The Greater Cambridge Partnership has submitted plans to build the Comberton Greenway, which will connect the village to central Cambridge via England’s first cycle street
CambridgeshireLive readers have heard that plans have been submitted to build England’s first cycle street in Cambridge as part of the Comberton Greenway. The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has lodged a planning application to develop the route.
The GCP says the application marks a major milestone for the greenway. Project manager Jonathan Camp said the progress wouldn’t have been possible without local landowners and farmers, and that the final design reflects community input. Surfacing materials were chosen to keep a rural feel, and crossing points for tractors were included as requested.
Early work has already started on some sections, including Adams Road, which will be England’s first Cycle Street. Once finished, the greenway will run from Comberton into central Cambridge.
Planning consent is still needed for certain sections, though work is already underway on key areas. In Comberton, there will be new and improved crossings and lower speed limits. In Coton, street lighting, road surfacing, junctions, and traffic calming measures will be upgraded.
The route starts in Comberton, moves north along Long Road towards Coton, crosses the M11 bridge, goes through Cambridge University’s West Campus, and follows Adams Road, Grange Road, and Sidgwick Avenue before reaching Silver Street.
Commenter Calumen Nomen says: “As a local resident, I can assure Mr Camp that no one in the community wanted any part of this huge waste of time and money. I invite him to reconsider his position. If he won’t, I have a question: the GCP must know how many people currently cycle this route. If there isn’t a clear and sustained increase in a year, will he and his colleagues publicly apologise for the inconvenience and wasted public funds?”
Campete2 said: “It’s hardly a ‘huge amount’ compared to the billions thrown away on road schemes that make congestion worse, a tiny pittance has been set aside to actually make things better.”
Puppypower thinks: “It could all be very interesting to use but for the very unsafe part going over the M11, it’s very uneven and only just wide enough for one cycle so until you widen it it is next to useless.”
John037 complains: “An activity which generally creates little revenue for the city, is going to have an unspecified sum spent on it in order to make life more difficult for those who work, but do not live in the city and possibly not the county.”
Freddly believes: “Projects like this need to take space from car and van drivers who do not cover the real cost of using it. Traffic congestion costs the UK economy billions each year and that is money car and van users are effectively taking from households without a vehicle. Councillors cannot keep pandering to drivers while leaving pedestrians and cyclists to fight over scraps of space.”
Whynot2 retorts: “I can’t understand how you figure that car and van drivers are taking from households without cars. And you completely left lorries out of the equation!”
Campete2 points out: “The reality is that motorists are heavily subsidised, so people without cars end up paying for those who do. Meanwhile, billions are spent on road schemes that often make congestion worse, a far higher sum than what goes to active travel. Motorists benefit most from active travel projects because they help reduce congestion. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods really help ease congestion on nearby roads. Putting money into active travel gives way more bang for the buck than road schemes, which can actually hurt the economy. If we want people to be healthier and the economy to do better, active travel is the way to go.”
Sany P asks: “Why not fix all the potholes on Cambridge roads first? That would make things safer for both drivers and cyclists. The potholes have been there for ages and should be the priority. Building new roads instead of maintaining existing ones is a pointless waste of time, money, and safety. Cambridge City Council has really perfected that approach in recent years.”
Catherine S agrees: “This is a crazy idea. The obvious way into Cambridge from Comberton is through Barton, which already has a designated cycle route that’s recently been improved. Going via Long Road and Madingley Road is a roundabout route. It’s a total waste of money and would destroy land, especially on Long Road. They should be fixing the potholes instead, I had to dodge them just yesterday on my way home. A rethink is definitely needed.”
Do you think the Comberton Greenway will actually make cycling into Cambridge easier, or is it just going to be another expensive project causing disruption? Have your say in our comments section.
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