An email today from Ed Cameron of Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire to say that, as of Monday 3 October 2011, the 08:45 (Whippet Route C) departure from Drummer Street will start from the Rail Station. This journey will now operate via Milton Road instead of Histon Road and run along the Busway 10 minutes earlier.
In my printed timetable the 08.45 from Drummer Street is a service D. But I guess, if it is switching to the Milton Road route, it will be running as a C.
It's not clear to me why someone from Stagecoach is announcing a change to a Whippet service.
And Whippet's website says nothing about the change as yet.
Friday, 30 September 2011
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?
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, 29 September 2011
Accident on A14
Yesterday, the guided busway's value for providing reliable access to Cambridge was demonstrated when a two lorry accident at Bar Hill casue long delays for motorists, and a knock-on effect on other roads nearby, including the A1 and A428.
My partner took 1 hour 50 minutes to get from St Ives to work at Bar Hill. Two people I kknow who drive to work did not reach work in Cambridge until well after 9am. I heard of a student at a Cambridge sixth form college who did not get in until after 10am because of the delays.
http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/update_a14_delays_after_accident_near_cambridge_all_lanes_now_re_opened_1_1073059
The busway is of great benefit for certain journeys by bypassing the A14. But it does not address the real problem - that the A14 between Girton and Brampton simply does not have enough capacity.
The traffic from two dual carriageway roads funnes into it at both end, so that east-west and north-south traffic are crammed into its four lanes.
In addition the road has frequent junctions leading to farms and roadside properties. These do not have adequate slip lanes. Even the main junctions have very short acceleration/deceleration lanes.
The village of Lolworth has only one road access - via a one-way junction on the A14.
Bar Hill, a village of about 5000 people, has only one access road and all traffic must funnel in and out via a single roundabout, with two exits - one to the A14 westbound and the other to a bridge over the A14 from where drivers can go east on the A14 or north to Longstanton and Earith.
As well as being widened to cope with long distance traffic flows, the A14 desperately needs a separate local road paralleling it. And Bar Hill needs an alternative access road, southwards towards the A428, bypassing Dry Drayton.
But the Government cancelled the improvement scheme on the grounds that it was unaffordable in the current economic climate.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/a14-ellington-to-fen-ditton-information-pack/
My partner took 1 hour 50 minutes to get from St Ives to work at Bar Hill. Two people I kknow who drive to work did not reach work in Cambridge until well after 9am. I heard of a student at a Cambridge sixth form college who did not get in until after 10am because of the delays.
http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/update_a14_delays_after_accident_near_cambridge_all_lanes_now_re_opened_1_1073059
The busway is of great benefit for certain journeys by bypassing the A14. But it does not address the real problem - that the A14 between Girton and Brampton simply does not have enough capacity.
The traffic from two dual carriageway roads funnes into it at both end, so that east-west and north-south traffic are crammed into its four lanes.
In addition the road has frequent junctions leading to farms and roadside properties. These do not have adequate slip lanes. Even the main junctions have very short acceleration/deceleration lanes.
The village of Lolworth has only one road access - via a one-way junction on the A14.
Bar Hill, a village of about 5000 people, has only one access road and all traffic must funnel in and out via a single roundabout, with two exits - one to the A14 westbound and the other to a bridge over the A14 from where drivers can go east on the A14 or north to Longstanton and Earith.
As well as being widened to cope with long distance traffic flows, the A14 desperately needs a separate local road paralleling it. And Bar Hill needs an alternative access road, southwards towards the A428, bypassing Dry Drayton.
But the Government cancelled the improvement scheme on the grounds that it was unaffordable in the current economic climate.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/a14-ellington-to-fen-ditton-information-pack/
Friday, 23 September 2011
More timetable changes
This morning I travelled on the 0740 Service A from St Ives Bus Station to Cambridge. This journey has been extended to Cambridge Rail Station. It's a double decker and so unable to go under the low Hills Road Bridge.
Standing room only
This week's Hunts Post (21 September, page 6) has a letter from a Swavesey resident about the difficulties his daughter has had using the guided bus for travel to Hills Road due to overcrowding, and buses not stopping at Swavesey because they have been full. She has returned to using the slow bus (Citi 5) which goes round the villages. He appeals for extra buses to Cambridge starting from Swavesey.
On page 7 is another letter about crowded buses from a St Ives residents who uses a stick, and find that people won't give up their seats to elderly or disabled people. She also mentions signage at bus stops, and senior citizens parking at St Ives Park & Ride, then using their free passes to travel into St Ives - in other words they are dodging car parking charges.
On page 7 is another letter about crowded buses from a St Ives residents who uses a stick, and find that people won't give up their seats to elderly or disabled people. She also mentions signage at bus stops, and senior citizens parking at St Ives Park & Ride, then using their free passes to travel into St Ives - in other words they are dodging car parking charges.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
My letter in this week's Hunts Post
The Hunts Post (21 September, page 6) has published a letter from me about the guided busway. They've entitled it Time for a rethink. Unfortunately there is a paragraph in the letter which doesn't make sense.
In fact, it is Service A which has been achieving a punctuality level of 32%, and Service B only 17% - so I have been avoiding the service B where possible.
The average punctuality level for my first 40 or so journeys was 27%, well below the 94% that Andy Campbell of Stagecoach claims his buses are achieving.
In fact, it is Service A which has been achieving a punctuality level of 32%, and Service B only 17% - so I have been avoiding the service B where possible.
The average punctuality level for my first 40 or so journeys was 27%, well below the 94% that Andy Campbell of Stagecoach claims his buses are achieving.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Route diversion - Service C
Due to traffic congestion problems, Whippet have decided to reroute Service C west-bound via Regent Street instead of Parkside. This starts from 19th September according to this poster on the Parkside Bus Stop. However, the online timetable display at the stop hasn't been updated, and still shows the C as calling there. Sounds like Whippet haven't told the Busway about this change.
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