This week's Hunts Post (21 August, page 16) says that the busway has carried 3,096,370 passengers in its second year of operation. This comes close to achieving the target of £3.15 million which had been projected for the busway's third year of operation. Stagecoach reckons the high level of usage is due to reliability of the journey and the quality of the vehicles. Both Stagecoach and Whippet hope that usage will rise once the Northstowe housing development gets under way.
[correction added 17 Oct 2014 - the target should read 3.15 million not £3.15 - see comments below]
Showing posts with label Northstowe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northstowe. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Northstowe New Town
Today's Hunts Post ( 31 October, page 21) says that building of the new town at Northstowe begins in 2013. 'Northstowe' will be on the old airfield and barracks adjacent to the guided busway between Oakington and Longstanton.
Concerns are expressed about the transport needs of creating the new town, and there is a 'call for more transport facilities to complement the guided busway'. But no specifics are mentioned except that improvements will be made to the A14/B1050 junction at Bar Hill. Those of us who are local to the Cambridge/Bar Hill/St Ives area know what a nightmare the A14 is, and the prosepect of extra traffic from Northstowe adding to the A14's congestion problems is not a pleasing one.
It seems that the next 12 months will be spent in drawing up plans for the development.
The Cambridge News gives more details. Planning permission has been granted for the 1500 houses. The golf course will be built over. There will be a school, shops, sports facility, and community centre. Good news for cyclists is that there will be a cycle way to Bar Hill.
Two local councillors express concerns about the development. Councillor Alex Riley (Longstanton) talks about the local road network is heading for total meltdown. Councillor David Reeves (Oakington) predicted that traffic could make Northstowe a "laughing stock nationally and a disaster locally".
Concerns are expressed about the transport needs of creating the new town, and there is a 'call for more transport facilities to complement the guided busway'. But no specifics are mentioned except that improvements will be made to the A14/B1050 junction at Bar Hill. Those of us who are local to the Cambridge/Bar Hill/St Ives area know what a nightmare the A14 is, and the prosepect of extra traffic from Northstowe adding to the A14's congestion problems is not a pleasing one.
It seems that the next 12 months will be spent in drawing up plans for the development.
The Cambridge News gives more details. Planning permission has been granted for the 1500 houses. The golf course will be built over. There will be a school, shops, sports facility, and community centre. Good news for cyclists is that there will be a cycle way to Bar Hill.
Two local councillors express concerns about the development. Councillor Alex Riley (Longstanton) talks about the local road network is heading for total meltdown. Councillor David Reeves (Oakington) predicted that traffic could make Northstowe a "laughing stock nationally and a disaster locally".
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Hunts Post - 1 August
Four items of busway interest in this week's Hunts Post ( 1 August).
First ( page 6) , a letter from a resident of St Ives who has been using the bus to/from Huntingdon Rail Station for his daily commute. The new timetable has reduced the service to the station. he alos comments thta the buses don't comnnect well with the trains. Stagecoach reply pointing out that the new evening frequency is the same as before, and that the Hinchingbrooke buses call at the stop on Brampton Road adjacent to the station. This isn't made clear by the published timetable though.
On page 14 are three articles about the busway.
Cambridgeshire County Council says that usage of the busway has been more than expected, reaching 2.5 million in the first year. They are expecting 3 million in year 2.
Whippet say their first year on the busway has been better than expected. Stagecoach.
Stagecoach refer to their heavy investment in vehicales and staff training. Their big question is - when will they get the return on their investment? In fact, they don't see that happening until the Northstowe development gets going.
First ( page 6) , a letter from a resident of St Ives who has been using the bus to/from Huntingdon Rail Station for his daily commute. The new timetable has reduced the service to the station. he alos comments thta the buses don't comnnect well with the trains. Stagecoach reply pointing out that the new evening frequency is the same as before, and that the Hinchingbrooke buses call at the stop on Brampton Road adjacent to the station. This isn't made clear by the published timetable though.
On page 14 are three articles about the busway.
Cambridgeshire County Council says that usage of the busway has been more than expected, reaching 2.5 million in the first year. They are expecting 3 million in year 2.
Whippet say their first year on the busway has been better than expected. Stagecoach.
Stagecoach refer to their heavy investment in vehicales and staff training. Their big question is - when will they get the return on their investment? In fact, they don't see that happening until the Northstowe development gets going.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Longstanton Park and Ride
Longstanton Park & Ride has a fine new terminal building which includes a waiting room, toilets, exhibition space and office for busway staff. The building is constructed to exacting environmental standards incorporating an e-stack ventilation system, solar photovoltaic cells, and ground source heat pump.
Inside is a display describing how the building has been constructed.
This image gives an impression of the interior:
When I visited a couple of weeks ago, there were also exhibitions about the proposed new town of Northstowe, which will be on the west side of the busway between Longstanton and Oakington; and about busway wildlife.
Outside the terminal building is a bus stop evidently intended for use by local buses. But so far no other bus routes have been introduced or diverted to connect into the busway at Longstanton. Even Stagecoach's Service 5 which serves Fen Stanton, Fen Drayton, Swavesey, Over and Longstanton does not connect with the busway, although it has potential to do so at both Swavesey and Longstanton Park & Ride.
St Ives Park & Ride should have had a terminal building, but it was cancelled in order to save money on the busway construction project.
When I visited a couple of weeks ago, there were also exhibitions about the proposed new town of Northstowe, which will be on the west side of the busway between Longstanton and Oakington; and about busway wildlife.
Outside the terminal building is a bus stop evidently intended for use by local buses. But so far no other bus routes have been introduced or diverted to connect into the busway at Longstanton. Even Stagecoach's Service 5 which serves Fen Stanton, Fen Drayton, Swavesey, Over and Longstanton does not connect with the busway, although it has potential to do so at both Swavesey and Longstanton Park & Ride.
St Ives Park & Ride should have had a terminal building, but it was cancelled in order to save money on the busway construction project.
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