Rebooting the City Deal

Smarter Cambridge Transport held its first public event, Rebooting The City Deal, on Friday 14 October at Wolfson College, attended by around 250 people. Our thanks to Antony Carpen for videoing the event. Here are the highlights, and below them, the presentation documents:

Reaction from those who attended:

Dr Colin Harris of Cambridge Connect, advocating a light rail system for Cambridge, potentially extending out into South Cambridgeshire:

Edward Leigh of Smarter Cambridge Transport, explaining a few of the ways to achieve “better bus journeys”:

Dr Rachel Aldred, Reader in Transport at the University of Westminster, explaining the potential to double cycling participation in and into Cambridge:

These presentations were followed by a panel discussion, also including:

• Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge and a shadow transport minister with responsibility for buses, bikes and walking.
• Dr Julian Huppert, former MP for Cambridge and one of the architects of the Greater Cambridge City Deal.
• February Phillips, Associate at 5th Studio, with wide-ranging experience leading architecture and public realm projects.

Here’s the video of the panel discussion, preceded by a short chat with Lily MacFadyen Tomson, leader of the student-led charity Cambridge Hub:

Presentations

Brochure

This brochure is a condensed version of our article Greater Cambridge City Deal: A New Approach.

The event sparked widespread discussion on social media, as well as coverage in the Cambridge News, which wrote:

Cambridge’s MP and former MP have called for the pause button to be pressed on City Deal projects while a new timetable is negotiated. Daniel Zeichner MP and Lib Dem Julian Huppert were speaking at a “Rebooting the City Deal” meeting organised by volunteer group Smarter Cambridge Transport last night. Dr Huppert helped negotiate the original City Deal package, which imposed a 5-year time limit on the use of the body’’s £100million funding. It must be spent in order to unlock the next tranche of funding. He said that securing five years’ freedom to use the money had been a “big step”, but continued: “Spending £100million quickly and badly cannot be the right answer.”

(Leader of the City Deal, Lewis) Herbert said the presentations illustrated “opportunities” for transport.