Summary

We’re delivering a comprehensive programme of sustainable transport initiatives, working with local authority partners to create a world-class transport network that can meet the needs of the area now and into the future.

Greater Cambridge is thriving. The area is host to some of the most productive and innovative parts of the UK economy. Reflecting this productivity, the population is expected to grow 28% by 2031 with 33,500 new homes, 44,000 additional jobs.

This success brings prosperity and growth for the local and national economy, but also places pressure on the transport network. Forecast growth is expected to create 26,000 more daily car journeys over the next decade.

The challenge

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Congestion is already a major and growing problem, threatening mobility, health and well-being and detracting from the appeal of Cambridge, for residents, employees, businesses and visitors alike.

In 2019, people spent an average of 71 hours driving time in congestion. Over the last ten years, traffic levels have increased by 10% and Cambridge’s peak periods, when the city experiences highest traffic volumes and worst congestion, have lengthened by up to 2.5 hours.

Greater Cambridge attracts people to work from a wide area, but many people have no good alternative to their car and are held back from accessing opportunities by a lack of viable public transport or walking and cycling connections.

Poor air quality is a concern in some areas. High levels of car use mean carbon emissions per capita in Cambridgeshire are 150% of the national average.

To reduce congestion, improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable network for the future, we need significantly more people travelling by public transport, cycling and walking and significantly fewer people travelling by car. The Greater Cambridge Partnership has a plan to make that happen by giving people better choices to travel sustainably.

Funding for transport

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The government’s release of a further £200m, following the “significant success and progress” the GCP’s made since 2015, brings the total funding available to £300m, to continue the delivery of our sustainable travel programme.

The programme aims to deliver a public transport and infrastructure network for the future, supporting sustainable and inclusive growth by creating new and improved infrastructure for better, greener journeys.

As communities continue to recover after the pandemic and grow in line with the area’s local plan, sustainable transport options remain vital to access work, study and other opportunities the city has to offer – whether using public transport, cycling or walking.

The Greater Cambridge city deal offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund improvements with real impact over the next decade and beyond. Our programme will support the city and help deliver green growth.

Vision for a future network

Our vision for substantially enhanced infrastructure over the next decade, forms a cohesive network throughout Greater Cambridge area and beyond.

This enhanced infrastructure facilitates a transformed public transport network, giving more people the choice of attractive sustainable journeys by better serving existing and new employment and residential areas.

Our four corridor schemes connect new and growing communities outside the city with key employment hubs.

Greater Cambridge Future Network 2030 map

Our four corridor schemes

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Our four corridor schemes – Cambourne to Cambridge, Waterbeach to Cambridge, Cambridge Eastern and Cambridge South East will offer better public transport and active travel routes along four corridors identified as essential to link growing communities to the north, south east, east and west.

Cambourne to Cambridge

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Waterbeach to Cambridge

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Cambridge Eastern Access

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Cambridge South East Transport

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Active travel schemes

Chisholm 1 opening event

We’re creating safe and easy routes for more active travel journeys to encourage more people to join Greater Cambridge’s already UK-leading number of cyclists. A network of 12 greenways is opening up connections into the city, and the Chisholm Trail and schemes delivered as part of a Cross City Cycling package have helped better link up key sites. Corridor schemes like Histon Road, Milton Road and Madingley Road seek to improve walking and cycling along key routes into the city.

Active travel projects

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Greenways

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Histon Road

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Milton Road

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Travel hubs

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We’re providing over 10,000 additional park and ride spaces so people can easily switch to sustainable transport. New facilities will have charging points for electric vehicles and be future-proofed to evolve over time as technology changes the way we travel.

Park and ride provision at the existing Trumpington site has been extended and new travel hub facilities are being created at Cambridge South West to the west of junction 11 of the M11.

Public transport schemes

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Other transport schemes

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Better, greener journeys

Cambridge North station - foot and cycle path to Mass Bank

Public transport journeys need to be competitive, sustainable and reliable and active travel alternatives need to be safe and easy to encourage people to move away from cars. Our City Access programme is promoting measures to improve access by sustainable transport to the city centre and key employment sites and encourage commuters away from cars, as well as supporting air quality improvements and creating a more people-focused city centre environment.

City Access programme

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Benefits for Greater Cambridge

Housing - main image

Supporting sustainable growth

Our transport projects aim to reduce congestion and serve key areas of growth, reducing city traffic flows by 10-15%.

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Contributing to better air quality and tackling climate change

We’re actively supporting local partners’ net zero carbon ambitions as well as the government’s commitment to bring the UK’s harmful emissions to net zero by 2050. We’ve part-funded thirty electric buses.

Cambridge - Cambourne aerial view

Creating inclusive growth

Investment is helping to better share prosperity across our area by widening access to affordable, reliable public transport for existing and growing communities outside the city.

Ditton Meadows - Howard Rd - National Cycle Route 51 junction signs

Promoting a healthier Greater Cambridge

Our projects encourage healthier alternatives to car use, such as cycling and walking, to support people being more active day-to-day.

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Making better journeys

We’re working to introduce modern, greener vehicles and better technology to achieve more seamless integration for passengers moving between modes of transport, like bus and train, with better access to cycling and walking routes for onward journeys.