Cambridge - future view for a UK city away from our area

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Cambridge's transportation system is currently (my opinion) a mess. That's not to say that changes aren't underway that will improve the situation in some ways, and indeed the work to implement some of those changes may be causing certain short term problems. What for the future?  Can we learn for our cities from the visions for other cites in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) - no necessarily along the "me too" lines.

John Bridge, chief executive of Cambridgeshire’s Chambers of Commerce, details his vision of the future in ]The Cambridge News

An all-electric based transport interchange at Cambridge City International Airport operating only-electric powered planes, a first in the world, with a base for the vertical take-off and landing car/plane vehicles (also electric-powered) which arrive from strategically-placed centres based on the key medium and long-distance commuting corridors in every direction around Cambridge.

This hub for passengers would provide a fleet of mini-buses, self-driving cars, motorcycles and bicycles, all electric-powered as well as being connected to the light railway system operating under the city which provides a network of links to all key locations within Silicon Fen.

There would also be a series of mini transport hubs at key locations surrounding the city campus, providing parking for all non-electric vehicles, connected to the light railway system and providing the same options for individuals as the main hub for onward journeys into the centre.

The same hub and mini-hubs would also be used for consolidation of freight deliveries of all descriptions which would then be delivered into the city by fleets of small commercial vehicles and vans again all electrically powered as well as the effective use of drones.

In addition the same types of vehicles would also be used by all residents and businesses based in the city when the provision of the underground public transport system was not suitable.

The city centre would be transformed into a leading internationally recognised retail centre which, as well as attracting all the major brands, would also have as its specialisation an outstanding variety of independent and privately owned retail outlets.

As well as for its globally-recognised specialist business clusters, internationally famous as the top university in the world, Cambridge would also be recognised as an outstanding and immensely attractive tourist destination underpinned by the historic city and the world’s leading university and ensure at least a three-day stay for all those coming to visit.

All visitors arriving by electric planes at the airport hub or coaches into the mini-hubs would utilise the light railway underground system or other electric options to transport them into and around the city.

I also see a world-leading “circular city” being created ensuring the correct circularity of resource flows to tackle the consumption of key resources such as energy, water, buildings and land.

Article continues

[Brucey]

Cambridge's biggest issue has been greed over the last 20 years or so.  The local authority has happily allowed new business to locate to the city, without any consideration for the appropriate infrastructure to be in place first.  What has happened to vast numbers of people have relocated to the city, without having any noticeable increase in housing and without any substantial improvement in public transport.  The type of jobs that have been created (mainly in technology, finance and science) won't appeal to the majority of local people, as very specific qualifications are required to do the jobs.

We now have the situation where most local roads, the M11, A1307 and A14 are fully loaded during the morning and evening rush hours.

Existing solutions (including the busway) only address the needs of a small number of people travelling from specific locations to North Cambridge.  It made no improvement to travel within the city centre.  Nor did it make any impact for people travelling from the (cheaper to live in) areas to the east and south of Cambridge, mostly in Suffolk and Essex.

I think this proposal by John Bridge is another such example of this.  The city is wanting to be at the forefront of technology, without considering any practical aspects of the proposal in the short term.  What Cambridge needs right now is a fully integrated public transport system, with a completely off road (i.e. underground) system in the city centre.  A well thought out underground system could also connect into the railway mainline to places such as Ely, Newmarket and Whittlesford.

I think the biggest lesson to learn from Cambridge is that proper planning is essential.  Attracting world leading business to an area is great, but you need the infrastructure available before the businesses arrive.

[SandTEngineer]

....blimey, doesn't time fly by, is it the 1st April already....

[grahame]

....blimey, doesn't time fly by, is it the 1st April already....

No, it isn't.    Cambridge wants to be three and a half months ahead of the rest of us  .  But - who knows - in 50 years time we may see his "Silicon Fen" developing to the north east of the current city of Cambridge and a light transit system running ...

- Cambridge Airport
- Ditton Meadows
- Fen Road
- Bates Bite
- West Anglia College
- Landbeach
- Waterbeach (Rail Interchange)
- Upware
- Wicken
- Barway
- Stuntney
- Prickwillow
- Shippea Hill (Rail Interchange)

... and although that links up two somewhat under-utilised transport locations at its end points at present, both have capacity for significantly increased traffic.

[Noggin]

I'd like some of what he's smoking please.

More seriously, I remember reading several years ago that Cambridge suffered from the facts that it couldn't borrow to invest in itself, or gain financially from its expansion, and that Cambridgeshire CC was very much run by "hunting, shooting and fishing" old-timers who were not keen on development.

The point was made that a similar city in California or New England would be able to borrow several hundred million to build a light rail system more or less overnight, and would be able to capitalise almost immediately on its growth through higher property and sales taxes, which would tend to silence opposition.

Whilst ambition is a good thing, seems a shame sometimes that politicians can't just get on with things.

[Richard Fairhurst]

On the "transportation system" upside, Cambridge is the one city in Britain that has got cycling right.

2014/15 stats are that 39% of people in Cambridge cycle three times a week. The next most popular authorities are the Isles of Scilly (19%), Oxford (18.8%), Wandsworth (15%), Norwich (14.9%), York (14.8%).

It's not by accident - Cambridge got a lot of things wrong (e.g. the city centre bike ban of the 1990s) and has since rethought them. Nor is it just a function of "being Cambridge" - Oxford's figure is less than half that. More than anything, it's that the infrastructure is not as terrible as it is everywhere else: there are segregated cycle lanes, filtered permeability, big bike parks, a shared-use bridge over the railway, all that stuff. It's far from ideal and conflict hasn't been designed out as well as it could be, but it's better than pretty much anywhere else in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

Is it possible to combine that and good rail/bus provision? I don't see why not, but nowhere in Britain have the two yet coincided.