More speed restrictions (and even slower journey times)?

Following the recent sad death of cyclist Steve Moir, local Trumpington councillor Katie Thornburrow has called for a formal consultation process to begin on reducing speeds on the Busway. It's not clear from the report in the Cambridge Independent just who should be consulted, and there's no indication that consultation should await the Health and Safety Executive's investigation into that most recent incident. It's also unclear whether she is proposing that speed reductions should apply solely to that stretch of the Busway between Hills Road and the Addenbrooke's turn-off.

Currently, unless otherwise designated, the maximum permitted speed along the Busway is 56mph (ie the imperial equivalent of 90km per hour). But there's a general maximum of 30mph on the single track section and on approaches to guided sections, a maximum of 40mph on "burst throughs", and an obligation on drivers to observe any specific limits imposed, through the use of signage, at other points along the Busway (eg Girton/Histon footpath crossing, Fen Drayton Lakes, Hills Road bridge - this isn't intended to be a complete list, just those I can call to mind immediately).

Apparently, safety measures including installing warning signs, lower fencing and extra road markings have already been agreed for the Long Road stretch, with the final works expected to be completed in October.

Not good enough, Stagecoach!

The busway is closed this weekend between Oakington and Girton Crossing, for maintenance, and buses are being diverted.

The notice published on Stagecoach’s website advises Oakington passengers wishing to travel to Cambridge to use the Citi 6, or to board at Histon Busway Stop or Longstanton Park & Ride.

This is not good enough.

Why can’t Stagecoach designate a couple of temporary stops in Oakington for the duration of the closure?

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-27/09/2018-16:00:31:934

Whippet, on the other hand, have very helpfully advised their passengers:  ‘If you wish to board at Oakington please wait on Station Road at a safe point close to The Busway.’

Stagecoach could easily do the same.

http://www.go-whippet.co.uk/diversions-and-known-disruptions/

Extended hours (Mon-Fri) on Busway's southern section

From 8 October, there are significant changes to the University's "U" service (operated by Whippet). What this means for the Busway specifically is that there are earlier and later departures on the Busway southern section - between the Railway Station and Addenbrooke's Hospital - on weekdays (i.e. Monday to Frinday).

Currently, Stagecoach's earliest departures are 0636 (outbound) and 0631 (inbound), with the latest at 1959 and 2017 respectively. The new Whippet timetable offers slightly earlier departures in both directions (0620 and 0631), and much later final departures in the evenings (2156 and 2207). Sadly, the "U" still doesn't serve Addenbrooke's at the weekend.

The new timetable is available for download here..

Bicycle thefts at Swavesey

A contributor to a Cyclescape discussion thread reports signs of multiple cycle thefts at the Swavesey Busway stop last week. And also noted an absence of CCTV monitoring the cycle racks.

Busway diversions this weekend 23 September

Stagecoach have announced that, due to the part closure of the Busway Track between Longstanton and Oakington, their busway service will be diverted. No stops will be missed but buses will be delayed due to the extra travel time required.

On Sunday buses will be departing Cambridge 8 minutes earlier than stated on the timetable.

Customers are asked to allow extra travel time to there journeys

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-20/09/2018-09:19:29:100

Busway accident - one dead

There are reports of an accident on the stretch of the Busway close to Long Road in Cambridge at around 16.45 this afternoon (13 September). The latest news from the BBC is that one male has died. From these initial reports it appears to have been a collision between a bus and a pedestrian, but this has not been confirmed. [Edited at 19.50 - Cambridgeshire Live, quoting the Police, is reporting that the dead person was a cyclist. The cyclist's gender has not yet been confirmed.]

Doubtless there will be much more in the media on this incident in due course. Right now (19.40) here are the stories as prepared by Cambridgeshire Live (rolling updates) and BBC News.

Swavesey Busway Stop

There’s a notice up at Swavesey Busway Stop saying that it will be closed on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th September, presumably for trackworks on the busway. Passengers are advised that buses will be diverted to use the nearby bus stops on Over Road. Presumably this means that journeys will take longer, and may result in the timetable becoming chaotic. So allow extra time for your journey.

A14 road closures weekend of 14-17 September

A major road closure on the A14 will mean that Bar Hill buses will be unable to operate along Huntingdon Road.

Instead a shuttle bus service will connect Bar Hill with Longstanton Park & Ride.

Citi5 will run between Bar Hill and Swavesey.

Details here.

Changes to Stagecoach busway Routes A and N

I was wondering why I hadn’t seen a route N bus for a while. and had noticed that some Route A buses in the middle of the day were diverting via Cambridge North Station and calling at all bus stops along Milton Road.

It turns out that for some weeks, the N has been ‘temporarily’ discontinued. This comes as no surprise as it never had more than a handful of people on it, and the fact that it served Cambridge North was scarcely advertised.

Departure sheets posted at bus stops don’t indicate which buses serve Cambridge North.

The timetable for the A,B,N and R services valid from 29th July (here) shows the N as still running, but includes an extra mini timetable,  after the ‘village’ timetable pages, for the variant As which replace the N and starting from 14 August.

Today, while cycling, I stopped at Longstanton Park & Ride. In the Cambridge-bound waiting shelter a paper copy of this extra mini timetable has been pasted up, but no information that the N no longer runs.

What a shambles! First of all, Stagecoach fails to provide a frequent service between St Ives and Cambridge North. Then it extends the N to St Ives P&R. Then it replaces the N with an occasional diverted A soon to be re-named as the D.

Why don’t Stagecoach run every A to/from Cambridge North? That way, St Ives would have a much improved access to trains to London, Ely, Norwich and Kings Lynn.

Nor is Stagecoach providing a viable service from the northern suburbs to Cambridge North. OK, the Citi2 goes to Cambridge North. But how about extending the Citi1 and the 9/X9 to Cambridge North as well?

The new A,B,D,R timetable, valid from 16 September, can be viwed here here.