Have your say on Waterbeach to Cambridge busway route and Park & Ride site

A Park & Ride is being proposed near the planned Waterbeach New Town site to cut congestion and support access to public transport.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership has also launched a consultation on two route options for the Waterbeach to Cambridge busway.

View or download a high-res version here.

The scheme – part of the GCP’s future transport network – would give greater access to people travelling to work, education and meeting friends and family. It would also help to cut congestion on the A10 and support the planned Waterbeach New Town development, where 11,000 new homes are expected to be built.

Cllr Elisa Meschini, chair of the GCP’s executive board, said: “The A10 is a key and heavily congested route in and out of Cambridge, which is likely to get even busier with the planned creation of thousands of new homes at Waterbeach.

“Our proposals for a new busway, active travel links and park and ride will complement the railway to give people more options, with faster and frequent services to the places they need to go to create a better transport network.”

This is the second consultation on the project, after people were asked for their views on route options in 2020, alongside further engagement in 2021.

A petition was launched by the Cambridge Independent and signed by almost 1,700 people in support of the villagers in Waterbeach after it was discovered that three of the four proposed routes would go directly through a small group of historic cottages on the edge of the village.

In 2021, the GCP ruled out all potential corridors for a public transport route that could affect homes or the allotments in Waterbeach.

People can have their say on the final two route options for the proposed busway – a western option and a revised central option, running either side of Landbeach. Both would provide direct bus services between the city and Waterbeach New Town, including fast and frequent services to a relocated Waterbeach railway station and the Cambridge Research Park.

View or download a high resolution version here.

There are three options for a new Waterbeach P&R off the A10 near Waterbeach New Town. This site could include cycle parking, e-scooter hire, electric charging points, click and collect services and would be in addition to the Milton P&R.

Butt Lane would be upgraded as part of the scheme, with improvements to walking and cycling links along the route to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Two options for the bus route:

Western option

• Connection to Milton Park & Ride via an upgraded Butt Lane as a diversion from the main route.
• A fast link that would by-pass Landbeach village to the west.
• Shorter and more direct route for bus services that do not call at Milton Road Park & Ride.

Revised Central option

• Effective connection to Milton Park & Ride via an upgraded Butt Lane.
• Accessibility for residents of Landbeach both on Landbeach Road and Waterbeach Road.
• Shorter and more direct route for buses and active travel users when serving Milton Road Park & Ride.
• Greater flexibility for other bus services within the A10 corridor to use the infrastructure due to the proximity to the A10 and connections to the existing road network.

With either option, buses will run on segregated infrastructure to a relocated Waterbeach station and continue to Cambridge Research Park on the internal road network.

The responses will be used to develop an outline business case and a preferred route which will be presented to the GCP’s executive board in the summer.

People can view the options and have their say on the proposals on the GCP’s ConsultCambs website.

The consultation closes at midday on Friday, March 24.