Transport Consultation

 

Area ‘A’ – Working Group Meeting 13.11.12

Minutes and Additional Notes provided by

Joel Chalfen,Community Engagement Officer Cambridgeshire Future Transport Cambridgeshire County Council Castle Court, Shire Hall, Cambridge, CB3 0AP
Email: joel.chalfen@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Direct Line: 01223 728175 Website: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/cft

 A. Minutes/ Notes from meeting

  1. Began by working through a needs analysis from which key issues identified were:
    1. Routing – including direct services toCambridge, at least on some days;
    2. Timing – including service early morning and late afternoon/early evening for commuters and students, hourly link to Linton;
    3. Saturday/Evening service;
    4. Reliability – suitability for roads, links into 13; speed
    5. Linton – improving 13 service; improvement to services at Linton; additional Health Centre stop
  2. In the ensuing conversation, attention focused on:
    1. The idea of extending the number 13 service to take in extra villages – to be discussed with Stagecoach.
    2. The idea of a service linking villages north of Linton to Fulbourn was proposed – but concern was raised about the loss of service to villages south of Linton.
    3. Equanimity of solution between the two areas currently served by the 19 was highlighted as important.
    4. Additional commuter link services were also requested on the 19 – at the beginning and end of the day.  Ideally 2 additional services in both directions.
    5. A weekend/ Saturday service
    6. The importance of synchronising services was emphasised, especially where direct services are not possible.
    7. Concern around the development of a hub at Linton was raised by all – in terms of location, size and efficacy.  It was suggested that a bus shelter in Linton with information would be enough.
  3. The meeting concluded with no clear solution but general agreement that the focus needs to be on improving the link service that the 19 currently provides rather than struggling to create a direct service for all villages along this route.  It was recognised that the current 19 serves too many villages to support direct services but a reliable local service that can link people intoHaverhill and Cambridge could be a new reality to which people might be able to adjust.

 

B. Additional Notes

There was not time to look through results of the questionnaire or the ridership figures provided by Stagecoach for the old 16 and 19 services over a four week period in October 2011.  I am providing a summary of these now.

 

Route 19 and 16 data   gives average total daily usage from all villages for each journey and   average weekly service for each village for each journey.  At the end, it gives average daily and   weekly use for the entire service for each village in each direction.  Usage is boarding only.
Old Route 19 =   Haverhill-Linton-Balsham-Burrough Green
Route 19 BurG-HavTime (average daily usage) Stop Average Weekly Route 19Hav-BurGTime (average daily usage) Stop Average Weekly
08.52 Burro Gr 1 08.24 Linton 0.25
6.15 Brinkley 2.75 0.25 West    Colv 0.75
West    Wrat 1.25 Brinkley 0.25
West    Colv 3.5 09.56 Haverhill 2
Balsham 7 1.95 The Camps 6.5
Linton 0.5 Linton 1
Camps 9 Balsham 1
Haverhill 5.75 11.56 Haverhill 8
10.52 Burro Gr 0.5 1.95 The Camps 0.75
3.75 Brinkley 1.75 Linton 1.5
West    Wrat 0.25 13.56 Haverhill 5.25
West    Colv 2.25 2.35 The Camps 0.75
Balsham 3.75 Bartlow 0.25
Linton 5.5 Linton 3.5
Camps 2.75 Balsham 0.25
Haverhill 2 15.56 Haverhill 11.25
12.52 Burro Gr 2.75 6.1 The Camps 0.75
2.6 Brinkley 0.25 Linton 17.75
  West    Wrat 0.5 17.56 Haverhill 1
West    Colv 0.25 1.65 The Camps 0.75
Balsham 2.75 Linton 6.5
Linton 4.25
Camps 1.75
Haverhill 0.5
14.52 Burro Gr 1
0.8 Brinkley 0.25
West    Wrat 2.25
West    Colv 0.5
16.52 West    Colv 0.25
2.4 Balsham 0.75
Linton 10.5
Haverhill 0.25
18.20 Linton 5
1.1 Haverhill 1
 
Average Use Daily Weekly Average Use Daily Weekly
Burro Gn 1.05 5.25 Burro Gn 0 0
Brinkley 1 5 Brinkley 0.05 0.25
West    Colv 1.35 6.75 West    Colv 0.15 0.75
West    Wrat 0.85 4.25 West    Wrat 0 0
Balsham 2.85 14.25 Balsham 0.25 1.25
Linton 25.75 Linton 30.5
Camps 2.7 13.5 Camps 2.15 10.75

 

