How does the street work?

The road has been narrowed to discourage vehicles passing cyclists and cyclists are encouraged to take the primary (central) position in the road, as per the highway code, to ensure that cars follow behind them and don't overtake. The road has stickers on the carriageway to signal the change in road environment to indicate that cyclists have priority, alongside the red carriageway to indicate the change in status. Cars are still allowed to use the road under the new layout. On full completion of the scheme, we will publish communications to help spread awareness of the correct behaviour for different users of the cycle street. 

You can see more about how it works in our video

Why this street particularly?

One of the last sections of the Comberton Greenway as it comes into the city, Adams Road is a residential street that connects west Cambridge and the city centre. It is one of the most heavily cycled streets in Cambridge, used by students, staff, researchers, schoolchildren, and commuters travelling between key University sites and surrounding villages.

This project will make the road safer and more accessible for everyone by tackling long‑standing issues such as the crowded carriageway, narrow pavements and busy junctions.

How much did it cost and why?

The scheme has an allocated budget of £2.4 million, with final costs to be confirmed once works are complete. The scheme remains within the budget. 

As part of the scheme, the foundation of the footways has also been improved, to reduce future maintenance requirements. The drainage network has been cleaned and upgraded, alongside the introduction of rain gardens to help manage surface water and reduce pressure on the system. In addition, signal upgrade works have been carried out alongside Cambridgeshire County Council to minimise future disruption to residents and businesses. 

Is it really up to 3,000 cyclists a day?

Adams Road is used "by up to 3,000 cyclists a day", this data comes from the Coton Path Tagmaster sensor. For example, numbers were over 3,000 in October 2024 and November 2023 and 2024. The numbers fluctuate because of the nature of the street - as it connects the centre of the town to the University's West Cambridge campus, the number of users is affected by the university term times. The Tagmaster data can be found here: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Insight – Roads, Transport and Active Travel – Traffic Flows – Cycle Flows Dashboard 

During construction of the Cycle Street, a new VivaCity sensor was placed at the junction with Grange Road. Data from this sensor already shows - despite the road only being open for a limited time - that the number of cyclists has already surpassed the daily 3,000 figure on numerous days. High-level data from the VivaCity sensor can be found here: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Insight – Roads, Transport and Active Travel – Traffic Flows – Traffic Flows Dashboard

How many accidents were there on the road before?

Cambridgeshire County Council has records of two reported collisions involving a cyclist on Adams Road – one classified as slight in 2019 and one as serious in 2024. These figures do not include near-misses or unreported incidents, which residents and stakeholders have told us are a regular concern.

How will we know if it works?

Following the construction of the project, we will continue to monitor how the street is operating with our existing traffic sensors which distinguish between road users.

We will also continue to engage with key stakeholders to the street and residents to hear first-hand accounts of their experiences on the street. 

Comberton background documents