Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Bicycles now make up almost a quarter of traffic in Cambridge, says county council

Cycling continues to boom as Cambridgeshire looks to build on momentum of Cycling Towns initiative

Cambridge, already the UK city with the highest levels of cycling in the UK, saw strong levels of growth in 2011, with bicycles now accounting for nearly a quarter of all traffic in the university city according to Cambridgeshire County Council’s annual traffic monitoring report.

The number of cycling trips in and around Cambridge grew by 14 per cent during the year, with a rise of 21 per cent in trips from neighbouring villages into the city, where 22 per cent of traffic is now accounted for by bicycles, according to counts made at a number of locations.

Within the boundaries of the city itself, cycling rose by 12 per cent, which the council attributed in part to improvements made to routes including Gilbert Road and Hills Bridge Road, as well as the provision of increased cycle parking spaces throughout the city.

As reported on road.cc earlier this month, Cambridge railway station, long criticised by local cycle campaigners as providing insufficient capacity for those wishing to ride their bike to catch a train, is set to become home to the UK’s largest Dutch-style CyclePoint.

According to Cambridgeshire County Council, counts of cyclists take place each year at the same sampling points throughout Cambridge. Some 29,388 cyclists were counted crossing those points during a single day in 2010, rising to 33,518 last year. It added that the same rise was recorded by automatic counters that tally the number of cyclists riding past each day.

Cambridgeshire County Council said that the strong growth was in part due to the city’s former status as one of the now abolished Cycling England’s Cycling Towns initiative, which saw £9 million pumped into 14 new or improved cycle routes as well as other activities such as providing training to adults and children.

The Cycle Cambridge project set up as part of that aimed, in the county council’s word, “to get more people cycling, more safely, more often,” both by targeting new developments being built in Cambridge and by trying to get more people cycling into the city from the villages surrounding it.

The success of the latter was demonstrated by the fact that these were the journeys that showed the strongest growth during 2011, up by 21 per cent, also boosted by new routes from Cherry Hinton, Cottenham, Harston, Histon and Horningsea, as well as the on a cycle path running alongside the recently opened Guided Busway.

Since Cycling England was axed by the Coalition Government last year, efforts to promote cycling in Cambridge are now taken place within the structure of an EU-funded initiative that goes by the name of Bike Friendly Cities.  As part of that, Cambridgeshire County Council says it is working with partners in Netherlands, Belgium and France to make cycling more attractive, as well as safer.

Partners in that project, which runs initially until 2014, include Sustrans and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in the UK, the Municipality of Middelburg and Province of Zeeland in the Netherlads, and local authorities in Boulogne and nearby Neufchâtel-Hardelot in northwestern France.

Elsewhere in the county, the council says it is continuing to invest in cycling within the scope of its Market Towns Transport Strategy, while it has also recently submitted a bid for money from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund which, if successful, would see seven-figure sums put into cycling initiatives within the Ely-Cambridge and Huntingdon-Cambridge corridors.

Steve Criswell, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Infrastructure, commented: “I am delighted that the investment in cycling has increased levels of cycling further in the Cambridge area, which was a major challenge when such high levels already existed.

“Cycling plays such a vital part in tackling congestion in the Cambridge area to ensure that the city is able to function and keep moving.

“The County Council will continue to work towards improved safety for cyclists, and to invest in sustainable transport options to ensure that people are able to live healthy and independent lives,” he added.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

6 comments

Avatar
Alan Tullett | 12 years ago
0 likes

Cycling is certainly popular here but it always has been mainly due to it being flat and full of students. It's got so busy in the rush hour in the centre of town I take an alternative route to avoid cyclists, some of whom barely know what they're doing.

The wide path by the guided busway is great though; a perfect place for intervals.

Avatar
WolfieSmith replied to Alan Tullett | 12 years ago
0 likes

It's got so busy in the rush hour in the centre of town I take an alternative route to avoid cyclists, some of whom barely know what they're doing.

I much prefer a rush hour of cyclists 'some of whom barely knowing what they're doIng' than the usual motorists not knowing what they're doing.  4

Avatar
don_don replied to WolfieSmith | 12 years ago
0 likes
MercuryOne][quote=Alan Tullett wrote:

It's got so busy in the rush hour in the centre of town I take an alternative route to avoid cyclists, some of whom barely know what they're doing.

I much prefer a rush hour of cyclists 'some of whom barely knowing what they're doIng' than the usual motorists not knowing what they're doing.  4

At least they are cycling, rather than driving..

Avatar
Paul M | 12 years ago
0 likes

Camerson was never a cyclist in reality. The whole thing was an exercise in spin dreamt up by his strategy adviser Steve Hilton (who really is a cyclist, albeit of the vehicular type). He was found out when it transpired that, as leader of the opposition, he was followed not far behind by an official car carrying his papers - the whole thing was just a photocall.

There are of course a number of MPs who are regular cyclists - Gerorge Younger "the bicycling baronet" being perhaps the best known tory alongside Boris, who again is in the vehicular camp of "wits about you" cyclists. Boris does nothing at all for aspiring cyclists in London, despite the fact that he has it in his power the one thing he unquestionably controls in London is transport. All the other things he bangs on about like extra sensors on lorries he has absolutely NIL influence over.

Avatar
skippy | 12 years ago
0 likes

Pathetic Cameron tossed £15M to Boris in the budget , not for cyclists though , it was to try and save Boris's neck in the Mayoral elections in May !
Cambridgeshire is to be congratulated for their positive efforts to save cyclists from Injury and Death !
That they continue to make efforts to give cyclists their place in society is to be congratulated BUT why are not other English Cities making the same efforts and drawing funds from the same resources ?
Fact is the " Times Cities fit for Cycling Campaign " is not working , sure it is selling newspapers and they have now got the truck driver charged BUT where else is there any improvement in the facilities for Cyclists ?

CAMERON , you are a disgrace ! You give your elitist and greedy " paymasters " tax breaks and reduced Taxation levels BUT you cheat the pensioners and the working man who no longer can afford the Petrol prices imposed by your greedy petroleum supplying mates and your creeping Fuel taxation , and YOU want to stimulate the economy ?

GET OUT of that limousine , and back on the bike , and see how " Joe Public " struggles through each day ! Don't worry about your security , you are doing such a poor job of managing the country's economy that your foes will work hard to ensure you continue to survive !

Cycling in Witney and Oxford must be a forgotten experience for you and yet they are so much like Cambridge . Open the purse strings for Cycling Initiatives and ensure that people can survive by pedalling on their bike rather than filling the coffers of your " Paymasters "!

Between times , reduce the Urban speed Limits to 20 MPH so that Cyclists and Pedestrians survive until you provide better facilities for their safety ! Each Damaged or dead citizen costs the Health System money and does not pay Taxes whilst laid up ! You are trying to reduce the deficit aren’t you ?

Avatar
skippy | 12 years ago
0 likes

Pathetic Cameron tossed

Latest Comments