Elections

I would not only support but push for cycle racks to be given priority over car-parking. Especially where there is little or no pavement space. Where there is pavement space access to bike racks should be easy without dismounting but segregated from pedestrians.
Where car-parking could be turned into space for bicycle parking planting of trees and shrubs around the bike parking space should be implemented to protect cyclists from the road.
Cycle crime is something we all want to reduce. Cambridge, as I have already said, has theft rate that has left many of us in despair. Working jointly with the City the Police and cyclists I would wish to ensure every shop, pub, cafe or any social amenity has secure bicycle parking. It would also be good if the county along with the police could subsidise good quality locks for those who are on low incomes and children who are all to often affected most by bike crime.
It should also be a priority for the police to weed out any organised bike theft.
Stop checks for cyclists may be inconvenient for you and me, but it is more inconvenient to wake up and find your bike stolen! The police all to often take a soft approach and say, there is nothing they can do.
If 10% of all crime is bike related, surely 10% and more should go into reducing this.

As already said I believe that the polices priority for cyclists should be to spend time getting to the route of bike thefts and weeding it out.
All cyclists should abide by the law and most of the time this is to the benefit of both cyclists, pedestrians and other road users.
However police can often be heavy handed to cyclists that have only broken minor rules. These rules are also often obscure in terms of signage. Cycling up one-way streets is not acceptable but fining that cyclist is bizarre.
All cyclists should have lights after dark and any monies that are taken in from fines given out should stay in system funding the policing of crime the subsidy of bike locks and bike lights.
The policy of cyclists not being allowed up wide one-way streets where there could be counter-flow cycle only traffic should be looked at and extended where possible.

Not only do I think that 20mph speed limits should be the norm for residential streets, I think that where on connecting roads the limit is higher hy-brid cycle lanes should be introduced to give those less confident cyclists a clear gap between them and motor traffic.
The Green Party is Norwich successfully pushed for 20mph speed limits for residential streets showing we have a track record of acting on our promises.
We welcome the introduction of these speed limits in central Cambridge but would like to see them urgently extended to the suburbs. In King's Hedges speeding can be a particular problem, this no doubt puts people off cycling. With 20mph limits and proper enforcement. More of Cambridge's traffic can move onto bikes reducing pollution, congestion and making it easier for us all to get around.

In terms of cycling, just a proportion of this could go towards upgrading Cambridge's cycling facilities to world class standards. Hy-brid cycle lanes on all major roads. Cycle routes that do not stop just like that. Segregation of cyclists from pedestrians across commons and where on path cycle routes exist. This along with new cycle paths to villages, thus reducing peoples need to drive and hence congestion. We would allocate at least £50 Million for these purposes.
Public transport infrastructure such as new stations at Chesterton, Addenbrookes and Cherry Hinton. All electric or bio-fuel buses reducing pollution particularly for cyclists and pedestrians.
A new interchange for buses in Cambridge as well as the upgrade of the interchange at the station and implementation of the plan for a coach station there.
We would also seek to see that substantial monies are spent on integrated transport. Allowing people to transfer from bus to train to bike back to bus, and so on. This means giving cyclists secure and easily accessible parking at all major and more minor transport interchanges.
It also means changing our transport hierarchy from one where the car is considered King! To one where it is at the bottom of the heap.
This means pushing the car out where space is needed for cyclists, pedestrians or public transport.

I don't support any scheme leading to the widening of the A14, It will generate far higher levels of traffic that will continue to blight all of the communities along its corridor. The route between Girton and Madingley is one I use frequently whilst running and is, I agree, a little awkward and includes an un pleasnt stretch alongside the A14. This has the potential for a cycle corridor linking N Cambridge villages with those to the west and linking up routes to Cambourne. It's loss would be very short sighted.

We in the Green Party adhere to a transport hierarchy. Pedestrians are at the top then cyclists, public transport and so on until you get to the car at the bottom.
We believe that investment in transport should be apportioned according to where each mode lies in the hierarchy, within reason.
We also believe that priority should thus be given to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over the car. Especially where it is relating to road space, but also for cycle parking etc.
Cambridge is very lucky to have such high rates of cycling, but without this forward and radical thinking cyclists will still be squashed in, less confident ones will be frightened to tackle busy roads and many who might cycle will stay in their cars thus exacerbating the problem for all of us.
The County Council has paid lip-service to high quality facilities for greens modes of transport, whichever they be. If you vote for me as your County Council. I can assure you that I will fight to the bone to see investment and transport priority given to cyclists in King's Hedges and across the city. Greens have and always will support this as part of better, greener communities and a planet that we must look after. It is governments, whether it be national or local, responsibility to allow all of us to be able to get around in an efficient and environmental nondestructive way.