Making the Greenways work for walkers and wheelers

These walking/wheeling and cycle routes are part of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) ambition to support sustainable access to rail and bus services and urban destinations. Cambridge Living Streets has welcomed Greenways but called for important additions: benches, shade – and litter bins!

We have also raised concerns about safety issues for walkers/wheelers where Greenways meet city streets. We can report some progress on this issue:

• Comberton Greenway: This enters the city via Adams Road and Sidgwick Avenue and much needed infrastructure improvements are now being proposed by the GCP. These include improving pavements and crossing points on Adams Road and creating a wider pavement on the north side of Sidgwick Avenue, which links the Greenway to the University’s Sidgwick site and the city centre. The GCP design will enable safer walking and wheeling by avoiding conflict with the large trees and – we hope – creating a pedestrian-only route onto the site.
• Fulbourn Greenway: GCP plans for the final stage use Mill Road through Romsey, over Mill Road bridge and along Devonshire Road to access rail and bus services. Cambridgeshire County Council has now committed to developing a public realm improvement scheme for the whole of Mill Rd, working with local communities. This is an important step forward as thousands of walkers and wheelers use the whole length of Mill Rd to access the city centre and bus network. We urgently need pavement repairs and more pavement width at pinch points, plus local enforcement of a pavement parking ban.
• Bottisham, Swaffham and Horningsea Greenways: These three greenways link up near Cambridge and are planned to enter the central area along Riverside. GCP has consulted widely and revised its initial plans (described as a ‘cycling super highway’) in response to concerns about lack of safe space for walking/wheeling from residents and community groups, including Cambridge Living Streets. In January 2026 their designs included a continuous footway, at least 2m wide, along the river with benches, planting and shade. This has the potential to greatly improve safety and movement for walkers/wheelers.