FAQ

Rapid employment growth is taking place across Cambridge, particularly in the south of the city. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus alone is expected to generate an additional 8,000 daily trips by employees by the time it is fully operational, and a proportion of these trips will need to be made by private car.

Various other developments are underway which will generate additional trips. Currently the existing Park & Ride site at Trumpington is at full capacity by mid-morning on most weekdays and will be unable to accommodate new users. The planned surface level expansion will help to relieve current pressures, but this will be insufficient to cater for future demand.

Options were compared based on their expected impact on traffic flows, traffic delays, ability to attract new users, and deliverability. Comparing the four quadrants around Junction 11, the site to the north-west of scored the highest as it would allow car trips to be taken off the A10 before they reach Junction 11 (reducing traffic passing through the junction) and would allow for unhindered northbound access from the A10. The site is also expected to be deliverable within the required timescales, due to land availability. 

The new site is expected to have 2,260 spaces.

Engagement will be undertaken to ensure facilities provided meet the needs of users. Facilities such as waiting shelters and information screens would be provided as standard. Potential additional facilities include toilets and cycle parking.

A new Park & Ride site, including new highway access routes, would take approximately four years to plan and build once a decision is taken to proceed with a particular option. A new site could be open by the end of 2023 and would be subject to receiving the necessary planning permissions.

Yes, the site would need to be lit to allow for people to access it safely in the dark. A lighting strategy w be implemented at the site to ensure safety for users at all times, while limiting the impact on the surrounding area. 

To maximise the ability for people to use a new site it will need to be accessible from the M11, A10 and A1309.

There are two main options, which are currently being consulted on:

- Buses leave from the north of the site on a dedicated roadway, cross the motorway using the existing accommodation bridge, then run alongside the southbound off-slip. The reverse of this route would be followed for buses returning to the site.

- Buses pass through Junction 11, using new or widened bridges.

No, there would still be demand for Park & Ride provision at Trumpington and any new site would complement the existing site. It is likely that traffic approaching the area on the M11 southbound would be directed to use the existing site, with M11 northbound and A10 traffic directed to use the new site.

The ‘Western Orbital’ idea of a new dedicated bus route from Cambourne to Cambridge via the Biomedical Campus is still under consideration but does not currently form part of the M11 Junction 11 Park & Ride proposals. It has been put on hold until Highways England’s plans for implementing a Smart Motorway along this section of the M11 are known.

Providing for future Park & Ride demand at Foxton and/or Whittlesford Parkway stations, rather than at Junction 11, has been considered. Due to their distance from Cambridge, these sites would be rail-based Park & Rides. As such, the destinations served directly, the frequency of service, and relatively high fare levels would limit the overall attractiveness of Park & Ride when compared to a more direct, higher frequency, lower fare, bus-based alternative.

Major Park & Ride sites at Foxton and/or Whittlesford Parkway are likely to be detrimental to the local character of their small village settings, introducing a significant new source of noise and reduced air quality. Smaller scale schemes at Foxton and/or Whittlesford Parkway could be introduced, remaining as complementary measures to Park & Ride expansion to the south west of Cambridge.

The scheme would be designed to cater for the needs of non-motorised users. This means ensuring suitable crossing provision where new junctions are being installed and providing new or replacement facilities where necessary.

Decisions on how much cycle parking to provide at the new or expanded Park & Ride site will take account of responses to the consultation.

A Greenway is being considered from Melbourn into Cambridge, the Greater Cambridge Partnership is due to consult on the project in 2019.