'England's first cycle street' opens to the public

A road which is claimed to be England's first "cycle street" has opened to the public.

The £2.4m project on Adams Road in the west of Cambridge - said to be used by 3,000 cyclists per day - gives cyclists and pedestrians priority over motorists.

It is part of a wider so-called "greenway" scheme by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which aims to improve walking and cycling journeys between the city and the village of Comberton.

The GCP said the changes looked to "tackle longstanding issues in the area caused by narrow pavements and busy junctions".

The road has been painted red and footpaths have been widened, while the painting of road markings is expected to be complete in the coming weeks.

Under the rules, motorists can access the road but must give way to cyclists.

Much of the on-road parking has been removed to eliminate blind spots for drivers exiting driveways, and reduce the risk of doors opening into riders.

Adams Road resident Juliette Jackson, 65, said she believed the scheme would "really help with safety".

"I think before, because it was an ordinary road, often the cars didn't really pay much attention to the cyclists, and some of them are students - and they're not very good at cycling, and they don't have lights and they wear black clothes, and it's quite hard to see them.

"The cars are [now] encouraged to sort of treat the road slightly differently."

She added: "I totally understand people feeling resentful and fed up that their roads are in a terrible state and suddenly there's a lovely new road somewhere else."

Meanwhile, Will Yau, 47, who works in the city centre, said: "Cambridge is quite renowned for cyclists anyway. They've already got dedicated cycle lanes anyway, most of the roads.

"I don't think this is necessary."

Jonathan Camp, GCP project manager, said: "We're delighted that Adams Road is open for use - it's a significant milestone in the progression of the Comberton Greenway.

"We may still need to temporarily close parts of Adams Road while the last remaining work is carried out. We'd like to thank the residents of Adams Road for all their support and patience throughout construction."

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