CHRISTIAN VASSIE’S film about modern tram systems and costings for different options (The Press, August 27) certainly need to be considered by the proposed Congestion Commission, although perhaps York 2030 would convey a more positive message about looking for bold transport solutions for a sustainable future.

Costings sound a lot, until you remember that Hopgrove roundabout ‘improvements’ cost more than £10m – more than that needed for a tram-train route to York Central.

However, the length of time such projects take means investors need confidence in cross-party support from politicians, rising above short-term politics around individual roads and junctions.

The ‘York New City Beautiful’ Simpson report of 2010 and the York Environment Forum Vision 2020 of 2012 should form the basis of developing that consensus, but so far the Local Plan fails to translate these into the kind of approach taken in Dijon and Brest.

If Labour is serious about sustainable transport and economic success without gridlock, energy and transport infrastructure must match their urban expansion ambitions, e.g. segregated public transport routes directly through the university to the city centre, plus tram train on existing rail lines and a free city-centre electric shuttle bus.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Broadway West, York