The Greater Cambridge Partnership is consulting on a proposed Rural Travel Hub at Oakington, which is served by the Guided Busway. The aim is to link up public transport, cycling and walking routes. This proposal could provide an attractive alternative to car journeys, promote health and wellbeing as well as helping to reduce congestion in and around Cambridge. For a village like Cottenham, with planning permission for over 500 new homes and the potential for ever increasing car usage, the Rural Travel Hub could encourage people to choose public transport over cars.
There is, however, no provision for any form of public transport linking Cottenham to Oakington. Without such a transport link, it would be very difficult for residents who can't or don’t cycle to access the Guided Busway, but even for those who do cycle, it would be a dangerous journey without a safer cycle route.
Further, any proposed Rural Travel Hubs require decent, onward travel options that are good value, timely and dependable. Instead, many residents along the Busway route find the service patchy, expensive and, at peak times, frustratingly impossible to board when buses arrive full. These proposals, however, do not make provision for additional services on the Guided Busway at peak times.
This Council, therefore, calls on the Combined Authority to bring forward the outcome of the strategic review of commercial, subsidised and community transport. It is only with these provisions that the residents of villages like Cottenham could, at last, look forward to having the integrated, streamlined public transport provision that will make car use the less favourable option.
Decision:
Council AGREED the following motion:
The Greater Cambridge Partnership is consulting on a proposed Rural Travel Hub at Oakington, which is served by the Guided Busway. The aim is to link up public transport, cycling and walking routes. This proposal could provide an attractive alternative to car journeys, promote health and wellbeing as well as helping to reduce congestion in and around Cambridge. For a village like Cottenham, with planning permission for over 500 new homes and the potential for ever increasing car usage, the Rural Travel Hub could encourage people to choose public transport over cars.
There is, however, no provision for any form of public transport linking Cottenham to Oakington. Without such a transport link, it would be very difficult for residents who can't or don’t cycle to access the Guided Busway, but even for those who do cycle, it would be a dangerous journey without a safer cycle route.
Further, any proposed Rural Travel Hubs require decent, onward travel options that are good value, timely and dependable. Instead, many residents along the Busway route find the service patchy, expensive and, at peak times, frustratingly impossible to board when buses arrive full. These proposals, however, do not make provision for additional services on the Guided Busway at peak times.
This Council, therefore, calls on the Combined Authority to bring forward the outcome of the strategic review of commercial, subsidised and community transport. It is only with these provisions that the residents of villages like Cottenham could, at last, look forward to having the integrated, streamlined public transport provision that will make car use the less favourable option.
Minutes:
Councillor Eileen Wilson moved the following motion, as set out on the agenda:
“The Greater Cambridge Partnership is consulting on a proposed Rural Travel Hub at Oakington, which is served by the Guided Busway. The aim is to link up public transport, cycling and walking routes. This proposal could provide an attractive alternative to car journeys, promote health and wellbeing as well as helping to reduce congestion in and around Cambridge. For a village like Cottenham, with planning permission for over 500 new homes and the potential for ever increasing car usage, the Rural Travel Hub could encourage people to choose public transport over cars.
There is, however, no provision for any form of public transport linking Cottenham to Oakington. Without such a transport link, it would be very difficult for residents who can't or don’t cycle to access the Guided Busway, but even for those who do cycle, it would be a dangerous journey without a safer cycle route.
Further, any proposed Rural Travel Hubs require decent, onward travel options that are good value, timely and dependable. Instead, many residents along the Busway route find the service patchy, expensive and, at peak times, frustratingly impossible to board when buses arrive full. These proposals, however, do not make provision for additional services on the Guided Busway at peak times.
This Council, therefore, calls on the Combined Authority to bring forward the outcome of the strategic review of commercial, subsidised and community transport. It is only with these provisions that the residents of villages like Cottenham could, at last, look forward to having the integrated, streamlined public transport provision that will make car use the less favourable option.”
In moving her motion, Councillor Wilson spoke of the importance of strategic transport proposals taking account of the need for connectivity with rural villages. She noted that the GCP was currently undertaking a consultation on the Rural Travel Hub at Oakington, with a deadline for responses of 7 January 2019. Whilst a number of residents of Cottenham and Rampton appeared to be supportive of the proposal for the travel hub, they were unsure of how they would be able to access it as there was no public transport available. Moreover there was little or no parking proposed at the travel hub. Councillor Wilson questioned how residents could respond to such consultations when half of the offer appeared to be missing. She noted that when the Guided Bus and the Cambridge North Railway Station had been built there had been an assumption that a direct public transport link would be available from Cottenham, but this had not proved to be the case. The rural travel hub would provide the opportunity to put this right if an integrated travel solution was offered. Councillor Wilson noted that the anticipated expansion of the population of the village from 6,000 to 8,000 people would only lead to more cars on the road without an efficient and integrated public transport offer. She argued that the Combined Authority strategic transport review and initiatives proposed by the GCP must take account of the needs of villages which at present appeared to have been overlooked in their plans. Councillor Wilson therefore called for a fast, efficient, integrated transport system that took account of the needs of residents of villages.
Councillor Sarah Cheung Johnson seconded the motion.
Council, by affirmation
RESOLVED:
The Greater Cambridge Partnership is consulting on a proposed Rural Travel Hub at Oakington, which is served by the Guided Busway. The aim is to link up public transport, cycling and walking routes. This proposal could provide an attractive alternative to car journeys, promote health and wellbeing as well as helping to reduce congestion in and around Cambridge. For a village like Cottenham, with planning permission for over 500 new homes and the potential for ever increasing car usage, the Rural Travel Hub could encourage people to choose public transport over cars.
There is, however, no provision for any form of public transport linking Cottenham to Oakington. Without such a transport link, it would be very difficult for residents who can't or don’t cycle to access the Guided Busway, but even for those who do cycle, it would be a dangerous journey without a safer cycle route.
Further, any proposed Rural Travel Hubs require decent, onward travel options that are good value, timely and dependable. Instead, many residents along the Busway route find the service patchy, expensive and, at peak times, frustratingly impossible to board when buses arrive full. These proposals, however, do not make provision for additional services on the Guided Busway at peak times.
This Council, therefore, calls on the Combined Authority to bring forward the outcome of the strategic review of commercial, subsidised and community transport. It is only with these provisions that the residents of villages like Cottenham could, at last, look forward to having the integrated, streamlined public transport provision that will make car use the less favourable option.