Modern Tram Conference
Developments in public transport, and particularly the need to achieve modal shift in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are likely to require highly efficient and cost effective new systems, according to TAS Director Chris Cheek, in an address to the Landor Conferences event "The Modern Tram" in London at the beginning of October.
The conference was the seventh annual event of its type, and the fifth which Chris has addressed. Speaking on the subject "Light Rail Development to date: implications for further development", he provided the event with an overview of the most recent statistics about the UK's operating light rail systems, all except one of which achieved further growth in patronage during the 2005/06 fiscal year. The exception was the Tyne and Wear Metro, which saw a 2.7% fall. The highest growth was over 15% in Nottingham, during only its second full year of operation.
Chris told the conference that TAS analysis suggests that every 1% of demand for car travel switched (as measured by passenger kilometres) would mean an increase in demand for bus or rail of over 15%. "We need transport systems that optimise scarce resource consumption," he said. "That means labour, particularly drivers, energy, time and vehicles."
Despite recent disappointments, he was confident that light rail would have a part to play in the future, since at levels of high demand, building and operating light rail systems could be cheaper than running buses. "But the lead times are long: we should be planning schemes now!" he added.
Chris's presentation was over 26 slides, which can be downloaded in PDF format.