Cambourne to Cambridge Better Transport Project - Phase 2

PHASE 2 - Madingley Mulch Roundabout to Bourn Airfield and Cambourne

We were asking for your views on three options for the link between Madingley Mulch roundabout and Bourn roundabout.

• Option 1 is entirely off-road, only interacting with other traffic at junctions.
• Option 2 is entirely on-road, with public transport mixing with general traffic and basic junction improvements.
• Option 3 is entirely on-road, but with dedicated public transport lanes.

The section from Bourn roundabout to Broadway forms part of a major planning application for approximately 3,500 homes at Bourn Airfield and is the same across all options. All options show two alternatives for entry to Cambourne, travelling with general traffic through the village (Route A), or up Broadway and along St Neots Road (Route B), entering Cambourne from the north.

Cambridge Autonomous Metro (CAM)

Plans for the wider, regional Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM) are at an early stage and action is needed now to tackle worsening congestion and accommodate growing communities west of Cambridge. A future CAM network proposes electric, rubber-tyred vehicles that can run on existing roads, and, for best performance, use dedicated, off-road routes to bypass congestion.

A Metro network running on or off road needs enough space to provide the best service. Options 1 and 3 offer more road capacity due to greater separation from general traffic. Option 2 offers less capacity, as the route is shared with general traffic.

To facilitate the future CAM network, these proposals demonstrate alternatives for entry to Cambourne, sharing road space with general traffic through the village, or entering Cambourne from the north, offering greater capacity. GCP will continue to work closely with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as proposals for the CAM develop.

Option 1 - Off-road segregated route

A new public transport route adjacent to the A428 and St Neots Road. The route would be entirely off-road with minimal interaction with general traffic, except at junctions.

• Current journey time from Cambourne to Cambridge: 55 – 63 minutes
  (Citi 4 scheduled inbound journey times from Cambourne – Drummer St)
• Estimated future journey time from Cambourne to Cambridge city centre Drummer St: 32 – 39 minutes (Journey times are based on a congestion-free route. A 3-minute stop is assumed for Waterworks P&R and a 5-minute stop is assumed for Scotland Farm. Phase 1 section journey time assumed as 8 minutes. Existing bus journey times used between Grange Rd and city centre.)
• Journey reliability: This option is likely to offer the highest level of public transport reliability, as public transport vehicles would travel on new, segregated road space – bypassing congestion and any other disruption on the main road – avoiding delays to public transport services. This option is likely to be most compliant with the emerging CAM proposals.
• Estimated cost: £43m (Phase 2 costs only, excludes land and risk costs)
• There is likely to be some negative impact on the landscape, and this option would involve the greatest loss of vegetation, although existing planting would be retained as far as possible. New planting alongside the carriageway would be included where space allows.
• There may be a small increase in noise due to the increase in public transport vehicles, but this option would take public transport vehicles further away from existing houses than Options 2 and 3, and the operation of quieter and greener electric vehicles is proposed.
• There is potentially an improvement in air quality if more people use public transport rather than private cars. More information on possible
  air-quality impacts will be developed as more detailed traffic modelling is completed.
• There would be improvements to cycling and walking facilities alongside the link.
• The majority of construction would be off-road. There would be some minor disruption at junctions and side roads.

Option 2 - On-road with junction improvements - low-cost alternative

Public transport vehicles would run on-road along St Neots Road with general traffic east of the Bourn roundabout. There would be basic junction improvements.

• Current journey time Cambourne to Cambridge: 55 – 63 minutes
  (Citi 4 scheduled inbound journey times Cambourne – Drummer St)
• Estimated future journey time Cambourne to Cambridge city centre Drummer St: 35 – 42 minutes (Journey times are based on a congestion-free route. A 3-minute stop is assumed for Waterworks P&R and a 5-minute stop is assumed for Scotland Farm. Phase 1 section journey time assumed as 8 minutes. Existing bus journey times used between Grange Rd and city centre.)
• Journey reliability: This option is likely to offer the lowest level of public transport reliability, as public transport vehicles would be mixed with general traffic and would be affected by congestion and other disruption – causing delays to public transport services. This option is likely to have a low level of compliance with the emerging CAM proposals, but provides a low-cost alternative to Options 1 and 3.
• Estimated cost: £25m (Phase 2 costs only, excludes land and risk costs)
• There would be a small impact on the landscape, as the link would operate on the existing road. Existing planting would be retained as far as possible.
• There may be a small increase in noise due to the increase in public transport vehicles, but operation of quieter and greener electric vehicles is proposed.
• There is potentially an improvement in air quality if more people use public transport rather than private cars. More information on possible air-quality impacts will be developed as more detailed traffic modelling is completed.
• There would be improvements to cycling and walking facilities alongside the link.
• This option requires minimal construction and could be completed relatively quickly, meaning little construction impact.

Option 3 - On-road with public transport priority lanes

Public transport vehicles would run on-road along St Neots Road in priority lanes running in both directions.

• Current journey time Cambourne to Cambridge: 55 – 63 minutes
  (Citi 4 scheduled inbound journey times Cambourne – Drummer St)
• Estimated future journey time Cambourne to Cambridge city centre Drummer St: 35 – 42 minutes  (Journey times are based on a congestion-free route. A 3-minute stop is assumed for Waterworks P&R and a 5-minute stop is assumed for Scotland Farm. Phase 1 section journey time assumed as 8 minutes. Existing bus journey times used between Grange Rd and city centre.)
• Journey reliability: This option is likely to offer a level of public transport reliability between that offered by Options 1 and 2, as public transport vehicles would travel on-road, but in separate lanes. This means that public transport vehicles would bypass congestion, but may be more affected by traffic disruption – potentially causing delays to public transport services. This option is likely to be more compliant with the emerging CAM proposals than Option 2, but less compliant than Option 1.
• Estimated cost: £38m (Phase 2 costs only, excludes land and risk costs)
• There would be a modest impact on the landscape, and there would be some loss of vegetation, although existing planting would be retained as far as possible. New planting alongside the carriageway would be included where space allows.
• There may be a small increase in noise due to the increase in public transport vehicles, but operation of quieter and greener electric vehicles is proposed.
• There is potentially an improvement in air quality if more people use public transport rather than private cars.
• More information on possible air-quality impacts will be developed as more detailed traffic modelling is completed.
• There would be improvements to cycling and walking facilities alongside the link.
• The majority of construction would be on-road. As the road would be widened, there would be disruption at junctions and side roads.

Park & Ride options

There are two options for Park & Ride facility locations:

• Scotland Farm - with vehicle access off Scotland Road; or

• Waterworks - with access off the Madingley Mulch roundabout. Both locations are compatible with a future CAM network

Both locations are compatible with a future CAM network.

We consulted on the approximate location of the Park & Ride facility in 2017, and Scotland Farm was the preferred location. With more information on Phase 2, we were asking for views on more detailed proposals showing how the route would link with each of the proposed sites.

Scotland Farm Park & Ride option

Approximate cost: £10m (excludes land costs)

• Likely to attract more demand than Waterworks
• Off the main route so likely to have longer public transport journey times
• Located in green belt
• Closer to Cambourne and Bourn Airfield, so easier for people to walk or cycle to the Park & Ride

Waterworks Park & Ride option

Approximate cost: £9m (excludes land costs)

• Likely to attract less demand than Scotland Farm
• On the main route so likely to have shorter public transport journey times
• Located in green belt
• Further from Cambourne and Bourn Airfield, so less easy for people to walk or cycle to the Park & Ride