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Just another Edinburgh knocking story?

Submitted by e2toe4
on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 11:53

The first step to putting something right is recognising something is wrong.

This somewhat depressing story falls into that category and although a rather bleak assessment hopefully it marks at least the beginning of a change in attitude at the top.

WE need to see an end to head in the sand, rah-rah tub thumping with spin and hope taking the place of substance and planning.

Bad planning and bad execution have bad effects, for too long the city has acted as if it can simply wish and hope away anything bad and bask in the glow of the endless upbeat PR --- a city sticking it's fingers in it's

Border Railway v Edinburgh Tram

Submitted by e2toe4
on Sun, 10/28/2012 - 12:07

This article is about the Borders Railway but the light it shines on the Tram project is helpful in isolating the key argument we have with our city 'railway' project.

In the comments one person, Pedro de Orgiva,  made a very good point (at least it seemed okay to me) in the context of criticism that it may cost more than expected to build 

Interesting that 70% of the potential users will come from the upper income quartile. If this is true then it will really will remove a sizable no of vehicles from the A7, since these are the very people who will be commuting at the moment by car.

Forget the doubts Titanic to launch soon--Babel Tower project on time and within budget

Submitted by e2toe4
on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 23:00

Footnote first... 

** In a weird coincidence after fighting for years, to NOT release data to the people they exist to serve,  the Council announced they would release it in real-time on their website---just as the UN's Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee were saying that by not providing the requested raw data to the public the Party concerned failed to comply with article 4 paragraph 1 of the Convention something highlighted in a draft report picked up by Radio 4's Scottish Correspondent Colin Blane in a BBC Radio Scotland recently.....spooky coincidence obviously!!

When something just

ON the one hand

Submitted by e2toe4
on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 21:21

 

 No-one is saying why the Charlotte Square scheme traffic proposals were pulled from the last TI&E (Transport, Infrastructure & Environment Committee) Council meeting.

  Could it be just  the  everyday type of legal or managerial foul-up for which the Council, or to be more specific the Tram project, has become world renowned in recent years?

Or could  it be because The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee of the United Nations in Geneva  have mentioned something that CEC were offerering to residents as a possible way of offsetting pollution in residential streets, which they had

Knit wits target tram

Submitted by e2toe4
on Sun, 09/30/2012 - 19:41

The 'Yarn bombers' have struck the Edeinburgh Tram.

Wooly minded 'Knit wits' sent a crocheted message to Edinburgh Tram bosses by hanging a knitted protest banner on tramworks in the City.

The message, reported here by local news agency Deadline News, spells out what many in the City still feel about the project despite the current attempts by the administration to put it all behind them and move on.

 

Comment is free..but not much else is...

Submitted by e2toe4
on Sat, 07/28/2012 - 17:54

Like an army of oocupation the Council continue to bear down on their own citizenry.

Is there anything wrong with bus lanes? Not at all, and nor is there anything wrong with enforcing laws and traffic regulations.

But 10,000 people caught in a 10 week period ought to drive some debate about whether the people of Edinburgh realloy are so rich they flout the law even when they know capture (at least for the law breakers who correctly insure and register their vehicles) is inevitable, and conviction automatic.

In this article the interesting thing is to see the comments and the polarisation of

U turn or no U turn there's no way TO turn

Submitted by e2toe4
on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 12:21

The Edinburgh tram project and it's effect on people's lives in their homes is the upfront story but not the real story.

The fact is that making the city centre and the city as whole liveable, walkable, bicyclable is a worthwhile goal.more than that, it is admirable, praiseworthy and fine in all aspects

But in Edinburgh it is a tattered and torn bit of PR Poster billboard spin behind which is a nettle and weed infested, toxic dump reeality.

The true solution will need traffic reductions ----..BUT the commercial, retail, and business health of the city depends on cars, vans, lorries etc.

So

Best article ever in the Scotsman about the tram....well, probably

Submitted by e2toe4
on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 11:10

This has to be the best article about the tram and it's REAL costs...ever(!!!) in the Scotsman.

It explains precisely why the real cost isn't just the £1 Billion plus in capital and interest charges.

The real cost is the loss of opportunity to be able to give Edinburgh a properly integrated, properly 21st Century transport system.

(And the fact that the consequent effect of the THIS tram project also entails raising congestion, noise and pollution across vast swathes of the city where the streets are residential, Homes specifically built there to give everyone the best possible dosmetic

The Three Wise Monkeys

Submitted by e2toe4
on Mon, 07/16/2012 - 10:20

This article in the Sunday Herald's Business section ponders whether Transport Scotland are to blame for lax supervison of the building works (and failing to spot that nothing was happening while the money mountain was disappearing)---or  whether CEC and/or TIE Ltd are to blame for not reporting that the money was disappearing but no tram system appearing.

The other possibility not mentioned is that  Tie, CEC and TS, the three 'wise monkey's' of the North; 'See no Evil'. "Speak no evil" and 'Hear no evil' were ALL TO BLAME.

It is more and more clear every day that a Public enquiry is needed

New Tram Tsar's job application

Submitted by e2toe4
on Sun, 07/15/2012 - 13:45

The job application for Edinburgh's potential new tram tsar Aldo Broon has emerged on another website blog .

 Mr Broon appears motivated completely by the size of the salary, and also anticipates the possible severance deal, rather than old fashioned ideas about doing what is best for the city or the people in it and so seems completely suited to running the project as it now stands.

A candidate like Mr Broom appears as a refreshing change after the procession of previous  altruitsic but unwordly types both in Tie and the Council who have brought us to where we are now.

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