Exciting times for Brum

Lots of new expensive transport ideas for Brum: and lots of far out house music video visualisations of them and all!

The tram seems a slightly odd one...I think it’s a fairly decent idea, I'm not just against it because of the short distance covered argument put forward by the news report. It will probably help people move out of the city centre towards places like the jewellery quarter because whilst that is only a short distance it still remains a bit intimidating crossing the barrier posed by the ring road, especially to people who might not know the area. So it offers a decent link for that...but it seems a trick has been missed in not linking it up as far as the cultural centre of the library, the town hall, the symphony hall and the museums etc. which would also be handy access to broad street. At the least it could join up with the Mailbox. And, I don't know what will happen to the current buses of Bull Street and Corporation Street...I'm sure something will be sorted for them but it would be interesting to see what. Before I saw this route but heard about the development I presumed that it would be going along Colmore Row to Victoria Square and then either down to New Street or onwards to Centenary Square but that would have cut out all of the shops which would be a travesty!

Next up, the new New Street Station

I'm not sure what to make of this, without wanting to sound like a grumpy old twat. Whilst New Street definitely needs to be redeveloped to create a more alluring gateway to the city and generally a more enjoyable and efficient traveling experience I'm not sure this is the answer. Yes the main hall looks a lot more dramatic with its high roof and natural light and the addition of extra seats will be a massive improvement but it still seems that the actual platforms are low and dingy. The old booming tannoy system and dirty trains belching out their exhaust will remain. The wider stairs will be a great improvement and hopefully they have sorted the lifts which are just stupid/terrifying at the moment but it looks like once you get up off the platform a long trek through pokey, low ceiling, narrow corridors lined with shops is what awaits you. I would go potholing or to a bondage club if I wanted to scrawpe around tight fitting orifices, I’d probably rather not do it on my commute…although having said that it might add a bit of excitement to the daily routine.

I guess the main emphasis of it is probably about making a nice entrance for John Lewis which it probably achieves so that’s fine. It would be well cool if the reflective façade treatment was designed in such a way that it would concentrate the sun’s rays on a massive tank of water so that it boiled and then the steam could be used to generate electricity and power something…like the tannoy system. Nevermind.

Last but not least is the Hs2 development to be designed for old Curzon Street site...the information on this is pretty vague at the moment, probably as a concequence of all the "not in my back yard" campagins of the little englanders...have seen quite a funny visual which suggests that it would't be happening until...

Also found this really exciting video: