Further to our post from 7 May (Mill Road bridge closures July/August 2019), the Cambridge Area Bus Users group have provided an update.

They report that Stagecoach will be bringing in three 15 seater buses, one for each side of the bridge and a spare for breakdowns.  They plan to run every twenty minutes, one from the city centre to the bridge and one from the bridge to Sainsbury's.

Edit 4 June 2019: Stagecoach have announced the timetable for the disrupted period from 1st July.

The Cambridge Area Bus Users have posted a round up of a report by Over Mill Road Bridge of a public meeting held on 29th April.  There is a slide you can download to look at what is intended, which seems to be removing a section of the bridge entirely and rebuilding it.

At the moment, the gist of it seems to be that it's all a bit of a shambles for bus users.  The good news that there is an intended shuttle bus both sides of the bridge, one into town and one (unfortunately) to Sainsbury's.  For BARA residents this would mean you could take a bus to Sainsbury's (assuming the diverted number 2 will stop there) and connect to the shuttle bus.

However, the shuttle bus route when it reaches the bridge is causing concern as the people in charge of the route obviously have never been to Mill Road and have scheduled the bus to turn by going down narrow one way streets the wrong way.  In fact, the map shows the shuttle on our side of the bridge turning via Stockwell Street and Cockburn Street, which are both one way in the same direction and have a barrier between them on Argyle Street.  Easily amended by going down Argyle Street and up Stockwell Street but it shows a lack of attention to detail that is worrying.

Also of note is that they will be closing the replacement foot/cycle bridge for one week.

To summarise:
Good  news: you will be able to get to Sainsbury's on the bus. 
Bad news: the Coldhams Lane diversion is going to drive everyone mad and it will be hard to get to Mill Road.

Image taken from page 11 of the powerpoint presentation on overmillroadbridge.org.uk.

Some Future Events:

• Wine tasting on 26th March.
• From April, weather permitting, the second Saturday of the month from 10 till 12, a pop-up tabletop sale on the green in St Thomas’s Square – bring stuff to sell!
• Neighbourhood social and AGM  8th June
• Coach Trip in September – we have applied for a grant to cover half the cost so we can offer some free places. More details later.
• Halloween on St Thomas’s Square

 
Some successes!
 
Pavements. £160,000 additional funding has been granted by the County Council and Birdwood Rd is one of the roads that has been included for work. Yippee!  If you need to alert the County Council to any other highway problems in your road, call 0345 045 5212 (charged at local rate). Or on-line at https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/

Review of City Council Ward Boundaries by the Boundary Commission. We put in a submission that the whole area covered by BARA should remain in Coleridge Ward. It will. We will continue to have three City Councillors and be in Coleridge Ward for City Council elections. As they were not looking again at County ward boundaries, we remain in Cherry Hinton Ward for County Council elections.  
 
The Community Library in the phone box in Birdwood Rd (just near the Gray Rd junction) has been a great success. We have had books in several languages and non-fiction and fiction books for both adults and children. It provides a fascinating snapshot of the varied population here and its eclectic tastes. Please continue to bring and take.

And failures!
 
Citi2

In November Jane (Chair BARA) had a third meeting with Stagecoach and it was another waste of time. No more meetings are planned. They say they now have a full complement of drivers and all problems of reliability are outside their control e.g. through congestion. They will not revert to a 10 minute service.
 
If you want to give feedback to Stagecoach, contact Nigel Tarrant
Telephone: 01223 433 250 between 08:30 and 17:30, Monday to Friday.
Email: Nigel.Tarrant@stagecoachbus.com
Address: Stagecoach, 100 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DN
 
An alternative for some could be Cambridge Dial-a-Ride. If you think you might qualify due to age, infirmity or disability, do contact Cambridge Dial-a-Ride. It is a non-profit organisation which provides local transport services that are safe, affordable and accessible to individuals who have difficulty in accessing public transport. 
Call: 01223 506335
Email: memberssupport@cambridgedialaride.org.uk

Other news

The Cambridgeshire Bobby Scheme is a local charity which provides a service to older or vulnerable people by improving home security to reduce crime or fear of crime. If you are over 60 and have been a victim of crime the visit is free. If you are over 65 and have been fortunate enough not to have been a victim but want to upgrade your security, there is a small fee. Phone 01480 413311 for more details.
 
And on the subject of crime – we have had reports of cars being broken into on people’s front drives with thieves being on the lookout for valuables.
 
Cycling and students
 
Following some difficulties with teenagers on bikes on Birdwood Rd pavements, and some near-accidents, Sandra Crawford and Noel Kavanagh (County Councillors), Lewis Herbert (City Councillor) and the Head of St Bede’s are trying to find ways to reduce danger to cyclists and pedestrians both on the road and on the pavements. It is agreed that Birdwood Rd is a dangerous road for cyclists and there seems to be no simple solution. Work is ongoing to try to find solutions to this problem.

Citi2
 
Stagecoach are not listening.  At a recent meeting they rejected our plan to send buses round our loop. They say they are recruiting and training 16 drivers which should improve reliability by the end of October.
 
If you want to give feedback to Stagecoach, contact Nigel Tarrant on 01223 433 250 between 08:30 and 17:30, Monday to Friday or email: Nigel.Tarrant@stagecoachbus.com
Address: Stagecoach, 100 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DN
 
Jane has written to the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who is considering franchising the bus services in this area. And we are not alone. A Cambridge Area Bus Users group has formed to tackle problems with Stagecoach throughout Cambridgeshire. https://cbgbususers.wordpress.com/
 
They have put in a submission ‘Transport Committee's inquiry on health of the bus market, Written submission from Cambridge Area Bus Users.’ saying that our bus services are ‘in crisis’.
 
