Looking forward for London as a world city

From "Underground News" - the monthly publication of the London Underground Railway Society, January 1997 edition. LURS is still very much around - I have added a short post about the group and further links ((here))

Very interesting to look back at the plans that were revealed and what's happened to them / which have come about and in what form over two decades later.

Quote

PLANNING LONDON’S TRANSPORT TO WIN AS A WORLD CITY

Plans revealed on 13 November [1996] by London Transport focus on the importance of public transport in enhancing London's competitive position as a world city.

These include a 550 mile Regional Metro system, better links to Heathrow, new road traffic speed targets and improved public transport quality

To improve access to the centre from Greater London, three regional metros - Thameslink 2000, CrossRail and Chelsea-Hackney Line - are needed These lines will remove the need to change for hundreds of thousands of passengers each day, effectively eliminate congestion on the Underground and bring a new quality of travel to the capital.

London's airports are vital for the international business and tourist markets. Better connections to the City and regional rail network are required and local services and interchanges need to be improved. Extensions to Heathrow Express and the Piccadilly Line are planned if Terminal 5 is built.

The pressure on London's Central Area increases as more people come to London and concerns for air quality and the street environment grow. London Transport advocates greater pnonty for pedestrians and public transport, with targets for traffic speeds, traffic restraint and 'Bus Malls' where key routes are given special attention.

Above all improvements in the quality of public transport must continue in order to provide an attractive alternative to the car, including better services, design and information. The goal of near 'seamless' journeys needs to be vigorously pursued

Peter Ford, London Transport's Chairman, said on announcing the plans' "Our number one prionty is to improve the reliability and efficiency of the existing system However, we must look beyond this to see what will be needed in the future to ensure that London retains and enhances its share of the global economy. Key elements of future plans include sustained investment in London Underground, better bus services and improved management of the road network, implementation of a Regional Metro system and improved links to Heathrow. These plans will lead to the higher transport standards that will be necessary for the future."

From a paper original, scanned using Lisa'a CZScanner with the OCR option. Here's the front cover; this edition had a colour cover, although other editions did not.