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Luton Translink Busway – Proofs of Evidence (cont'd) Letter to Persona Associates from South Beds FoE members Peter Hatswell and Roger Pepworth, 2005
Space Saving & Visual Intrusion The Luton/Dunstable area has a heavy population density. Rail makes efficient use of space, a double rail alignment carrying up to 10 times the number of people per hour than a 2-lane road10. As mentioned earlier, much of the route of the existing railway was laid in the 19th century and has had time to blend into the landscape and in some places arguably enhanced it. This will not be easy to achieve with the structures and works areas of a concrete busway and any new screening measures could take many years to become as effective as the natural growth of established species.
Commuters & Multi Modal Studies There is a heavy commuter demand for both journeys through Hertfordshire to London and northwards to Milton Keynes and Birmingham. Linking South Beds with a railway would to the MML and WCML would ease the pressure on the M1 and parallel roads. The London to South Midlands Multi-modal study reported in February 200311 that in order to achieve the Government targets for rail passengers and freight by 2016 more rail lines would be needed. Although it did not explicitly model urban areas, it did mention improvement of feeder services connecting to the rail network.
Building Costs In terms of cost, the existing rail section would not be expensive to restore and a diesel shuttle service would only absorb perhaps 25% of the proposed cost of Translink. Interest has already been shown by Laing Rail, operators of the successful Chiltern line Rail bridges, drainage and embankments are well established and largely in good order requiring minimal disturbance to the environment. The SRA stated in 2003 that it wished to reopen branch lines to enhance the catchment areas for the main lines and this is a good opportunity to reallocate the planned spending. As major renewal work on the main lines nears completion there will be a pool of expertise and equipment available to quickly re-lay the Luton/Dunstable line.
Planning Ahead It should be remembered that in the days when there were few cars, the London suburbs expanded rapidly following the layout of the Underground. For many years this was a genuinely sustainable solution only to be compromised by the affordability of mass-produced cars. This sustainable pattern could be followed in the new housing areas required in the MKSM study and there is no better time to install the rail links than before the housing plans are finalised. A rail link from these new housing areas would be independent of the road network and allow quick access to Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Luton with an underground extension to London Luton Airport. Joining the WCML and MML would allow improved access to the airport and also to the Eurostar terminal at Kings Cross.
Translink Grant & Civic Blackmail The Government announcement of £78 million for Translink in December 2003 came as a surprise to many in the area bearing in mind the almost overwhelming opposition to the scheme by the local population. We have been to many meetings where the only defenders of the scheme have been the Council officers (who also hold the whip hand on the allocation of resources to other much needed projects). This has been a cause of great resentment by local councillors who have been persuaded that support for the Translink Busway is required before other transport improvements could take place. Although this is the largest scheme in the area, the Luton- Dunstable Local Transport Forum has had its discussions of this scheme curtailed on several occasions.
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