Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Ken muses on trams for Haringey?

Trams at Finsbury Park, circa 1910

 

Trams could be seen again on the roads of Haringey for the first time in more than 70 years if Ken Livingstone gets back into office.

The HJ reported that he has a vision for trams connecting north London from east to west so that commuters are no longer forced to travel into London and out again. But he's not making any manifesto commitments at this stage.

Chris Barker, transport spokesman for the Haringey Federation of Residents Associations, told the Journal: “When it comes down to discussing where it would go there would be problems, because fitting in the infrastructure would be difficult.

“But I would hope residents would respond very positively to having a tram system - as residents have in Croydon, where it is very popular and has revived the town centre. We’d like to be able to replicate that. I’m delighted that Ken has taken this up.”

If you're a tram fan, before you get too excited, it should also be borne in mind that a full eco-housing estate has been built with unused copies of previous grand London tram schemes. Ken's 2002 scheme is one such example.

Perhaps you can satisfy yourself for the time being with some of the tram stuff we have here on HoL and our own Harringay-born tram expert can give us something of the history of trams in the borough. Stephen?

Tags for Forum Posts: public transport, trams

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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on November 7, 2011 at 21:17

Thanks for the reply William.. If you ever want to go any further with your proposals and need any help.. count me in..

I'm afraid you have an enormous mountain to move!

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on November 7, 2011 at 21:40
Permalink Reply by StephenBln on November 28, 2011 at 7:16

Have you come any further with your plans WB? 

I seem to remember that around 2002 there was a TfL scheme for a Trolleybus System based on Wood Green that would have encompassed routes to Tottenham Hale, Harringay and Palmers Green..  Not what you propose, but even so, more environmentally friendly electric transport.

New Tram schemes are 99.9% succesful when implemented and the benefits for residents and the community are high, but these days, it is virtually impossible to get financial or political support due to the strength of the (generally badly informed) nimby element.

A good example of this is Hamburg, where a (nb) conservative/green coalition pushed through the re-introduction of the city's trams which had been withdrawn in 1978.

The Social Democrats scrapped the scheme when getting back into power in 2011..The same would have happened v.versa if the Social Democrats had previously introduced the scheme. It is this poltical interference in public transport which has produced bad transport systems all over the place.

A video of the proposed system was produced, but not made public until after the scheme was scrapped. If residents and councils could see the benefits to their communities I'm sure they'd much more pro-active:

Permalink Reply by William Booth on November 28, 2011 at 8:33

I did send a message to David Lammy about the idea. He brought up something similar to what you mention, a light rail similar to Croydon Tramlink but more or less following the North Circular from around here to Wembley. I replied that it might be a decent scheme in isolation but didn't really address many of the broader issues - the need for fast *and* cheap options for NE London transport with more interrim boarding points, the need to get cars off the road, etc etc.

 

I agree about political interference in underway schemes - weren't we meant to have a tram from Brixton to Camden until the last mayoral election....?

Permalink Reply by William Booth on November 28, 2011 at 8:33

And when I say he brought it up, he said Ken intends to look at it if reelected I think. Quite vague though.

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on November 28, 2011 at 8:56

Although I accept that new cross-London links are needed .. A North Circular scheme (avoiding all local centres) certainly isn't 'The Big Idea' - Seen through politicians eyes it would though, be quite easy to push through because of lack of residential usage on the route. Making a point with little as possible stress!

The Brixton - Camden Town scheme would have been (IMO) OK, but radials into the outer suburbs are really what are needed.. and of course don't come cheap. The 'no money' argument will always be pushed to the fore.

I too think that Ken has now passed his 'Bus period' and hopefully now sees their limitations.. i.e. no real 'main road' provision for those in wheelchairs and with buggies in the suburbs..

London desperately needs a level of transport provision that is between the bus and the tube - too many passengers for the buses to cope with economically - although not enough for a tube !

Permalink Reply by John D on September 26, 2011 at 12:39
Edinburgh seems to have screwed up royally with its tram project.
Permalink Reply by StephenBln on September 26, 2011 at 13:11

Yes John D, Edinburgh's politicians can't decide what they want..

 

On the other hand.. Blackpool is doing well:

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/gliding_into_a_new_tra...

Permalink Reply by pamish on September 26, 2011 at 20:34

They went up our road too:

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on September 26, 2011 at 21:11
Nice postcard Pam..
3dabemynv2wykPermalink Reply by 3dabemynv2wyk on September 30, 2011 at 13:30
They could certainly fit them along that bit of the high road between 7 sisters Road and Philip Lane - what's with that extra-huge deluxe footpath? Although I guess it's not much of a "scenic route" heh
Permalink Reply by William Booth on November 8, 2011 at 11:37
I'm no great fan of Ken for numerous reasons but his promise to cut transport prices is frankly essential. Boris has brought in absurdly high increases in both bus and tube fares - way above inflation and effectively pricing tens of thousands of people off the transport network.

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