Today I rode on a "greenway" some 20km long, composed of a 4 metre wide strip of the best quality tarmac, no hills, and on this occasion wind assisted. At speed (and it was difficult not to) the tyres on my Birdy hummed in appreciation of the smooth ride. Where was I? Well, I'm a bit ashamed to say I was on the cycle path that follows the St Ives to Cambridge guided busway. It used to be an old railway line and the County Council must have purchased it and retained the trackbed intact. Halfway along, at Longstanton, is large Park and Ride facility with bus stops for "ordinary buses" as well as a sort of tram stop for the guided buses. There is a "green" building with toilets and a waiting room. Sadly I cannot show you any photos as I forgot to pack my camera but no doubt there will be a website with pictures. Towards Cambridge it became quite busy with all sorts of cyclists and some Mums with their children in pushchairs. At times the path is alongside the busway and at other it is separated by a wide strip of verge planted with wild flowers which,at this time of year, looks fabulous. Buses are at about 10 minute intervals each way so one is not overwhelmed by traffic noise. If the Derby to Mickleover or (dare I say it) the Bristol busway were done as sympathetically as this one I would be in favour rather than not.
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Sounds an interesting project. Read more about it and see some photographs on Wikipedia.
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Les Sims 10.30pm 25th June 2012.
4 comments:
Designation of the maintenance road as a Bridleway is a nice precedent for other guided transport systems!
Martin
A joke of a badly managed and badly executed overly expensive pointless white elephant, a normal non guided bus route would have been a fraction of the cost and delivered identical benifits
I agree £180m would fund a lot of cycle and bus routes, but I was amazed to find the bus roadway link to Giant's Causeway, for example, is banned to cyclists because cycles and buses on the same road are not considered safe. That's the way the Heath and Safety Brigade think.
Martin
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