Combined Authority is asking the public to have their say on bike share options for market towns

Combined Authority is asking the public to have their say on bike share options for market towns

The Combined Authority is launching a survey to explore interest in providing access to a pool of bikes in the Market Towns of Cambridgeshire. 

Bike hire schemes can take many forms, from the on-street self-service options seen in Cambridge city centre to bike libraries offering longer term loans. The survey looks to understand what potentially could work in your area and the Combined Authority would encourage everyone to get involved and share their ideas. 

The CoMoUK Annual Bike Share Report 2021 showed that over half of bike share users said that it was the catalyst to start cycling again, and 53% of respondents said that their last trip would have been by car or taxi if bike share had not been available. With the Combined Authority’s Local Transport Connectivity Plan (LTCP) showing that more journeys on foot and by bike will help allow residents to live active, healthy lives, together with improving air quality and reducing congestion when people switch from the private car, bike hire schemes could have multiple benefits. 

The survey will open on Monday 23rd January 2023 and run until Tuesday 28th February 2023 and all responses will be reviewed and help inform our approach. When open, the survey can be accessed here. 

Speaking of the survey, Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Cllr Anna Smith, said “As a keen cyclist myself, I’m particularly excited by this project. Bikes play a key role in reducing congestion and improving air quality in our towns and they also improve physical and mental wellbeing for our residents.  

We would love to hear residents’ thoughts about how they see bike share schemes best working in their areas. I would encourage everyone to take part in this survey so that we can work towards delivering the best option for everyone in our region.”