If you don’t have access to the internet you can contact them through 52 Birdwood Rd.
 
Pavements and potholes!
 
We took up the state of the pavements in Birdwood Rd with the County Council and some larger holes in the pavements have been filled. But we still have trip hazards in Birdwood Rd and other roads in our area. Please report those near your house – or any that cause you problems. The County Council will not consider compensation for pothole damage to your car unless the hole has already been reported to them! Pavement holes need to be 2.5 cm deep before the County Council will consider filling them.
 
Nothing will be done unless they are reported. So please alert the County Council to any highway problems in your road (including pavements), call 0345 045 5212 (charged at local rate) or on-line at https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/

Since the change in timetable to the Citi2 which halved our service (together with the missing buses which have often made the waiting time 40 minutes), our Chairwoman has had a meeting with Nigel Tarrant from Stagecoach, two City Councillors and two County Councillors.
 
She put forward an alternative ‘shorter route’ to the one turning round at Sainsbury’s. This route would go down Perne Rd to Cherry Hinton Rd, turn left onto Cherry Hinton Rd and then left into Walpole Rd and Birdwood Rd and back to the city centre. The rationale is that this route includes retirement housing in Walpole Rd, City Council housing in our area, and it serves at least 700 residences plus St Bede’s school. This change might also stop the barrage of complaints to Stagecoach about bus waits! It would take us back from an unreliable 20 minute service to an unreliable 10 minute service – so, it’s better but still not perfect. There would still only be a 20 minute service to Addenbrooke's – but that is not nearly as well used as the one into town. A second meeting was scheduled for 3rd August to further discuss this plan but this has now been postponed to 3rd September. SO FRUSTRATING!
 
If you want to give feedback to Stagecoach, contact Nigel Tarrant
Telephone: 01223 433 250 between 08:30 and 17:30, Monday to Friday.
Email: Nigel.Tarrant@stagecoachbus.com
Address: Stagecoach, 100 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DN

On 29 July the times are changing.
Buses will leave Birdwood Road at 14, 34, 54 for town and at 14, 34, 54 for Addenbrooke's. 
Sunday's and B/H will be 17, 47 to town and 01, 31 to Addenbrooke's.

Download the timetable.

We have complained many times about the buses since the change in timetable. Please join in if you are having problems – the more people who complain, the better. We have a meeting with Nigel Tarrant and representatives of the City and County councils on 18th June. The trouble is, no-one seems to be able to take control and responsibility for this. We’ll let you know the outcome – if there is any!
 
If you want to give feedback or complain to Stagecoach, contact Nigel Tarrant
Telephone: 01223 433 250 between 08:30 and 17:30, Monday to Friday.
Fax: 01223 433 275
Email: Nigel.Tarrant@stagecoachbus.com
Address: Stagecoach, 100 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DN

This is a really important notice about the inaugural meeting of the Cambridge Bus Users Group next Saturday, June 2nd, 2.oo – 4.00pm Conference Room, Cambridge Central Library, 7 Lion Yard, CB2 3QD.

The event is open to the public. The Cambridge Bus Users Group will be discussing aims for the coming year and electing a first committee. If you want to make a change, and help improve bus services for the area please try and attend or if you can’t do so yourself encourage others to attend. Improving bus services for the area benefits everyone.

There is a café in the library directly adjacent to the meeting-room with refreshments available.

They need all types of members:

1. people who want to keep up-to-date with their representations to operators and authorities, and want to contact them with their local concerns;
   
2. people who want to join in some of their campaigns, when they have the time;
   
3. people who want to take an active rôle by joining their executive committee.
   

Most people will only be able to commit to category one – and the organisers say that’s just fine, especially if that means you are able to keep fellow residents’ association or community members in touch about such a key issue for the city and villages.

All are welcome to attend. People can just turn up next Saturday but the organisers say it would be great if you could let them know in advance:

• by emailing Richard Wood wood.in.mill.road@gmail.com
  
• by direct message on Twitter https://twitter.com/CBGbusUsers
• by responding to the post on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cambridgebususers/

 
Cambridge Area Bus Users, a member group of Bus Users UK:

• exists to to foster discussion and understanding between bus passengers, the companies, authorities and others with responsibility for bus services in Cambridge and its environs;
• to make representations on behalf of bus users at whatever level may be appropriate;
• is independent of any political party.

From 18th February 2018 Citi 2 route will change and this will mean fewer buses

From the Stagecoach website:
Citi 2 will continue to operate every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes between Cambridge North Rail Station and Mill Road. Buses will then continue every 20 minutes to Addenbrooke’s, and every 20 minutes to Coldham’s Lane Sainsbury’s providing a new link to the store. There will also be changes to Saturday morning frequencies on Citi 1, 2 & 3 with buses running up to every 20 minutes before 0900.

If you want to give feedback or complain to Stagecoach, the person to contact is Nigel Tarrant
Telephone: 01223 433 250 between 08:30 and 17:30, Monday to Friday.
Fax: 01223 433 275
Email: Nigel.Tarrant@stagecoachbus.com
Address: Stagecoach, 100 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DN