Another accident on the A14

Yesterday it was demonstrated that even the guided bus is not immune to traffic holdups on the A14.

I travelled home on the Service A that was timetabled to leave Trumpington at 16.39. I picked it up at Parkside, where it was running 13 minutes late.  This service normally takes about 8-10 minutes between New Square and the Science Park but traffic was backed up on Milton Road, due to an accident on the A14. Arrival into St Ives was 44 minutes late, a degree of lateness rarely achieved in the 'old days'.

How can time delays for guided buses on Milton road be avoided?

Creating a bus only lane in the out of town direction would help. Unfortunately there isn't much space due to a green verge with trees and a cycle lane. Are there alternative routes guided buses could use to avoid delays on Milton road? For example: Gilbert Road>Carlton Way>Mere Way>Arbury Road>Campkin Road>Kings Hedges Road; or, via Chesterton.

If the Chesterton Railway Station is built, or even if it isn't, what scope might there for providing a bus only road into central Cambridge, through Stourbridge Common, Riverside and Midsummer Common?

Thursday 11 August

My morning journey was punctual and took 29 minutes.

Problems in the evening, though. I'd checked on the live bus information online, and knew that my bus (Service A due to leave New Square at 17.01) would be a few minutes late arriving at Parkside. We were 15 minutes late leaving New Square. Heavy, slow traffic in Victoria Avenue, and Milton Road meant that we didn't reach the guideway until 1833. St Ives Park & Ride was reached at 18.55 - 22 minutes late.