Groups opposing busways could have their way if they could convince a majority in Greater Cambridge to support a congestion charge instead.
Author - Edward Leigh
No new petrol/diesel cars or vans from 2030
The real problem is the huge carbon cost of continuing to use the petrol/diesel vehicles we have now and continue to manufacture.
Positive innovations coming to Cambridgeshire bus services
Initiatives like these are important. Everybody needs to be able to get about, whether or not they have access to a car.
Are transport proposals for the east of Cambridge bold enough?
Transport links to the east of Cambridge are particularly poor, so it’s good to see the GCP turn its attention in that direction.
Too much busway, too little station
Two more public consultations recently launched illustrate just how out-of-step with the times transport authorities are.
What’s the traffic like in Cambridge?
If the still-upward trend in car traffic continues, evening peaks are likely to become increasingly congested.
Government must give citizens a voice
We need to provide resources to enable community groups to organise themselves and employ experts – just as economic stakeholders do.
Making the Highway Code safer for people
The Highway Code is up for revision with a view to reinforcing the rights and protections of people walking, cycling or riding a horse.
What is the public cost of private transport?
We have to invest in transport that is more space- and energy-efficient, and accessible to everyone, regardless of age, wealth or abilities.
UK Climate Assembly shows a way forward
108 people met over six weekends earlier this year to consider how the UK should decarbonise transport, energy, food and other things we buy.
Too many jobs and not enough houses
Local authorities are so consumed with delivering new homes, they have failed to keep track of how many jobs they are allowing to be created.
A vision for Waterbeach transport
How we can spend far less than the estimated £250 million to dual the A10 and build the Waterbeach busway, and benefit thousands more people.
The cost of congestion on bus users and what to do about it
Congestion costs bus users twice over: longer journey times and higher fares.
Reimagining our highways
Communities are starting to reimagine their streets. Start a conversation with neighbours and ask your councillors to help make it a reality.
E-scooters: transport solution or safety hazard?
What’s not to like? Well, we’re soon going to find out, as Voi Technology is about to pilot rental e-scooters in Cambridge.
Government unveils ambitious plans for cycling and walking
It’s now time to accelerate the construction of infrastructure to allow as many people as possible to walk or cycle most short trips.
Are locally-licensed taxis getting a fair deal?
Rather than permitting all taxis to use bus lanes and enter restricted areas, the County Council could limit the privilege to “authorised vehicles”.
Who is to blame for transport project cost overruns?
Fendon Road roundabout joins a litany of Cambridgeshire County Council transport projects running hugely over budget and time.
How does a car park by the A11 help Haverhill?
The determination of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) to build unwanted busways would be admirable if it wasn’t so profoundly misguided.
Let’s ask: “How can we make this work better?”
We need council reps, business owners and residents to engage respectfully, and to listen to each other’s ideas and concerns.
How can we fix the broken planning system?
The mechanism for setting priorities locally (the ‘Local Plan’) is no longer fit for purpose. But the government’s proposed solution is worse.
Why providing for walking and cycling should be the priority
Encouraging people to walk or cycle more means more give up their cars, leading to sustained reductions in emissions and improved public health.
Misguided busways and car parks move forward
GCP is pursuing the wrong solutions to the wrong problems, and spending the best part of £400 million of your money to do so.
Responding to the consultation about the Universal bus service
A range of proposals, including strongly urging Cambridge University to negotiate a ticket-sharing agreement with Stagecoach.
Design for the future, not the past
With at least another £200 million to spend, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is gearing up to push ahead with developments that are all anachronisms.
A revolution in transport is afoot
When we see the government reallocate the new-roads budget to public transport we will know it is seriously committed to restoring the environment.
How can we make more space for walking and cycling?
The County Council has been slow off the mark, recently stating that officers are still looking at data and talking with their maintenance contractor.
Who should be involved to make good transport decisions for Cambridge?
Why we need to transfer transport powers from the county council and make Greater Cambridge a Highway Authority.
Can we have home delivery from any local shop in future?
Brilliantly convenient while we’re all shut in our homes. But how can it continue when people return to work?
Can you hear and smell the future?
We must make lasting changes in our own lives, and demand change of others.
Can video-conferencing reduce the need to travel to in-person meetings?
There is no reason why, post lock-down, remote meetings cannot continue to be an efficient replacement for many in-person meetings.
What is the future for rail franchising?
Will the government choose TfL-style franchising as its preferred model to ensure continuity of services whilst keeping operations in the private sector?
Life in the Time of COVID-19: a glimpse of the future?
The COVID-19 virus has prompted us to make radical changes which could serve us well in the future.
Why does transport planning ignore the needs of pedestrians?
Technology now exists to count pedestrians. Transport bodies need to use it.
Will politics or economics sink the Cambourne busway project?
Will politics or economics sink the busway project, or will it re-emerge Phoenix-like from the ashes as a new form of affordable mass transport?
Local government needs to stop wasting time and money
It’s the not the job of council officers to protect the reputations of incompetent consultants, yet they do.
Could you save money and carbon by car-sharing your commute?
How do we help more people to do this? And how much difference could it make?
Is the mayor’s Bus Reform Task Force on track to deliver?
There is no doubt that James Palmer is serious about improving bus services, but can his Task Force deliver?
Cambridge South station: a step closer, but is it ambitious enough?
Until the new station opens, we need further improvements to the bus link from Cambridge station
Why consultations aren’t helping
To de-carbonise the economy, restore balance with nature, enhance public health and promote social justice, we have to do government differently.
Trains instead of planes – a viable choice for European destinations?
For trips not involving a sleeper - as far as Biaritz, Perpignan, Monaco, Berlin or Milan - advance fares are comparable with flying with checked-in bags.
Are Dr Magnus Pyke’s predictions holding true?
Perhaps Pyke’s most accurate prediction was that “bicycle power will once again become important in its own right.”
Will your New Year’s resolutions be for a more sustainable future?
We need to create a vision of a future we actively want to strive for
What has the new government promised on transport?
The next five years are critical for the future of the planet: will the UK lead the way on de-carbonising transport?
Why Cambridge needs a Workplace Parking Levy
We are trapped in a circular argument and phasing in a Workplace Parking Levy is possibly the only way to break this deadlock.
Car clubs: a cost-effective alternative to owning a car for occasional use
Consider whether replacing a car with car club membership could save you money!
How can we fix local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
Is there anyone who thinks that local government in Cambridgeshire is functioning well?
How much do you value your journey time?
Why would you support a congestion charge? Probably because the journey time is sufficiently shortened or you’re given a better value alternative to driving.
What have we learned from the closure of Mill Road bridge during the summer?
Have traffic flows reverted to how they were before the summer? Interestingly, not everywhere.