While it would not be possible to link everywhere with everywhere else in and around Edinburgh, you can use what existing land, road and rail resources you have available to make as many integrated transport links as you reasonably can, to the benefit of a large section of the travelling population who both require and deserve more efficient transport links between a diversity of destinations across the city in connection with for example work, shopping, travel, medical and leisure facilities.
Edinburgh is expanding, the population is increasing, house building has been extending well beyond the city boundaries. It should be appreciated that Edinburgh is a large enough city for all modes of transport to work successfully together rather than on an individual and often duplicating basis. A solution to reduce car use by encouraging more environmentally friendly modes of transport has to offer real incentives to users and should extend over a wider area otherwise you just move the problem on somewhere else within the city. The current tram line from York Place to Edinburgh Airport does not address the widespread road traffic congestion problems that occur at many locations on the outskirts of the city and numerous areas within the city limits on a daily basis, whereas the light rail train solution offers genuine hope of an extensive network of strategically important links and interchanges, that users would be confident with in terms of functionality.
Transport is a subject that is fundamental to our daily lives, our economic future and the quality of the environment we survive in. The tram line (even if the had been completed to Leith and Newhaven, along with Haymarket to Granton, Granton to Newhaven and Ingliston to Newbridge) it would not have solved all the current transport problems being experienced today and only the stakeholders on these particular routes would really benefit as well as travellers heading for Edinburgh Airport. The new heavy rail station at Gogar (Edinburgh International Gateway Station) does offer further connectivity from Edinburgh and especially Fife for flyers. These are steps in the right direction, but, travellers both need and deserve a more all-embracing, contemporary and enlightened approach to shaping a transport network for Edinburgh, that will meet the needs of frustrated commuters by making their travel more tolerable, more accessible and more user-friendly, such as the light rail train solution being offered here. Edinburgh needs an integrated transport system to assist not just the existing stakeholders in and around Edinburgh but visitors alike who have a direct interest in having better transport links, to build strong stakeholder relationships based on trust and also to demonstrate to potential stakeholders the flexibility to be able to physically change to other networks or routes and provide alternatives according to circumstances, needs and destinations.