CJB wrote:
One of the main arguments against the WLT is that it is widely thought
that the trams will snarl up traffic even worse than it already is.
However I haven't seen the argument that trams will actually help
traffic flow much better. I remember many years ago (late 1960s / early
1970s) when Europe was going anti-tram that they closed a main system
down in - I think - Zurich (or it may have been Geneva or somewhere
like that). Anyway, wherever, the lack of the trams actually caused
traffic to build up, bottle neck, and snarl up even more so than when
they were running. Apparently the trams were very useful in bunching up
blocks of traffic and actually kept the traffic moving. It was reported
that soon after closing the system down they re-introduced the trams.
CJB.

Just as increasing road space increases traffic levels beyond normal
growth levels, the reverse also appears to be true according to various
pieces of research - decreasing roadspace reduces traffic levels (or
rather slows the rate of growth). By that I don't mean it makes the same
traffic volumes divert to other routes - it means that the overall
volume is lower.

Once the scheme has been in place for a while, the levels of traffic
will reduce and adjust, and traffic is unlikely to snarl up any more
than it does at the moment (although without road pricing it's unlikely
to snarl up less either).

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London