A fast, frequent, reliable and efficient Cambridge Light Rail service would be much more convenient for people. This would have a major influence on travel mode choices. Cambridge Light Rail stops would be located at convenient junctions, coupled with Park & Ride facilities where appropriate on the periphery of the City. Importantly, the stops are located so they would be very accessible to the Cambridge cycle network too. The average length between stops is about one km, which according to the Brussels-based International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the 2014 European average. People are typically comfortable walking 500 m in either direction to access a stop.
Accessibility
Cambridge Connect has calculated the accessibility of the proposed Light Rail stops to residential / commercial areas in Cambridge. Overall, in summary:
- One quarter (25%) of the City / villages lie within 6 min walk or 3 min cycle of the stops proposed (i.e. within 500 m).
- 64% of the City / villages lie within 12 mins walk or 5 mins cycle (1000 m).
- 87% of the City / villages lie within 20 mins walk or 8 mins cycle of a stop (1500 m).
The accessibility of stops on the network means they will serve resident, business, university and visitor needs very effectively. Convenient locations and a rapid and frequent service will motivate people to use public transport. Given that almost 90% of residents would live within 20 mins walk to a stop on Cambridge Light Rail (or 8 mins cycle ride), we call our model the “Twenty-Minute City”.
Inner City Parking
At present hundreds of cars queue for long periods to access inner City car parks. This is time-consuming, inefficient, very frustrating for residents, and bad for the environment (our air quality and carbon footprint). The ‘queue to park’ model we seem to have accepted in Cambridge is enormously wasteful and is unsustainable.
Cambridge Light Rail would change all that. Dramatic improvements would be offered to people with a reliable and more convenient alternative. The size of the parking queues in weekends show that buses do not offer an attractive alternative to queuing in long lines of cars (do we British just love a good queue?!).
The rapid and reliable service on Cambridge Light Rail would be attractive and convenient and people would be likely to choose this mode rather than drive. This would reduce congestion, reduce fuel wastage, reduce time wastage, improve air quality and would be more sustainable.
