From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic venues
has been approved by Greenwich Council.

The cable car will connect Greenwich and the Royal Docks, carrying up to
2,500 passengers-an-hour.

It was designed to cut journey times between the O2 arena and the ExCel
exhibition centre - both of which will host Olympic events.

Newham Council approved plans on 18 January. Proposals will now be put
before the Greater London Authority.

The London Development Agency is contributing £1.21m to the cost of the
project, which in December was estimated at a possible £40m.

The cable car was originally projected to cost £25m.

Greenwich council planning committee approved plans for the cable car on
Thursday.

Council plans state the car will extend 1,100 metres over the River
Thames from North Greenwich Peninsula to Royal Victoria Dock, 54.1
metres above water.

A Transport for London statement said: "The cable car is an exciting new
proposal that would help address the need for more river crossings east
of Tower Bridge.

"It will also provide a unique addition to the capital's transport
network and offer spectacular views of London's iconic skyline."

On 2011\01\28 14:51, Recliner wrote:
From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic venues
has been approved by Greenwich Council.

Thanks. IIRC the exact same scheme was also approved in the run up to
the Millennium Dome, so I'll believe it when I see it.

"Basil Jet" wrote in message

On 2011\01\28 14:51, Recliner wrote:
From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic
venues has been approved by Greenwich Council.

Thanks. IIRC the exact same scheme was also approved in the run up to
the Millennium Dome, so I'll believe it when I see it.

Yes, they're cutting it a bit fine, with both time and budget. However,
with Boris being a supporter, I suspect he may be able to get it done (I
guess London didn't have a mayor last time, plus the Dome was a central
government project, not a local effort). I wonder if he can lay his
hands on any Olympic subsidy?

"Recliner" wrote:

"Basil Jet" wrote:

On 2011\01\28 14:51, Recliner wrote:
From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic
venues has been approved by Greenwich Council.

Thanks. IIRC the exact same scheme was also approved in the run up to
the Millennium Dome, so I'll believe it when I see it.

Yes, they're cutting it a bit fine, with both time and budget. However,
with Boris being a supporter, I suspect he may be able to get it done (I
guess London didn't have a mayor last time, plus the Dome was a central
government project, not a local effort). I wonder if he can lay his hands
on any Olympic subsidy?


No - the time for laying claim to any of that has long passed, and given the
Olympic budgets have already been squeezed recently (e.g. see the main
stadium 'wrap' being dropped) there's no spare pot of Games cash just lying
around that could be raided for this.

As this earlier story from the Beeb makes clear...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12020689
....this was another one of those things that Boris blithely promised could
be funded privately, or with no extra recourse to the public purse (see also
the Boris Bus and Boris Bike schemes, for example) - but it's now getting
£1.21m from the LDA. Boris should stop trying to think that he can wave a
magic wand and make big things happen without spending any money! (May I
coin 'Bozzanomics'?)

Note that I'm not against this cable car scheme at all - it'd be great, but
if it does happen I imagine it'd be more like a London Eye type attraction
(though I'm not entirely sure that the visage of West Silvertown over which
the cable car would run [1], with Canning Town in the distance, is that
attractive - of course Excel, the Dome and some of the surrounding
developments are quite impressive, and the views whilst hanging over the
river of the Isle of Dogs and the Wharf would surely impress too, as would
the view of London stretching into the distance.)

It's worth noting that all that has actually happened here is that LB
Greenwich has given planning permission, as LB Newham has already done -
AFAICS it still seems some way off from actually happening (unless there's a
stinking rich magnate lurking in the shadows who wants to try and buy some
favour with the British establishment).

And no more Red Bull Air-Races over the Thames there if it does!


-----
[1] UIVMM some of the waste-type land at West Silvertown (part of which is
occupied by a breakers yard) is safeguarded for future use as part of a
third Blackwall river crossing - I can't imagine that safeguarding being
lifted so I imagine this plot, which the cable car is likely to travel over
or at least next to, isn't about to be developed into something eye-pleasing
any time soon.)

On 2011\01\28 16:19, Mizter T wrote:

Boris should stop trying to think that
he can wave a magic wand and make big things happen without spending any
money! (May I coin 'Bozzanomics'?)

Johnsonomics.

In message , at 14:51:30 on
Fri, 28 Jan 2011, Recliner remarked:

The London Development Agency is contributing £1.21m to the cost of the
project, which in December was estimated at a possible £40m.

The cable car was originally projected to cost £25m.

So the cost will eventually be about £70m !
--
Roland Perry

"Mizter T" wrote in message


And no more Red Bull Air-Races over the Thames there if it does!

Good point, I'd forgotten that, even though I spectated in 2007 (see
http://www.flickr.com/photos/recline...83777/detail/). If the
local area hasn't improved since then, the views to the north east from
the cable car will indeed be unimpressive.

However, I suspect that there wouldn't be another London race anyway, as
the UK has been off the calendar since 2008 (and there isn't even a
series at all this year).

In message , Paul Corfield
writes

Let the private sector find the money and take all the risk for what is
really a tourist attraction rather than any sort of real transport
facility.

Absolutely. Cable cars are immensely popular tourist attractions in many
parts of Europe, even where there's little or no snow (those in and
around Barcelona, for example).

The private sector should be perfectly capable of organising interesting
and profitable tourist packages that take in Greenwich, Docklands and
the Olympic Park via a variety of transport, including the cable car.
One of the things that makes the pilgrimage from Barcelona to Montserrat
so enjoyable is the facility to choose between the stomach-wrenching
cable car ride or the fascinating funicular route. I love it so much
that I often pay for both!
--
Paul Terry

On 28/01/2011 15:03, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2011\01\28 14:51, Recliner wrote:
From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic venues
has been approved by Greenwich Council.

Thanks. IIRC the exact same scheme was also approved in the run up to
the Millennium Dome, so I'll believe it when I see it.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to the T5 PRT project at Heathrow?

In message , at 21:12:03 on Sat, 29
Jan 2011, " remarked:
From: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12306090

A planned cable car across the River Thames to link 2012 Olympic venues
has been approved by Greenwich Council.

Thanks. IIRC the exact same scheme was also approved in the run up to
the Millennium Dome, so I'll believe it when I see it.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to the T5 PRT project at Heathrow?

It's been about to go live in a few months, for the last couple of years
(a bit like the Cambridge Guided Bus).

Still testing...

http://www.ultraprt.com/news/86/149/...vehicle-trips/

And they seem to have given up predicting when it will open (a bit like
the Cambridge Guided Bus).
--
Roland Perry