City Deal proposes second busway route
Plans to improve travel between Cambourne and the city.
The three recommended route segments
Cambourne to Madingley Mulch roundabout: A new off-road route in between the A428 and old St Neots Road or aligned with the latter.
Madingley Mulch to M11: A route south of Madingley Hill and North of Coton; the assessment would investigate how the curvature of the hill could be used to keep the busway invisible from both.
M11 to Cambridge: Charles Babbage Road (West Cambridge site) to enter Cambridge, with other options immediately adjacent to Coton Footpath or the very northern part of the West Field.
The £141m scheme aims to provide the infrastructure needed to support the city's growth up to 2031.
The proposal also includes a new high quality cycleway and path along its length and an additional Park and Ride site close to the Madingley Mulch roundabout.
The route would be largely off-road, although without guided rails, and could reduce return bus journey times to 28 minutes between Cambourne and Cambridge.
In their report to the Greater Cambridge City Joint Assembly, officers said:"The higher cost options represent a longer term investment in the capacity of the area to accommodate the growth anticipated up to 2031 and thereby directly support planned development."
"In total, including St Neots, 8,800 new homes are planned along the A428, plus a further 5,800 in North West Cambridge together with substantial growth in West Cambridge and the Cambourne area. [This option] offers a resilient solution for this long term growth."
The officers said the second busway best meets the City Deal objectives of securing economic growth by unlocking more new housing, jobs and investment opportunities - estimated at £679 million over a 30-year period -as well as offering the fastest estimated bus journey times.
The report will be considered by the City Deal's Joint Assembly later this month before a decision by the Executive Board at its meeting on 13 October.
The next stage of work would assess different routes within the 'catchment area' which will then be shared with the public at the next round of public consultation, before selecting a final definitive route.
