The UK seaside town as an institution has been in terminal decline for many years. No one questions that, and the increasing reliance on day-trippers coupled with the appetite for activities the consumer-savvy visitors now possess means that serious consideration has to be given to attracting people into the town, if only for the day. Fortunately, this isn't a phenomenon unique to Colwyn Bay, or indeed, Llandudno, and there are studies and examples aplenty to show how the trends can be reversed. To write off Colwyn Bay as a tourist destination in itself is almost certainly a major error but not a crime. However, to then covertly try to manage its decline is bordering on misrepresentation and even - some might say - fraud.
The one attraction which has restored the fortunes of ailing seaside towns more than any other is a novel transport infrastructure. Specifically, Trams. It's hard to explain - especially to women, strangely - but men have a fascination with technology and anything that runs on tracks. There's good reason why children far too young to appreciate such things often get a delightful Hornby train set for their sixth birthday, which is then lovingly constructed and run by dad. Men enjoy magic, too (it's another male thing) and trains and trams have their own magic. The sensation-less transition from road to field to track one experiences in any rail-dependent vehicle is truly astonishing and belies what we see out of the windows. Wherever and whenever trams have been re-introduced they become major attractions in their own right and Cllr Oddy's suggestion to have a line linking Old Colwyn with Llandudno is little short of inspired.
Yes - there would need to be considerable thought given to the track route and yes - motorists might start to lose out a little bit. But here's a thought: we don't have enough parking for the cars, buses and coaches that come, anyway, our roads are inadequate as they were originally designed for horse and cart and (possibly the clincher) we're all supposed to be going greener. Maybe the time has come to start thinking a little more radically and making it harder for car drivers to clog the roads by forming pedestrian precincts, within which the trams would be allowed to operate. All the experiences of towns which have reintroduced track-based transport systems strongly suggest that the public will settle for fewer roads just so long as there's a reliable alternative public transport system in place. From the Claverton Energy research group. Professor Lewis Lesley writes
"Transport is an energy intensive activity, heavily dependent on oil (99.97%) and a significant emitter of carbon dioxide (30% of UK total). Exhortation and education can reduce car dependency but in the absence of draconian powers to force people to change travel modes, people freely choosing sustainable alternatives is surely the best way? Market research and behavioural studies demonstrate that for short journeys, under 2 miles (50% UK car trips) walking and cycling are acceptable options, when there are safe and attractive routes. For longer urban journeys ( < 5 miles = 75% of UK car trips) public transport should be the alternative to car. In the UK most urban public transport is by bus (80% of trips). Car users however are not willing to use buses. Studies by the US Transportation Research Board shows that on a like for like basis of frequency, travel speed, fares etc, buses attract 40% less car users than even old rail services.
Getting car people to use public transport means rail services. The speed at which new tram systems have been opened in the UK over the last 20 years, one every 4 years, means that it will take 150 years to catch up with Germany.
Compared to buses, trams operating along the same route, at the same maximum speed carrying the same passenger loadings will use less than 25% of the energy, which will be electricity, not oil. Indeed there are several projects where new tramways will be powered by renewable generation, therefore in energy terms totally sustainable, and almost carbon emissions free, once the embedded energy to build the trams and track have been depreciated, usually a couple of years of operation. Indeed bus operators with routes having a peak frequency of ten buses or more per hour, could already make financial savings in converting to trams. This excludes any carbon emission considerations, and if the new tram service only carried former bus passengers there would only be the energy ( and carbon) savings of trams compared to buses. The real carbon savings come from diverting urban car trips.
New tram systems in France, have attracted 30% more patronage (all car diverted) than the bus services replaced. This is in line with the earlier US study. Car travel is energy intensive, and for short urban trips highly polluting. By suitable park and ride, as well as walk and ride, about 50% of car trips in the tram corridor will be attracted. Getting urban car trips down from 70% to 50% would save about 5% of UK carbon emissions.
That's the environmental argument. But the novelty argument is even stronger, and the single tram route between Old Colwyn and Llandudno could only have positive benefits for Businesses, hotels and thus anyone in Conwy.
Cllr Oddy's proposals have been in front of the Regeneration committee for almost a year. Perhaps it's time they started responding to what the public want, instead of what their own agenda-writers tell them.
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