The Travel Alliance believes widening pavements, introducing cycle parking, and improving pedestrian crossings will help the city centre

A coalition of groups have called for improvements to be made to roads and pavements in Cambridge city centre after funds were left unspent. The Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance has said there is “no evidence of any progress” made by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) to better travel around the city.

After proposals for road charging in Cambridge were abandoned in 2023, the GCP said it wanted to take some of its work towards improving the city centre and deliver “quick wins” for the area. Local campaigning groups sent suggestions in 2024 to the GCP for the upgrades including better pavements and pedestrian crossings as well as additional cycle parking.

The Travel Alliance has said over £12.25 million remains unspent by the GCP with the city being an often “hostile” environment for those trying to travel around, which makes the area “far less pleasant and safe than it should be”. The group has said the GCP’s Interim Director Peter Blake revealed work is on hold, as it is waiting for the outcome of the Combined Authority’s Greater Cambridge Transport Strategy.

Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance Campaign Officer Sarah Hughes said: “Other UK cities, such as Leicester and Bradford, have recently taken bold action to transform public spaces, greatly improve the pedestrian experience and ensure access to central areas by cycling and public transport is easy and safe. The GCP should not pass up this opportunity to improve Cambridge’s central streets to the benefit of everyone who spends time there.”

The Travel Alliance has argued many improvements in the city “would be local in nature and independent of longer term strategic decision”. The group believes a few improvements such as widening pavements and providing more space for passengers waiting at bus stops are “all measures that can and should progress now”.

The Travel Alliance is “urging” the GCP to “ensure that the £12.25 million set aside for this work is not diverted to other GCP programmes”, ahead of its meeting on Thursday, March 5. The group believes funding should be allocated for the Civic Quarter design team to create a plan on how to improve the city centre.

Isobel Wade, Greater Cambridge Partnership Programme Director, said: “The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority are currently developing the Greater Cambridge Transport Strategy, with support from us at the Greater Cambridge Partnership and our colleagues at the County, City and District councils, to improve our transport network.

“We’re keen that any work we do in the city centre is aligned with the transport strategy, to ensure we make the most impact with the funding we have.

“We’re actively working with our colleagues in the City Council on the Civic Quarter Project on proposals for transport interventions that will help how the city centre functions.”