Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Just when you think you've seen everything in the transportation world, you encounter something different. That happened to me on an infrastructure tour in Cambridge, England, when my guides showed be this guided busway.

The video only shows a short segment of The Busway, but it's fascinating. The wheels of the bus run between grooved concrete slabs along an old rail line. The system also handles drainage without burdening the sewers: Stormwater is absorbed by the ground.

At 16 miles, the Cambridge guided busway is the longest one in the world. Bus speeds can reach up to 55 mph.

A busy biking and walking path runs right next to the route. You won't find railings separating the busway from the trail. There's no honking or flashing lights like you would find in the USA -- just common sense.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Q&A: Will The Bronx’s New Council Member Take On Car Culture?

Union leader Shirley Aldebol took on Republican Kristy Marmorato and won — and now she's ready to fight for better transit and safer streets.

November 7, 2025

Friday Video: The Utopia of London’s Low-Traffic Neighborhoods

Streetsfilms follows an urban planner around the “low-traffic neighborhood” of St. Peter’s in the London borough of Islington.

November 7, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Movie Night Edition

Check out the Bike Film Festival this weekend. Plus other news.

November 7, 2025

SLAUGHTER: Wrong-Way Van Driver Kills Woman in West Village Crosswalk

The driver of a commercial van struck and killed a woman in her 20s as he drove the wrong way on Morton Street.

November 6, 2025

DECISION 2025: Transit Wins Big — Again — Across America

Several candidates who ran on ambitious transportation reform platforms won at the ballot box on Tuesday — but even more communities said yes to supporting transit directly.

November 6, 2025

Book Excerpt Special: The Incomplete Freeway Revolt

A new book looks at the destructive 20th-century urban development style — freeways, downtown office towers, suburban housing developments — that keeps Americans so dependent on their cars. Here's an excerpt.

November 6, 2025
See all posts