Results tagged “John Biggs”
By John Biggs
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver have held a special interest as we look to lessons we can learn for our Olympics.
We've seen the enthusiasm and pride of the city but we've also seen press reports that Vancouver's public transport system couldn't cope.
By John Biggs
Well, it's budget time again. My job as an Assembly Member is to examine the Mayor's plans and look for the flaws.
So here they are (well, the big ones anyway). The good news is that the amount of Council Tax precept is remaining frozen in Boris' latest budget.
It's late 2012 in east London. The Olympic party is over. The athletes and spectators have gone home.
For this part of the capital, which was promised so much from hosting the world's greatest event, what will be left?
By John Biggs
Albert Einstein said that he enjoyed travelling more than arriving. For people working or living in east London the opposite is often true.
Things do get better - longer DLR trains on the way for example - but often not.
For cross-river connections the year has not started too well.
By John Biggs
Another year draws to an end giving me an opportunity to set out my priorities for next year. My main focus for 2010 is to make the case for east London's connectivity to enable it to benefit from opportunities elsewhere, and to grow within.
London must climb out of the economic hole, and east London is key.
Crossrail is set to submit planning applications for the construction of a new Tunnelling Academy, creating a legacy of skilled workers for the next generation, writes Steven Davies.
The centre is being built to address the shortage of a trained workforce. The academy will aim to train 3,000 people, many of them local, between now and 2015.
It closed in dramatic fashion on Sunday, then re-opened two days earlier than expected.
But does the Blackwall Tunnel's short hiatus highlight the need for extra river crossings in the east?
By John Biggs
For about a year I have been raising concerns about weekend rail closures in East London with the Mayor, and anyone else I can get hold of. So I'm glad that the issue of the seriousness of ongoing problems of the Jubilee line works has now got much wider attention. The weekend closures effectively cut off east London, particularly when they coincide with works on the DLR or District line.
By John Biggs
One of "my" two X-Factor contestants (they live in my constituency), Rachel, has been voted out. Stacey remains. There is an East End tradition of success from a modest start to which they both belong. Other examples of success from the East End are numerous - another, from a different field, comes to mind each morning as I walk through Whitechapel and glance up at the blue plaque marking the home of the founder of Tesco.
London Mayor Boris Johnson may be considering installing a river crossing at the site of the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge after all.
The mayor dumped long-mooted plans for the bridge between Beckton and Thamesmead a year ago, and re-stated his position last month that it would "bring unacceptable impact in terms of traffic, congestion and pollution to the area".
By John Biggs
Londoners face an above inflation fares increase from January next year. Bus fares will rise by 12.7 per cent and Tube fares by 3.9 per cent.
Some services will be cut but we don't know which ones yet. The Mayor says he has little choice because of the other pressures he faces.
Greenwich foot tunnel users are still waiting for details on when the river crossing will be out of action.
Greenwich Council revealed earlier in the year that the tunnel would need to undergo essential maintenance, but it has not yet confirmed the start date and duration of these works.
The East London line replacement bus service is to be scaled back from Friday as it "no longer represents value for money".
Buses were introduced when the line closed in December 2007 as part of a £10billion investment programme, allowing commuters to continue to travel to destinations such as Wapping, Shadwell and Shoreditch.
London Development Agency executives have denied responsibility for failing to notice a £159.8million "black hole" in the Olympic land budget.
A KPMG report released last week revealed that the financial controls and documentation kept on land acquisition payments for the Olympic site were "inaccurate" and "generally inadequate".
By John Biggs
Even a little green man from Mars would recognise that for an area like ours to have so few roads crossing the Thames is unsustainable.
But we also know that individual communities often oppose roads because of the fear that they will bring unwanted traffic to a quiet area. The answer is that we need leadership.
By John Biggs
Last week I was taken around the Olympic Park to view progress. In simple terms, from a pile of mud and rubble it has now been transformed into an emerging park with venues rising on it.
The stadium has taken shape, and the curvy swimming complex, while still a pile of steel and trestles, is shaping up too - it will without doubt be the iconic building of the games.
Just weeks away from the closure of a vital cross river link which will affect hundreds of cyclists, council officials and transport bosses are yet to find alternatives.
Greenwich Foot Tunnel, which links south of the Thames with the Isle of Dogs, is likely to close for renovation in the autumn for up to 10 months.
Mayor Boris Johnson revealed the latest proposals for Thames crossings but was criticised for prolonging transport problems in east London.
The East London River Crossings Review, carried out by Transport for London, looks at options including a cycle and pedestrian bridge between Canary Wharf and North Greenwich, as well as resurrecting a proposed crossing at Silvertown.
By John Biggs
We recently discovered that cycle hugging Mayor Boris has a vice - taxis.
That is not to say that taxis are a bad thing but when you present yourself as the outdoor type it seems like a bit of a cheat.
There were more than £4,000 of taxi bills for his first year, which is about £80 a week.
My daughter is half way through her A-level exams. If she gets the grades she will be off to university.
And after she's finished she will, in theory, be able to walk into a "graduate" job. Two things strike me about this. First, this is not a good time to be a graduate looking for a job.
