Issue - meetings

The GCP are currently consulting on the preferred route options for the Waterbeach to Cambridge busway, including active travel provision, and a new Park & Ride at Waterbeach. For further information please follow the link below.

GCP Waterbeach to Cambridge 2023 | Consult Cambridgeshire (engagementhq.com)

The Committee received a report from the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) regarding the Waterbeach to Cambridge New Public Transport and Active Travel links options consultation.

The consultation was running from 30 January – 24 March 2023. Further information could be found via the meeting recording North Area Committee - Monday, 27th February, 2023 6.30 pm - YouTube or from the GCP consultation webpage GCP Waterbeach to Cambridge 2023 | Consult Cambridgeshire (engagementhq.com)

The Greater Cambridge Partnership Project Officer said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         Confirmed with optical guidance buses that a driver would still be in charge of the bus. A separate team within the GCP was looking at optical guidance buses and that rigorous safety testing / criteria would need to be satisfied before such a service could be implemented.

    ii.         It was estimated that the population of the new town at Waterbeach would be greater than 20,000 people (which was larger than the population of Ely).

   iii.         The issue with the Milton park and ride site was that it did not attract users from the A10. Several different options for a new park and ride site at Waterbeach were being considered as part of the current consultation. The reason why the proposed sites were further down the A10 was to try and encourage road users to use the park and ride and prevent congestion building up closer to Cambridge.  Initial modelling suggested that the Milton park and ride would still be viable if a new park and ride site at Waterbeach was developed.

  iv.         The concept of ‘park and cycle’ at Milton park and ride had already been raised both in current consultation responses and also by the consultants working on the consultation.