Expensive legacy (From York Press)
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Expensive legacy
12:35pm Monday 3rd September 2012 in Letters By Reader's letter
FURTHER to the criticism from Steve Galloway about the double-deckers that took over from the FTR, I don’t know how the man has the gall to criticise anything in York city with the legacy he left us.
It cost £1.4 million to alter roads for the FTR, and while London and other cities were getting rid of the FTR because they were blocking junctions, Mr Galloway brings them to York.
He complains about buses running in tandem; I often saw three FTRs together and they were empty.
We can also thank him for the Tea Room Square fiasco that we have suffered with for a year. I read that a £9 million upgrade is to be implemented on the East Coast line, but there is no point in cutting travel time when it all stops at York Station.
We suffered for weeks of roadworks at the so-called Blossom Street/Queen Street improvements so the FTR could get round.
We can also thank him for the cycle lane on Water End that cost half a million pounds. He was also responsible for the decision to renovate the old railway offices for the new council offices to the tune of £43 million.
B Norrie, Campbell Court, Osbaldwick Lane, York.
Comments(8)
Jezreel
says...
6:57pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Buzz Light-year
says...
7:25pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Let's also not forget the mess that is/was Fulford Rd.
In general but also in reply to ColdAs:
No matter how awful the current regime is we must *never* forget the last ones were just as bad.
That's how they always get away with it.
Silver
says...
10:31pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Buzz Light-year wrote:Am I a cursed optimist for still seeking hope that some party can run a city without being idiotic? K so far 2 out of 3 isn't looking good and the third option isn't even an option...
Yes good letter.
Let's also not forget the mess that is/was Fulford Rd.
In general but also in reply to ColdAs:
No matter how awful the current regime is we must *never* forget the last ones were just as bad.
That's how they always get away with it.
ColdAsChristmas
says...
11:10pm Mon 3 Sep 12
Oaklands Resident
says...
8:31am Tue 4 Sep 12
The criticism is of convoy working by the double deckers. If the letter-writer lives in Osbaldwick he obviously is ignorant of the facts. Separation on the ftr service was generally much better (not least because boarding times were much reduced).
The ftr was first introduced to the UK in York. It was not "being removed from London". Much later Boris Johnson replaced some conventional "bendie" buses with double deckers.
I for one think that the Blossom Street junction rearrangment is easier to negotiate than it used to be.
So its all down to personal opinion and political points scoring really..
LibDem
says...
8:45am Tue 4 Sep 12
A better arrangement is possible but it will require the support of the new east coast franchise holder. Previous operators have heavilly favoured the use of land under their control for car parking.
Similar problems will face the constuction of a "bus station" when the Queen Street bridge is demolished (as reported in The Press).
The provision of an interchange facility has always formed part of the York central development plan and, in truth, for financial reasons is no closer to becoming a reality now than it was a year ago.
There isn't enough land to provide a "bus station" as such. But more off highway bus stands are possible. Labour admitted about a year ago that this would involve removing general traffic from the section of inner ring road between the station and Bootham Bar ..... so more controversy in the offing.
pedalling paul
says...
12:47pm Tue 4 Sep 12
ColdAsChristmas says...
2:55pm Mon 3 Sep 12