Saturday 23 March 2019

Evening diversions, week beginning 25 March, Cambridge City Centre

I've tried to capture the essence of this post in the title!

Starting on Monday 25 March, there are diversions after 21.30 each evening affecting Bridge Street and Magdalene Street in Cambridge City Centre. This means that the Round Church St and Jesus Lane stops won't be served by the last couple of "B" services of the day in each direction.

How long does this last, I hear you asking. Well, I wish I could tell you for certain. According to boards "on the ground" there are four nights of works. According to the Stagecoach website diversions are in place from Monday to Friday. Perhaps Stagecoach have learned from experience that all roadworks take longer than originally expected...

According to the County Council website the works continue until Friday (but they're overnight works, which suggests that "Thursday night" is the last one. But according to the County Council, the works are scheduled to commence at 20.00.

Who knows? How many possible variants of what should be the same information is it reasonable for the passenger to digest? How important, in the scheme of things, is providing accurate, reliable information to potential passengers? Why are the simplest things so hard to get right?

Friday 22 March 2019

Cambridge Metro

A £4 billion scheme to create a metro system for Cambridge is being talked about again. A ‘compelling’ case has apparently been made for its construction, and we report it here because plans show it taking over the guided busway route. Unlike other metro systems, this one will not be rail-based.

CAM, as it is being  called, will operate with high-quality, zero-emission ‘trackless metro’ vehicles, powered by electric batteries recharged overnight and at route termini throughout the day, without the need for overhead wires. Vehicles would offer a high level of passenger comfort, comparable to trams.

The route will run underground through the city centre.

https://www.transport-network.co.uk/Cambridge-has-compelling-business-case-for-4bn-metro/15752

Tuesday 5 March 2019

New stops for Houghton & Wyton (at last...)

It's over 6 years since the need for Busway services to be able to serve Houghton & Wyton was first raised on this blog. In early 2013 the parish council commissioned a survey of local residents. And it's just under two years since this blog reported that design work was under way to see the project to fruition.

Well, it finally happened! February 22 saw the official opening of the new stops on the A1123 Houghton Hill Road. There's even a crossing to ensure that villagers aren't mown down by traffic when accessing the new stops.

The Hunts Post was there to record the occasion.

With the recent diversion of half of the daytime Route B services via RAF Wyton, the new stops will see a half-hourly service in both directions. (There are a handful of peak-hour "A" services as well.)

Note: at the time of writing this, there's no indication on Traveline that the new stop exists, or that it's being used. So this is still a "work in progress". But the Parish Council is quite clear that they're operational.