15/06/2020
Cambridge to lead cycling-based recovery

While we’re still being encouraged to avoid public transport where possible, a desire to get out and about on two wheels is sweeping the country.

Bicycles are selling out fast as we adjust to relaxed lockdown measures, with the UK as a whole seeing a huge uptake in cycling. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declared that the post-pandemic recovery “should be a new golden age for cycling” and has released £2bn for a “once in a generation” plan to boost cycling – and walking – infrastructure.

Cambridge is already well-placed for this. Across the UK, only 1% of commuter journeys are made by bicycle but in Cambridge the figure is a staggering 40.9% – the highest in the UK (and higher, even, than cycling commutes in the Netherlands at 27%). Cambridge also tops the chart for the most repeat cyclists, with 30.6% of people cycling five or more times per week.

According to Bidwells, science and tech centres – including Oxford and Cambridge – show “a particularly high number of workers who cycle to work”. The existing cycling infrastructure in our city gives CB1’s business community a headstart as it prepares for a return to the office. Cambridge Council has also announced plans to implement a number of new cycle lanes and one-way systems to make commuting to work safer for cyclists and pedestrians. If you’re new to cycling – or returning after a break – you can check out guidance from Camcycle’s communication and community officer, Anna Williams, who spoke to Cambridge Independent about how to stay safe when cycling with social distancing.

Happy cycling!