North-South Tram extension for Edinburgh under discussion

The Transport and Environment Committee are set to debate some ambitious plans for the future design of Edinburgh's streets - including a possible new tram extension.  

 

The city is facing a rapidly increasing population (more than 3x the rest of Scotland) and projections suggest that this will continue in the future. It also suffers from congestion and associated air-quality issues. 

 

The city remain committed to reducing car kms travelled by 30% by 2030 by improving the design of its streets to better facilitate the use of public transport, cycling and walking options as laid out by its City Mobility Plan (CMP) which envisions the safe, sustainable and effective movement of people and goods around Edinburgh.  

 

Four options to help the city reach their target have been proposed - one of which being a proposed new tram extension from Granton to the BioQuarter and beyond. 

 

This extension could bring economic and regeneration benefits to the area as well as increasing citizens' access to public transport as well as reducing travel times across the city.  

 

Previous public consultations have revealed significant support for the expansion of the tram network in the city with 62% of the respondents confirming that they would like to see an extension to the tram network in the city. 

 

If the Transport and Environment Committee agree to proceed with the recommended plans, a 12 week long consultation will be launched in the Spring of 2024.