The camToo Project is an innovative road-river-rail proposal to utilise Cambridge's oldest transport artery, the river Cam, to help solve the City's 21st Century transport problems.

It will provide two 'missing links' in the transport infrastructure for northern Cambridge, a dedicated route for buses from the Science Park to the City Centre and extra tracks for a Cambridge Parkway Station on Chesterton Sidings.

The bus route from the Science Park on Milton Road will run down an extended Cowley Road, then alongside the Stourbridge Common side of the railway line to Newmarket Road at Barnwell Bridge. The bus lanes on Newmarket Road then offer a dedicated route to the Grafton Centre and Cambridge City Centre.

The extra rail tracks are needed to enable trains that currently terminate at Cambridge to run north of the river to the new station which will also have an interchange with the new bus route. Road access to the new station will be down the extended Cowley Road.

The main elements of the missing links are the embankments alongside the railway line between Chesterton Sidings and Barnwell Bridge. These will be provided by digging a flood relief channel between the end of Riverside and Fen Ditton, effectively dualling 1 mile of the river, and protecting the Cam green belt by turning Stourbridge Common and Ditton Meadows into an island.

The prime element of the proposal is a dedicated route for public transport between the Science Park down Cowley Road, and along the railway line to Newmarket Road. Newmarket Road is the only road capable of providing a dedicated route to and from the City centre as it is a dual carriageway and already carries bus lanes in both directions

The main element of infrastructure required for this is a new bridge over the Cam and a wider railway embankment to carry the new route between the river and Newmarket Road.

The earth for the latter will be provided in the cheapest possible way by digging a flood relief channel for the Cam between the end of Riverside and Fen Ditton

This will turn Stourbridge Common and Ditton Meadows into an island, protecting the wildlife already there and preventing further 'urbanisation' of the nature currently being carried out.

The flood relief channel will be designed to provide more mooring space for the rapid increase in use of the river for houseboats.

The new towpaths created along the channel will form part of a network of cycleways aimed at getting commuting cyclists off main roads and away from the dangers and pollution of those roads by providing safe dedicated routes with no crossings finishing at Four Lamps Corner on Midsummer Common.

The flood relief channel will also be designed for training use by rowing craft which in turn enables the scheme to apply for Sports Lottery funding, Cambridge has already been selected by the national rowing organisation as a centre where extra training water is a priority.

• The 2 farmers who use Stourbridge Common and Ditton Meadows for grazing
  
  
• The 10 horse owners who use Stourbridge Common for grazing
  
  
• The 15 households on Riverside who were flooded in October 2001, we estimate the flood relief channel would have lowered the river by 18 inches or half a metre.
  
  
• The 100 houseboats currently moored on the river who would have another 1,000 metres of mooring space.
  
  
• The 200 members of the Cambridge Canoe Club
  
  
• The 200 cyclists who would commute every day from Milton (time to Four Lamps Corner 10 minutes)
  
  
• The 200 cyclists who use the full length of Newmarket Road every day (time from Park and Ride to Four Lamps Corner 10 minutes)
  
  
• The members of the Cambridge Fish Preservation Society
  
  
• The 1,000 people who walk on the towpath most fine Sundays
  
  
• The members of the Cambridge Wildlife Trust if they have an interest in the ecology of the green belt
  
  
• The 1,000 'townspeople' who take part in the 'Town Bumps', Cambridge's largest mid week sporting event.
  
  
• The 1,000 rowers from around the region who compete on the Cam during a year, many several times.
  
  
• The 1500+ people who live along Milton Road which could be returned to its pre bus lane state.
  
  
• The 2,500 Cambridge University College students who row every year.
  
  
• The 10,000 people who work in and around the Science Park and St John's Innovation Park who would be able to get to the Newmarket Road Retail Park in 5 minutes and the Grafton Centre in ten minutes by bus whatever the time of day *
  
  
• The 30,000 people who commute into Cambridge from the North and East every day
  
  
• The 120,000 population of Cambridge who would benefit from a cleaner and better environment plus a better protected green belt.
  
  
• The 350,000 population of the Cambridge sub-region who would benefit from a less congested Cambridge better able to continue to grow.
  
  
• The entire 5 million population of the East of England who indirectly benefit from the 'Cambridge Phenomena'.
  
  

• The camToo Project lends itself ideally to a Mutual Provident Society as recently suggested by Cambridge Futures. Once the new bus only road is open there will be an opportunity to generate income from charging tolls on buses and taxis.
  
  
• The camToo Project has been officially incorporated into Rowing's Regional 5 year plan as requiring support. The Amateur Rowing Association, the sport's national body has identified Cambridge as one of four sites to be given priority for new training water in England. The means The camToo Project is eligible to apply for Sports Lottery Funding which could amount to £2 million (rowing's share).
  
  
• Over the years Cambridge college rowing has received considerable support from ex rowers who fondly remember their days on the Cam. What better way to show appreciation of those happy days in the form of a loan towards the cost of building and naming, one of the several bridges that will be required.