I've been watching the webcast of the Transport Committee and its seminar about the Cross River Tram scheme. Councillors and business representatives have been arguing that it will aid growth and regeneration from Peckham in the south to Camden in the north. The singular Brian Coleman, whose constituency contains Camden and opposes the scheme, has complained that not enough people who share his view have been invited. Richard de Cani of TfL has been providing the neutral view.
Listening to de Cani has deepened my doubts about the scheme's prospects. It is one of a number of projects to be reviewed as part of the new mayor's transport strategy, which TfL is presently working on and is expected to address "tough choices". There is no TfL budget for building the thing, and obtaining it would mean Mayor Johnson asking the government for money to do it with. Given that he has already let slip his reluctance to spend much more on even exploring the idea, it seems that pro-CRT campaigners should not expect too much from the transport strategy consultation document expected to be provided to the assembly early next year.
