England's first cycle street opens in Cambridge

England’s first cycle street has now opened on Adams Road in Cambridge. The scheme was delivered by Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and other partner organisations through the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

Cycle streets are designed to give greater priority to cyclists while still allowing motor vehicle access. Drivers are required to travel at the speed of cyclists and give way to them, creating a safer and more comfortable environment for cycling.

Construction began in October and included a range of improvements for pedestrian safety. These include widened footways on both sides of the road to create more space for pedestrians, an upgraded junction with greater pedestrian priority and additional crossing points along the road.

Other improvements include changes to existing junctions, resurfacing of the carriageway and footways, and the installation of rainwater gardens along the road’s edge to help absorb surface water runoff.

The development at Adams Road forms part of the wider plans in the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Comberton Greenway, one of 12 greenway routes which seek to improve walking, wheeling and cycling journeys. When complete, the greenways will cover more than 150km to make it safer and easier for people to travel sustainably across Greater Cambridge.