lack of council incentive, lack of local finance and lack of transport strategy?	Roger Newport
Yes.  Most other countries have a strategy which takes environmental and social factors into the equation, not just profit.	Brian Lomas
Buses are loosing custom despite subsidy.  Manufacturers are tending to low emission propulsion, reserved routes and guided docking.  Marked-out routes are proposed for safety. . . Isn’t this a tram?	John Parry
City-centre dwellers derive no benefit from P+R.   ––   Bus fares are prohibitive so I use my car.  When public transport becomes cheap, people will use it regardless of mode.	Unidentified
Too-cheap fares will eventually run the system into the ground.  A suggestion for London:  compulsory day ticket to enter the city would mean you had already paid so you may as well use public transport.  Various ingenious ticket schemes work on the continent.	Brian Lomas

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Mr Robinson sent apologies for his absence which was caused by a broken leg.
He was represented by PROFESSOR LEWIS LESLEY

    A photograph of London at the turn of the century, shows all trams and one bus.  Thirty years later the situation had reversed.
    Trams were expensive because they were ordered in small numbers, unique designs, few repeats, no economy of scale.  Buses used production engines and drive components, in common with lorries.  This is the philosophy behind the new TRAM vehicle.
    Trams last a long time, [a slide was shown of a Blackpool tram] this vehicle is 63 years old (average fleet age over 60 years).  It was used as a test-bed for the new hardware before that was incorporated in the TRAM vehicle.
 
 

    Market research established passenger transport authority requirements:-

Low floor (350mm) over at least part of vehicle.
Max. speed . . . . .  . . . . . . . 50 m.p.h.
Braking & acceleration . . . 1.2 m/s/s
Horizontal curve radius . . . 25m
Max. gradient . . . . . . . . . . . 8%
D.C. overhead power
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28m
Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 tonnes
Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

    Manchester vehicles partly meet this specification; but could we do it at lower cost than their £1.5M each in 1990,  (or £1.8M nowadays)?  Sheffield trams are 33m long, weigh 56 tonnes and cost even more, £2.1M

THE NEW DESIGN

    The ‘TRAM’ vehicle has been designed to exceed the required specification, it has a higher maximum speed, higher acceleration and braking.  It can tackle tighter corners, steeper hills, has a lower low floor and is slightly longer.
    The prototype weighs 22.2 tonnes and carries 200 passengers.  The body is standard for all models giving economies of scale; a replaceable nose- cone allows visual customising.
    Reduced weight allows 10 wheels to be used instead of 12 and the low floor extends right through the centre section allowing flexibility of seating / standing arrangements.
    A full-size mock-up has toured the country doing market research which showed that car-users would be attracted to use it. (Main criticism:- seats too hard, they have now been replaced).
    When left on display at Liverpool Airport, passengers frequently climbed aboard and were disappointed to be told it wouldn’t leave for two years.  95% then refused the offer of an alternative bus and took a taxi instead.
 

    The body comprises two identical end sections joined by a short centre articulation.  It is built of stainless steel panels on a monocoque stainless steel rectangular-section tube frame, guaranteed for at least 30 years.  The sides and roof are formed from two ‘ladders’ with hoops.  It could be built locally with low-tech facilities, Colin Robinson built the prototype by hand in a workshop in Cardiff.  Each nose cone is a fibreglass moulding with no structural responsibility and can take any shape.  The bogies, which weigh 2 tonnes (Manchester bogies weigh 6 tonnes), were tested for 2 years under an old Blackpool tram which became very lively as a result It was shipped to Blackpool on three lorries as a kit and assembled in 7 hours.  After trials, it passed its Railway Inspectorate examination in Easter 1998.
    Photographs show there are 4 double doors in each side of the low floor area and one by the driver’s cab to allow one-man-operation during Blackpool’s winter season.  The vehicle can use ordinary washing plant and will go around a 15m radius curve permitting operation in virtually any street.
    The cost should be well under £1M each.
 

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Today we have seen an impressive spectrum of opinions and ideas, informative rather than confrontational.  From the presentations it is clear that:-
 

1) We have a problem.
2) Technology could help us.
3) Much information still needed. (Marketing forecasts).
4) Existing infrastructure and operators must be involved.
5) Controls must be combined with incentives.
6) £millions will be needed.
7) Council should give more consideration to ideas so as to be first on the
starting line.

Integration of transport will be the only successful solution, not individual lobbies.

Drive for change will come from the public. – This is no longer a minority issue.

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If you support the aims of the group and would be willing to help us achieve
those aims, please contact:-
 

Adrian Tuddenham,
88, Mount Road,
Southdown,
Bath  BA2 1LH

Tel: 01225 335974
email  ATuddd@aol.uk

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To go (back) to the Trams for Bath site click here

To go (back) to the LRTA (Light Rail Transit Association) site  click here

To go (back) to the Tramdev site of Brian Lomas   click here