Old Route 16 =   Haverhill-West Wratting-Balsham-Fulbourn-Cambridge
Route 16 Time (average   daily usage) Stop Average Weekly Route 16Time (average daily usage) Stop Average Weekly
09.54 Haverhill 21.75 09.30 Balsham 12
Withersfield 0.75 West    Wrat 2
  West Wick 0.75 West Wick 4.5
West    Wrat 3.25 Withersfield 0
Balsham 9.25 Haverhill 4
11.54 Haverhill 23.75 11.30 Balsham 8
Withersfield 0 West    Wrat 1
West Wick 1 West Wick 6
West    Wrat 0.5 Withersfield 0
Balsham 5.25 Haverhill 4
13.54 Haverhill 11.25 13.30 Balsham 2
Withersfield 0 West    Wrat 0
West Wick 0.25 West Wick 0
West    Wrat 0.25 Withersfield 0
Balsham 4 Haverhill 5
15.30 Balsham 1
West    Wrat 0
West Wick 0
Withersfield 0
Haverhill 2
Average Use Daily Weekly Average Use Daily Weekly
West Wick 0.33 2 West Wick 1.5 6
West    Wrat 0.67 4 West    Wrat 0.38 2.25
Balsham 3.08 18.5 Balsham 2.46 14.75

 

 

 

Key findings from Stagecoach data:

 

  1. Stagecoach figures from 19
    1. most used buses were 08.52 BurG-Hav and 15.56 Hav-BurG
    2. 08.52 serves particularly Balsham (09.17), Camps and Haverhill
    3. 15.56 serves particularly Linton (c16.24) andHaverhill

 

 

 

 

  1. Stagecoach figures from 16
    1. Mostly used byHaverhill residents
    2. Most used buses are morning services Hav-Ful/Cam
    3. Also  morning services used by Balsham residents into Haverhill

 

  1. Previous service 19 average usage mostly for Balsham residents into Linton and Haverhill in the morning; Camps going into Haverhill in the morning; Camps going to Linton morning; and for picking people up in Linton in both directions

 

  1. Previous service 16 average usage mostly for Haverhill residents into Cambridge. Also Balsham in both directions.

 

Based on these observations, most used journeys that need to be provided in the solution for this area are being served by the current 19: journeys into Haverhill from Balsham and collecting people at Linton going North.  The figures do not support a high use of services directly into Cambridgeexcept from Haverhill.  Current usage on the 19 reflects that it is meeting existing needs. The current 19 is often full to capacity in the morning going into Linton/Haverhill.

 

 

 

Observations from parish questionnaire:

 

  1. By far a majority of those who completed the survey never use bus services.
  2. Cambridgeis the most popular destination (42%);Haverhill next (21%); followed by Linton (16%) andNewmarket(15%); with other places accessed by 7 or less respondents.
  3. Obstacle to usage were ranked as: frequency (37%); destination (20%); reliability (15%); information (12%); quality (10%); cost (5%).
  4. 65% of respondents hold concessionary passes.
  5. 76% of passholders have access to a car; only 66% of non-passholder respondents have access to a car.
  6. Of concessionary passholders, 77% use the bus for shopping; 50% for health appointments and leisure; 28% for visiting friends.

 

 

  1. Of all respondents, 32% use the bus for shopping; 20% for health appointments and leisure; 11% to visit friend; 9% for work and 7% for education.
  2. Most people who use the services either travel weekly (between 8% and 18% on services surveyed) or occasionally  (also between 8% and 18%).  Services used daily are the 16a (7%); 19 (5%) and 13 (5%).
  3. The most popular time of day to travel is off-peak weekday (39.8% of journey times made in this period); with the weekend being more popular than peak weekdays
  4.  Of desired locations 56% of respondents would like service to Cambridge; 13% to Haverhill; 9% to Linton; 8% to      Newmarket; 6% to P&R; 4% Saffron Walden; and 3% Addenbrookes.
  5. Of possible links, the Park and Ride is the most popular.

 

It is not possible from the questionnaire as it was prepared to ascertain demographics of respondents. The challenges based on these results are already well-established: most respondents have access to a car. There is little use of/ possibility to use buses outside of off-peak hours. To increase usage it is necessary to increase frequency into Cambridge possibly via Park and Ride, and on weekends, whilst meeting the current need for local services off-peak weekdays.

I am attaching analysis from questionnaire for your own perusal.  Please share any other interpretations at the next meeting.

C. Conclusion

The area remains a challenge for finding solutions. Where funding restrictions limit the means by which the Council subsidy can meet the demand for more frequent direct services, conversations must: a) continue to focus on reliability; b) continue to develop an integrated solution using current subsidised service 19; c) explore as many other resources which can be made available to best meet the other demands of potential usage. 

D. Things to discuss at next meeting:

With Stagecoach: Extensions and linking into 13 service

  1. Options for additional commuter services, including Travel Clubs
  2. Possible use of school bus
  3. Timing of Saturday service
  4. Developments on Better Bus Area Fund (Hub idea)
  5. Services for Sixth Form Colleges
  6. Addition of services forWest Wickham and Sainsburys
  7. Working with Symonds House, Linton
  8. Involvement from businesses
  9.  Specific options for demand from Balsham