Controversial £2.4 million cycle street could be torn up after trial period, admits head of organisation that built it

The controversial £2.4 million ‘cycle street’, where bikes are prioritized over vehicles, could be torn up and reinstated, the head of the organization behind it has admitted.

The scheme on Cambridge’s Adams Road, used by 3,000 cyclists every day, has been hailed as the first of its kind in the UK.

It claims to improve safety for those on two wheels and pedestrians by removing on-street parking spaces, rearranging intersections to slow traffic, elevating crossings and widening footpaths.

But critics have questioned the investment as the Mail revealed there have been only two collisions involving bikes in the last six years and only one of them was serious.

Opponents also asked why the money couldn’t be spent on fixing potholes and noted that similar plans wouldn’t work on narrower, more dangerous roads.

Brian Milnes, chief executive of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which is building the mile-long bright red cycle street, announced today that its future depends on a trial period.

He said: ‘It’s not permanent until you go through the process and see how it works. It obviously has an experimental nature…

‘There is a consultation on this. We’ll keep this under review to make sure we don’t make terrible mistakes from which we can’t backtrack.’

Asked if others would follow if deemed successful, he added: ‘Obviously the answer is yes. If we have something that works and it goes well, we’ll probably try it somewhere else.

‘If not, we’ll revert it back or make changes for a better solution.’

It is not yet clear how long the consultation will last, but it is likely to last at least a year.

Mr Milnes, who is deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats group on South Cambridgeshire District Council (one of several local authorities and other bodies that make up the GCP), also defended the use of the money.

He explained that this came from the 2014 Greater Cambridge City Deal, in which the central government distributed £1 billion to unlock innovation-led economic growth in the region.

‘Where the money can be spent is restricted. “It does not include road improvements,” he said.

Mr Milnes added that the cycle street would help cyclists get around as the city faces increased congestion due to “a huge increase in residential and commercial growth”.

He has previously stated that the cycle street was needed because ‘there have been too many stories of cyclists being knocked off their bikes and car doors suddenly opening in their path, with elderly and vulnerable residents having to step onto the road to get around bins and parked cars’.

The system, used by 3,000 cyclists every day on Cambridge’s Adams Road, has been hailed as the first of its kind in the UK

But the Mail’s request for official statistics revealed that only two ‘collisions involving cyclists’ have been reported on Adams Road in seven years, with one considered minor in 2019 and the other serious in 2024.

When the Mail visited the road yesterday, residents’ parking spaces were so tight that car wheels were outside the dotted lines, causing moving cars to get into the path of cyclists.

Critics also pointed out that the measures, which saw a detached house on one of Cambridge’s most exclusive streets sell for more than £3.5 million, would ‘never work’ in less affluent areas where homeowners have no off-street parking.

Motorist Bob Heath, in his 60s, who was visiting a friend in the area, said: ‘What about the terraced houses on the narrow roads in Cambridge? That would never work there. If you can afford one of these places though, that’s okay.’

A pedestrian who gave his name as Ian commented: ‘I’ve never seen anyone drop their bike here.

‘It used to be a normal road, with cars parked on both sides. ‘Cars and bikes had to go quite slowly because there wasn’t much room.’

Frazer Merritt, 44, originally from Wisconsin in the US, questioned why money was being spent on ‘vanity projects’ such as Adams Road rather than fixing potholes and uneven pavements.

He said: ‘My mother is 82 and can only walk a block at most. It’s hard to push it in Cambridge as most of the pavements and roads are in pretty bad shape.

One of Cambridge’s most exclusive roads, where detached houses sell for more than £3.5 million, seen before work is carried out

‘There were a few occasions when he had to stop and get out…

‘I challenge any councilor to spend a day in a wheelchair and see how difficult it is to get around.’

Mr Merritt also described the lack of maintenance on Cambridge’s roads as ‘disrespectful’ towards blue-collar workers such as plumbers, electricians and taxi drivers who depend on vehicles for their livelihood.

Online resistance included this comment from someone with the username Freddly: ‘It’s important that projects like this also go to the “poor” parts of the city.

‘The value of houses on Adams Street will increase. Less affluent citizens in other areas should also benefit from the car removal reward.’

Brexit498 asked: ‘First of all, how much does this cost? As for the climate discussion, the existing Asphalt (in good condition) was torn up (used too much energy) and replaced with new Asphalt. How good is this for the climate?’

Alydavud added: ‘A better solution might be to ban cyclists as well and make it a much safer street for walkers.

‘If this is successful, then continue this scheme in Cambridge, allowing motor vehicles where necessary.’

Opponents cited problems such as shallow residents’ parking spaces pushing stationary vehicles onto the road

But one homeowner said: ‘I think it looks really nice. There’s less parking on the roads now.’

And one undergraduate praised it, saying: ‘I liked it. ‘The road is extremely smooth for cycling and there are fewer cars on either side.’

Discussions about giving priority to cyclists and pedestrians over drivers have been ongoing in the city for years.

Critics say the cycling lobby is too strong and argue the plans backed by GCP are anti-car and damaging to the region and the economy.

Recent discussions include a ‘bus gate’ on Mill Road that would only allow buses, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge.

Opponents claim congestion on the main road into the city center is forcing drivers to take longer on journeys and reducing trade to shops and bars in the cosmopolitan area.

It was also revealed earlier this month that it was fined up to £1 million in its first year of operation.

Two years ago it was announced that the footpath along the £24 million road improvement would be replaced after residents said it was so narrow that pedestrians were at risk of being hit by cyclists.

Frazer Merritt, 44, questioned why money was being spent on “vanity projects” like Adams Road instead of fixing potholes and broken pavements that make it difficult for his mother, Chris, to get around the city in a wheelchair

The controversial plan on Milton Road (strongly opposed by many residents over mature trees and bushes needing to be cut down) has created a 6ft 6in wide road for cyclists.

But streetlights and telegraph poles along the footpath, which totaled more than two miles in both directions, left less than 10 feet of space for pedestrians.

Cambridge also introduced the UK’s first Dutch-style roundabout in 2020 at a cost of £2.3 million, but this saw more collisions in its first three years than in the previous three years.

Since the so-called ‘cyclist death zone’ was completed, there have been ten crashes, three of them serious, compared to six minor incidents in 2017-2019. Eight of them were cyclists, the others were pedestrians and drivers.

Announcing the opening of the cycle street, Mr Milnes said: ‘This project is about making daily journeys safer and easier for everyone by putting people first.’

Dan Strauss, representing Adams Road residents, said: ‘Change is badly needed. Adams Road is a cycling success story, but as density increases, hundreds of parked cars are creating blind spots for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

‘Fast-moving traffic, crowded pavements and constant near-misses have turned one of Cambridge’s busiest cycle routes into an unsafe cycling experience.

‘Alongside this, parents worry about letting their children ride bikes or scooters, and families have watched loved ones using mobility aids as they have to negotiate obstacle after obstacle on narrow pavements.

‘We are a cycling city and we’re proud to be leading the way in showing how we can better share our roads to provide safe travel for everyone.’

Cambridgeshire County Council confirmed that ‘two collisions involving a cyclist have been reported on Adams Road’.

A spokesman said: ‘A [was] It was classified as mild in 2019 and severe in 2024.

‘These figures do not include near misses or unreported incidents, which residents and stakeholders regularly tell us they are concerned about.’