Smarter Cambridge Transport

Author - Jim Chisholm

Bigger lorries coming down the road

A consultation is looking at allowing articulated lorries some 2 metres longer than at present, as well as permitting 48-tonne lorries.

Designing a Park & Ride service where everyone wins

‘Travel hubs’, a few miles out, require far less capital expense, and give better access to the old, the young, those without cars and those who simply don’t wish to drive.

It’s Not a War on the Motorist

Better enforcement of straightforward regulations would reduce congestion and make streets safer for all.

The elephants in the room: HGVs

Investing in new road capacity is expensive, environmentally damaging, and usually only a temporary solution. A distance-based HGV levy plus more investment in railways would achieve a much better outcome.

Let Cherry Hinton set an example

The ‘spine’ of the new airport development should be a green corridor, ideal for walking and cycling, and it must be available from day one.

Making our Rural Roads Safer

Much has been discussed about major upgrades for busy rural roads. But we need to reduce crashes, save lives, and make rural travel safer for those in cars, on cycles, on horses and by foot on the 99% of rural roads...

Garbage in means garbage out

Long ago when I worked in traffic research, I spent many days on cold street corners, counting traffic at junctions. I saw the first use of transponders on buses to ‘advance’ a green phase at traffic lights over 40...

Building more road capacity is futile

As long ago as 1924 it was realised that building new roads attracts additional traffic. In 1994 the Government Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment confirmed this in a landmark report, which led to the...