The Existing Public Transport System
The current public transport system in the Cambridge Sub-Region consists of
heavy rail, bus services, and taxis. Park and ride is a major feature of the bus
system. These sites are on the urban fringe of Cambridge on the main radial
routes. Bus priorities have been provided on some of the main routes. However,
existing highway capacity constraints mean that these priorities do not always
extend through all of the sections where traffic congestion occurs.
Extending the park and ride system
This option would increase the number of park and ride sites. The new sites
would be about 15km to 25km outside Cambridge to form an outer cordon of park
and ride sites on the main radial routes near the main settlements, such as at
Ely, St Neots, Huntingdon, St Ives, and Royston. Where possible these would be
situated on the main public transport corridors. The park and ride services
would combine with existing rail and, or bus services to increase their economic
viability.
This option assumes that car drivers from outlying areas are more willing to use
park and ride if the site is close to their home because this would help to
reduce their travel costs, and the inconvenience of driving in rush hour
traffic. Some may also take a lift to the park and ride site so that their
partner has use of the car during the day.
The study will assess whether these park and ride sites would
attract sufficient patronage to make them economically viable. It will also
check what effect this would have on the viability of the existing park and ride
sites, and on future traffic flows and land use in the sub-region.
Guided bus
A guided bus can run on specially constructed guideways. The
buses are fitted with protruding sensors that run along the inside edges of the
guideway and automatically steer the bus. This allows the bus to travel more
safely at higher speeds. The guideway needs to be constructed to a high standard
so that the bus gives a smooth ride for the comfort of passengers.
The system can be constructed to allow the bus to leave the
guideway at particularly points to run on normal roads. For example, to take a
circular route through a village and then rejoin the guideway, or to run on
through city centre streets if they are too narrow for a segregated guideway. (A
segregated guideway is a self-enforcing method of ensuring that the guided bus
has priority over other traffic.)
Some guided buses are available with diesel and electric
dual-power systems. This means that the diesel engine can be used out of town to
power the vehicle and charge up the batteries. Once in town the vehicle can run
on its electric motor to reduce environmental impact by running quietly and
pollution free.
Trams
Trams are less flexible than guided bus because they run on rails. The trams can
be segregated from road traffic to avoid congestion providing there is
sufficient highway width. This increases journey speeds and reliability. Where
there is not enough space for segregation, the tram can share road space with
other traffic and pedestrians by having the rails flush with the road surface.
Trams are usually powered by electric motors and draw their power from overhead
cables. These cables can be visually intrusive, especially in an attractive
historic city like Cambridge.
Light rail transit
Light rail transit (LRT) systems have been implemented in a number of cities around
the world. LRT systems operate in similar way to a normal electric railway. The
vehicles are usually faster and more comfortable than a conventional tram but
usually require more space and are less manoeuvrable than either trams or guided
bus. The government has made a commitment to fund LRT systems in a number of UK
cities as part of its 10 year transport plan.
Like trams, an LRT system can share road space with other
traffic and pedestrians by having the rails flush with the road surface. They
are also usually powered by electric motors and draw their power from overhead
cables, which can be visually intrusive.
It is unlikely that a LRT system
would be suitable for access to Cambridge City centre because there is
insufficient road space without major demolition or relocation of buildings.
However, an LRT system may be worthy of consideration in the suburbs.
Underground metro system
Underground systems have the advantage of easily penetrating the centre of a
high-density city centre such as Cambridge. Generally the patronage needs to be
high enough to justify the high costs of building and maintaining the system. In
most cases the vehicles run on surface as wherever possible and only go
underground where there isn’t enough space above. Going underground can allow
the system to take the most direct route thereby reducing journey times. However
this needs to be balanced against the extra time needed to access the system via
the underground stations.
There are a number of issues that need to be considered when
planning an underground system, not least the high costs. This depends on
factors such as the ground conditions and whether the system can be constructed
by cut-and-cover techniques, or has to be tunnelled.
It is conceivable that a hybrid system could be developed that
can run as a guided bus on the surface and then go underground on guide-rails,
probably switching to electrical power picked-up from the underground system.
Metro systems running on rubber tyres have already been successfully introduced,
e.g., the
Lille metro system in France. However, these systems are automated and run
entirely on tracks.
A manned hybrid guided bus/underground system would need further
feasibility study particularly regarding safety and reliability issues. It may
be possible especially if the system only includes short lengths of tunnel.
Automated personal transport system
The technology for automated vehicles is now well developed and
some relatively simple systems have already been implemented in the USA and
Germany. A prototype of more sophisticated personal automated vehicle system
developed by Bristol University is currently being tested. (See
Advanced Transport Group
website)
Automated vehicle systems vary, but the most promising for
implementation in the near future are monorail systems. These provide personal
transport for up to four people. The user calls up a vehicle, which would be
available on demand, and then keys in a destination and pays a fare, probably
with a swipe card. The vehicle would then navigate itself through the network of
the monorail system to the most appropriate stop.
The system could operate 24 hours per day and would be quiet and
pollution free at the point of use. The lightweight monorail design can fit into
narrow streets and has only a small ‘foot print’ when crossing open spaces.
However, current systems are unlikely to have enough capacity to
cater for travel demand on the main routes into Cambridge. The system is more
appropriate as a link from the main public transport interchanges into the areas
of the City that cannot support a high frequency bus service.
The availability of this system may make the public transport
system more attractive because users would be able to access most parts of the
City by a combination of conventional public transport and the automated
personal transport system. This may help to increase overall public transport
use by making it more extensive, and convenient and reduces waiting times.
"Hopper" mini-buses
Some European cities have introduced free mini-bus services that
circulate through the city centre on routes that cannot support a regular normal
bus service. These are sponsored by the shopkeepers and can benefit trade by
making the city more accessible.
They could encourage greater use of public transport and
therefore have wider effects on the transport system of Cambridge. Modern
mini-buses can have low floors to make boarding and alighting easier. A frequent
service with good passenger information would be important to make this option a
success.
Improvements and expansion of the heavy rail
network
This option would examine the effects on travel of major
improvements and expansion to the rail network - for example, high-speed
connections to nearby cities such as Oxford, Peterborough, Norwich, Ipswich, and
London, and longer distance connections to Scotland, Ireland, and mainland
Europe via the Trans-European rail network.
The transport assessment would look at the effects on travel
patterns and the longer-term effects on land use and freight movements.
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