A controversial cycle street in Cambridge, promoted as used by 3,000 cyclists daily, was actually used by only about 1,500, according to Freedom of Information documents. Additionally, public money was used to silence opposition from a college regarding a bus route.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that England's first controversial ' cycle street ' in Cambridge was used by only half the number of cyclists that the public was led to believe.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which developed the scheme, initially claimed on its website that the road was already used by more than 3,000 cyclists daily. However, two manual counts conducted in 2022 and 2026 on behalf of the GCP found approximately 1,500 bicycles per day on each occasion.
The discrepancy has raised questions about the transparency of the project, which cost a reported 2.4 million pounds and aimed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians by narrowing the road, removing on-street parking, widening footpaths, raising crossings, and reconfiguring junctions. Critics argue that the funds could have been better spent on more pressing issues like fixing potholes, and note that there were only two collisions involving bicycles on that road in six years, with just one deemed serious.
Further controversy surrounds the GCP's payment of over 150,000 pounds of public money to Clare Hall, one of Cambridge's poorest colleges by net assets, to persuade it to stop lobbying against a major bus route. The college dropped its opposition to the C2C bus route in October last year, having spent 537,000 pounds on its objection campaign.
Documents reveal that the GCP paid 100,000 pounds towards the college's professional costs, 48,000 pounds to its law firm, and 10,863 pounds to its property advisors. In return, Clare Hall agreed to withdraw its formal objection to the busway on Rifle Range Road and not to make any public statement about its decision without prior written approval from the GCP.
This deal has been criticized by local politicians, including Conservative councillor Delowar Hossain, who called for a public inquiry and accused the GCP of being part of an alliance against motorists. He also described the cycle street as an extraordinary waste of money, suggesting that double yellow lines could have achieved the same parking restrictions at a fraction of the cost.
The GCP, whose members include Cambridge City Council, the county council, and the University of Cambridge, has repeatedly quoted the 3,000 figure for cyclists, which opponents suspect was derived from a sensor placed on nearby Coton Path. That sensor recorded nearly 3,000 cyclists crossing in October and November, but numbers dropped to as low as 1,687 in summer, with a yearly average of 2,397.
Crucially, the sensor was not on Adams Road itself but at a busy four-way intersection used by people heading to or from Cambridge University's sports ground. Local resident Frazer Merritt, who obtained the FOI documents, expressed concern over the justification for public spending, stating that the ends do not justify the means. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in Cambridge over infrastructure development, as the city expands and faces traffic congestion, with a powerful cycling lobby pushing for anti-car schemes.
The cycle street, located on one of the most exclusive roads in Cambridge where houses sell for over 3.5 million pounds, has become a flashpoint in the debate over how to balance the needs of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists
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