Aug 5, 2010: China's Big Bus

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

But if you don't already have subways, digging them from scratch while a city still functions on top is basically impossible.

Gotcha. Didn't think of that as our Tube system is so old.

But either way, I think the problem with the normal trams is less about danger and more about convenience. They move slowly, and then they stop every couple of blocks and hold up traffic. (This is exactly what our public buses do here.) With this over-traffic model, when the tram stops the rest of the traffic just keeps right on going.

Good point also.
I was thinking - again- of European cities that never really STOPPED using the trams and built the roads around them. In Amsterdam the trams go places the cars can't go and vice versa. In Blackpool (Lancashire) the trams serve the tourist routes and are completely separate from cars for most of their journeys. Trams in traffic are no better than buses.