Early ideas for how road space is prioritised published in Assembly papers

Early ideas to develop a new road network hierarchy that could see road space prioritised for public transport and active travel journeys have been published.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership carrying out a review of the Cambridge road network on behalf of the County Council to ensure it meets the future travel needs of people who live, work and visit.

The current road classification has been in place since the 1980s and a review offers the chance to transform how people move around the city, with the potential reallocation of road space from private vehicles to buses and active travel.

The objectives for the review – which is part of the GCP’s City Access programme – have been outlined in papers published today for the Joint Assembly. They are:

• Define the role of particular types of road and street
• Prioritise and provide a step change in road-space for active travel
• Promote and better manage bus movements within the city centre
• Set modal principles for the operation and management of the road network
• Optimise the use of radial routes and the ring-road
• Reduce and/or prevent the use of inappropriate routes whilst encouraging the most appropriate routes
• Reflect developing transport plans for the area
• Prioritise and inform future investment strategies
• Influence road classification and parking management

The review would identify the key principles for the network and define the street categories, ahead of the development of a new road hierarchy plan. A public consultation on the proposals would take place this summer should the GCP Executive Board agree at its meeting in March.

Other papers to the Joint Assembly – which meets on 17 February – include updates on the Greater Cambridge Greenways and phase two of the Chisholm Trail.

The next stage of the Greenways – 12 dedicated active travel routes connecting Cambridge with surrounding villages and towns – is due to be presented in the spring.

Planned public engagement on each Greenway route would start on a rolling basis from May/June, subject to approval from the Executive Board. Work would also include environmental surveys and the next level of technical design.

Construction on the Linton Greenway is already underway as part of phase one of the Cambridge South East Transport scheme.

The next phase of the Chisholm Trail scheme - from Coldham’s Lane to Cambridge Station and Clifton Road - is also before the Joint Assembly this month.

Public engagement on designs for some of the different sections that make up phase two is expected to be launched in the summer. This phase would see existing infrastructure upgraded and linked together, alongside the construction of new off-road active travel links, to create a first-class active travel route across the city.

Phase one of the flagship cycling and walking scheme - including the Abbey Chesterton Bridge and Newmarket Road underpass - was opened in December.

A paper which outlines the construction and traffic management plans for the construction of the Milton Road scheme will also be considered by the Joint Assembly and Executive Board.

To read the Joint Assembly papers in full visit Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.