New plans could see Edinburgh tram extension to ERI

Edinburgh Council has today unveiled huge plans to transform the city centre over the next ten years.

It's all part of the 'City Centre Transformation' plan which will go out to consultation later this month and should be voted on by the end of the year.

The aim is to make the city centre a greener and more pedestrian friendly.

The plans include:

• A new free city centre hopper bus, transporting locals and visitors to key locations in the city centre for free.
• Pedestrianising key streets like Waverley Bridge, Victoria Street and the Royal Mile
• New segregated and safe cycle routes
• A new walking and cycling bridge to the east of the city centre - linking the old and new towns
• A significant reduction in on-street parking on streets like Cockburn Street
• Creating a possible tram extension through the south of the city

The majority of the proposals are all under a 10-year time period of delivery but there are no set proposals for a tram extension.

However, the local authority has laid out ideas of a possible route - stretching through the south of the city to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and looping back through Edinburgh University and linking up to Haymarket.

It's thought the plans will go to consultation later this month and then councillors will vote on them by the end of the year.

The start of development could begin by January 2020.