Bus stops and route between St Ives and Huntingdon

Letter in this week's Hunts Post asking for a bus stop at Huntingdon Garden & Leisure, and for service B to return to its older route via Ramsey Road. (Hunts Post, 26 June, page 8)

Busway services to Houghton and Wyton

If you use Stagecoach service B between St Ives and Huntingdon, you will be aware that the buses skirt the edge of the villages of Houghton and Wyton, but don't stop there. Currently, the nearest stop for the B is at Hartford Marina about a mile away.

The parish council is commissioning a survey of local residents to find out how much demand there is for a busway stop on the A1123 to serve the village.

Hunts Post (20 February 2013, page 34) here.

Busway in today's Hunts Post

Today's Hunts Post (2 May) touches on several topics of busway interest. First, on page 5, is an update on the Cambridgeshire County Council v BAM Nuttall court case. While the Council is suing BAM Nuttall for £60m, BAM Nuttall is now making a counter claim of £43m. On page 14 it is reported that the County Council is pressing ahead with creating a new bus stop in Station Road, St Ives, to allow extra busway buses to serve St Ives town. The siting of the bus stop, outside Hyperion auction house, is near a road junction and therefore likely to increase road accidents, according to the County Council's own road safety report. There are four letters from Hunts Post readers (on pages 7 and 32). The topic of all four concerns the proposal to divert the service B away from the north end of Ramsey Road and Hill Rise in order to provide faster journeys to/from Huntingdon. One writer fears he may have to revert to using his car when travelling to/from Huntingdon rail station. Another speaks of Stagecoach's plans as depriving residents of northern St Ives of choice of bus services, and calls for a compromise solution whereby some buses continue to serve Hill Rise. A third letter is about problems the revised service will cause for disabled people who are unable to walk to St Ives town centre if buses are re-routed, and asks Stagecoach to provide an alternative. Finally, Peter Lee of Whippet says his company intends to continue service the Hill Rise route, and would consider increasing the frequency of services if demand justifies it.

Proposed bus stop in Station Road, St Ives

Earlier posts have mentioned the proposed new bus stop in Station Road, St Ives, that would allow more busway services to continue to St Ives Bus Station instead of terminating at the Park & Ride. The advantage of this would be to reduce the number of pedestrians crossing Harrison Way and delaying motorists, particularly at peak times. If you know Station Road, you will realise that there really isn't enough space to locate a bus stop there. Outside the auction house might be an option, but several mature trees would have to be felled. Between there and Waitrose there are several side turnings to/from the bus station, the Girl Guide building and the car park. The Hunts Post (11 April, page 14) reports thconcerns that a stop in this position might increase the risk of road accidents. A county council road safety report about the proposed stop suggests moving and redesigning it.

New bus stop in St Ives Town Centre

Cambridgeshire County Council is proposing to build a new bus stop in Station Road, St Ives. (Huntingdon & St Ives News & Crier, 12 January, page 32)

This will be used by Cambridge-bound busway services, and by reducing pressure on St Ives Bus Station, will make it possible for Service A buses to terminate at St Ives Bus Station. At present most service A buses run to/from the Park & Ride and do not serve the bus station. Many passengers (including me) have to walk the quarter mile from the Park & Ride to the town centre.

Hopefully, the extended bus route will cut down on the number of pedestrians crossing Harrison Way and so minimise delays to motorists on the A1096. The change will also stop Cambridge-bound buses from having to loop around the bus station. This will cut 2 minutes from the journey time. Cambridgeshire County Council cabinet meets on 17 January and is expected to recommend the project to the Council.