Originally Posted by
kevin
When a progressive mayor took over Bordeaux in 1995 he promised to develop and modernise the city. He has done that to a great extent but the tram system he introduced - modern, fast, clean and smart - doesn't seem to have alleviated the traffic congestion in the city. The place is absolutely strangled with motor cars and there are lights every few metres so even the shortest journey takes an age.
We went by car all the way in as we didn't know about the good park & ride system. But I'd certainly use that next time.
Trams have a place and can be effective in towns. They are never the answer in cities, especially those with an old street pattern. They are not the answer for Liverpool. Liverpool has a metro which is easily extended complete with around 5 miles of tunnel awaiting - few CPOs and no lengthy inquires, just lay the tracks.
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I was in Strasbourg and a train came down the street like in your picture - they said it was a tram. It shook the buildings around. It disgorged hundreds of people. Not nice. Rapid-transit has to be segregated, either below ground level or above it, not mixing with surface traffic.
The Bordeaux tram does not have overhead wires I believe. The third rail is only energized when a train is over it - the only good point. Overhead wires are horrible and should resisted at all costs.
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