TLDR

Sign this petition to support preservation of the Green Belt in West Cambridge by opposing development of an unnecessary paved busway on Rifle Range Road adjacent to Clare Hall and the University Rugby Club Ground.

Background

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), comprising the Cambridge City
Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, South Cambridge District Council and the University of Cambridge, has recently proposed a "transformation" to bus services in Greater Cambridge with the stated goal of "provid[ing] more routes, for longer hours and higher frequencies for lower fares across the whole region."

One proposed new route would connect Cambridge to the growing community of Cambourne, via the Cambridge-to-Cambourne (C2C) Busway, shown in Figure 1. The eastern end of this route would adjoin with Grange Road for connection to the city centre, and in early stages of planning three alignments of the route were proposed: one following Madingley Road, one following Adams Road, and one following the construction of a new dedicated right-of-way along Rifle Range Road adjacent to Clare Hall and the University Rugby Club Ground in West Cambridge. 

 

Figure 1: Overview of C2C Busway Route

 

Following early consultations, the Madingley Road alignment was ruled out due to high traffic and the route options under consideration were narrowed to the Adams Road and Rifle Range Road alignments, shown in Figure 2.  

 

Figure 2: Comparison of Adams Road and Rifle Range Road Alignments

 

It was recently brought to our attention that the Rifle Range Road alignment was selected over the Adams Road alignment. Considering the city's vested interests in pursuing sustainable development, conserving natural habitats, preserving rich biodiversity, maximising pedestrian and cyclist safety, minimising disruption to the aesthetic and function of West Cambridge communities, and ultimately the responsible management of taxpayer funds, we feel strongly that this is the wrong decision.

Comparison of Adams Road and Rifle Range Road Alignments

Concerned by the proposed Rifle Range Road alignment, Clare Hall commissioned an independent impact report with Pulsar Transport Planning, a renowned London-based transport development consultant. The report found an overwhelming number of negative impacts resulting from the proposed Rifle Range Road alignment, and only minor neutral impacts resulting from the proposed Adams Road alignment. These impacts are summarised in Table 1. It is worth noting that the only true advantage of the Rifle Range Road alignment is an additional 750m of busway separated from conventional vehicular and cycle traffic, yet this would minimally reduce travel times over the Adams Road alternative seeing as the entire proposed C2C route is > 20km. For those interested, the full impact report comparing the two alignments is available here.

 

Table 1: Impact comparison of the Rifle Range Road and Adams Road alignments, courtesy of Pulsar Transport Planning.

 

Clare Hall additionally commissioned a financial feasibility study with Gleeds, a global property and construction consultancy. This study found the total cost of the proposed Rifle Range Road alignment to be £13.17 million, more than twice the total cost of the proposed Adams Road alignment of only £5.02 million in taxpayer funds. The financials of each alignment are summarised in Table 2. For those interested, the full financial report comparing the two alignments is available here.

 

 

Table 2: Financial comparison of the Rifle Range Road and Adams Road alignments, courtesy of Gleeds.

Summary

We support the aims of the GCP in principle and look forward to the benefits that improved bus service will bring to Greater Cambridge. However, on the basis of sustainability, conservation, preservation, safety, and financial responsiblity, we strongly encourage the GCP to reconsider their decision to proceed with the Rifle Range Road alignment of the C2C Busway and to proceed with the Adams Road alignment or to explore other options.

Sincerely,

Sarah Gough and Andrew McDonald

Green Officers of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

gsb.green@clarehall.cam.ac.uk

Action Items

• Sign this petition
• Share this petition with three friends and encourage them to sign
• Complete the official GCP survey soliciting feedback on the proposed bus network here (survey closes midday 23 December)
• Email consultations@greatercambridge.org.uk with your thoughts
• Engage with GCP on Facebook and Twitter @GreaterCambs using #GCPMakingConnections and #StopRifleRangeRoad
• Post to Greater Cambridge Partnership, PO Box 1493, Mandela House, 4 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1BY