17:09 Thursday 28th January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
CHRIS MANN: Around £180 million worth of transport improvements in and around Cambridge were prioritised at a meeting in the city this afternoon. The Greater Cambridge City Deal Executive Board decided which projects are likely to be the first to be funded with money from the Government, made available to ensure the future prosperity of the city. But first, workers at the Cambridge Science Park told us earlier what they’d like to see the money spent on.
(TAPE) (VOXPOP)
ONE: Cycle paths. They’re not too bad, but some of the connectibilities like Dry Drayton to Histon should have cycle paths.
TWO: It’s still too dangerous to cycle in Cambridge I think, and it should be encouraged. I don’t think the buses run often enough. But it’s getting better with the electronic bus stops, more practical for people to use, that sort of thing. And obviously the new train station, that should boost this side of Cambridge.
THREE: I would like the cycle path along the river to be redone. all the way, because I’m from the Fen Ditton area, so that when I cycle from town it’s nice and smooth half way, but then it ends and it’s bumpy and not really nice for a ride.
FOUR: Cycleways, better parking. Don’t really use public transport, because it’s not easy to use. If it was more regular .. And I think the Park and Ride, now that they’re charging people, that’s caused a problem.
FIVE: Every time I try to get out of the Science Park in a car I have to sit in a traffic jam. Now it’s probably because there’s too much traffic on the roads. I have no idea how to reduce that. But something needs to be done about that. You can’t just keep adding more and more and expect nothing to .. something will give.
SIX: Quite new to Cambridge. Been here for about six months. But the roads are pretty bad. (Would like to see) free flowing traffic to be honest with you. Because sometimes it can take about an hour just to do two miles to get into town.
(LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: So where is the money likely to be spent? Well joining me is our reporter Tom Horn, who was at the meeting for us. Tom.
TOM HORN: Yes, evening Chris. Well as you mentioned, this meeting was to agree on which works should be prioritised, and I will come on to that in a minute. But first, a brief update on what the City Deal actually is. And it’s basically a test of local power to generate economic growth. Now this starts with about £100 million from the Government, with funding expected from April this year. If councils and partners prove that their use of that £100 million has driven economic growth, a further £400 million will be released in the years that follow. Now this afternoon the City Deal Board at Shire Hall heard one of the biggest obstacles to growth is, no prizes, congestion. So those schemes that will be prioritised at this stage are bus lanes on Milton Road, Histon Road and Madingley Road, a segregated bus route from the A428 to the M11, there’ll be improvements to cycle paths across Cambridge city centre, and also on Hills Road, a new Park and Ride site out on the A1307, and the so-called Chisholm Trail. That’s the cycle trail from Cambridge railway station to the Science Park. In total, this is more than £180 million worth of work. And after this afternoon’s meeting, I spoke to Cambridge City Council Leader and the Chair of the Greater Cambridge City Deal Board, Lewis Herbert. He gave me more details about what they hope to do.
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