Greater Cambridge Partnership resumes work on plans to reduce car use across city

Work is set to restart on plans to create a major shift away from car use and could ban through trips across Cambridge.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership paused work on proposals that could lead to pedestrians and cyclists being given priority in some parts of the city centre.

Key to the GCP’s draft network hierarchy map:

Red: Primary distributor roads act as the backbone of the movement network for the city

Green: Secondary distributor roads for all traffic modes

Blue: Area access streets facilitate access to, from and within areas of the city

Pink: Local access streets like blue routes but also link to distributor roads

Yellow: Civic streets

The current road classification in Cambridge has been in place since the 1980s and a review offers the chance to shake up how people move around the city.

Work was paused on the road network hierarchy review to allow a decision to be made on plans for a road charge to fund public transport improvements.

Lynne Miles, GCP City Access director, told the Cambridge Independent: “The road network hierarchy review was paused pending a decision on Making Connections.

“Now the executive board has decided to stop the further development of the Sustainable Travel Zone proposals set out in the Making Connections scheme, officers are carrying out further technical work to respond to the road network hierarchy consultation feedback.”

“We will provide an update to members of the board in due course,” she added.

Under the plans, which were subject to a consultation last year, access for motorised vehicles would be limited to certain times of the day and “to essential need”.

The operational principles of a new draft network would see priority access given for walking and cycling along with “extensive network permeability” for bus services, which include school and community transport.

All car trips would have the same level of network accessibility, whether by private car or taxi with none given access through network modal filtering points.

Commercial vehicles and coaches would be routed to maximise the use of distributor roads and minimise the use of other streets in the network.

There would be exceptions for vehicles used by blue badge holders “on a site-by-site basis on application”.

Streets where vehicles are banned at certain times of the day could also be used by Blue Badge holders on application.

The results of last year’s consultation have yet to be published.