Blog Archives

SmartPanels for Organisations

27/7/2018

SmartPanels are intended to provide employees and visitors with relevant, location specific and up to date information to help inform their travel choices. They are part of a suite of travel information services which include digital wayfinding devices and the MotionMap travel app .

SmartPanels are a result of a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the Smart Cambridge programme. Organisations will not be charged for the SmartPanel until end of March 2019 at the earliest (although the organisation will need to provide their equipment – e.g. TV screen 49”, power sockets, internet connectivity etc). After the end of March 2019 a small subscription may be introduced.

The SmartPanel is primarily intended to improve the availability of transport related information. The SmartPanel will be able to display the following:

Bus departure times – the “live” bus departure times for any selected bus stop
Bus positions and timings - live bus positions within a selected map area
Train departure times - the live train departures for a selected train station.
Google traffic maps - the latest road traffic congestion provided by Google
Twitter timelines (in particular traffic‐related feeds) - the Twitter timeline for any selected Twitter account
Weather forecasts - the weather forecast for the selected location
Static messages - to display a fixed text message
Live copies of other web pages - other webpages that are compatible with an iFrame to be displayed

If you are interested in a SmartPanel for your organisation then please email smart.cambridge@cambridgeshire.gov.uk for the information pack.

The GCP Agrees £19m Towards a Package of 'Quick Wins'

27/7/2018

The Greater Cambridge Partnership has agreed to invest an additional £19m towards a package of 'quick wins' to improve road safety, reduce congestion and enhance the city region’s cycling network. It includes a £4.6m investment in cycling improvements across the Greater Cambridge Greenways – a network of 12 high-quality cycling, walking and equestrian routes linking surrounding towns and villages to the city.

Construction work on the proposed Greenways upgrades – which includes the widening and resurfacing of a number of existing cycleways, including between Stapleford and Sawston, and a new shared path linking Cottenham to the Guided Busway – is expected to begin next month.

The ‘quick wins’ expected to be delivered by the end of 2020 include new bus lanes on the approach to the A11 and Linton, junction safety upgrades, new crossing points and more cycle storage at Babraham Road Park & Ride.
Members have also approved the preferred option design for improved bus, cycling and walking journeys along Milton Road, and discussed the potential options for encouraging people to move away from using their car to travel across Cambridge. For more information, see here.

Hackney Council Allow Residents to Turn Parking Bays into People Places

27/7/2018

Hackney council is offering residents the chance to design their own ‘parklets’ to replace parking spaces on their streets. A trial scheme, launched this week, will support the installation of 15 parklets across the London borough. The trials will run from one to six months, after which the council will decide whether to make the parklets permanent. Each parklet will occupy a single parking space, with the design determined by residents. Features could include planters, bike racks, benches, notice boards and games. This initiative is the first in the UK - to allow residents to apply for uses within parking bays that are more than just car storage. This could be transformative for our streets, as non-car uses are permitted on the kerbside normally reserved exclusively for cars. For more information, see here.

Free EBike Hire for CSP Employees from Lonstanton P&R

27/7/2018

From early this month, Cambridge Science Park (CSP) is piloting a free electric – bike hire service for CSP employees. If you live within Bar Hill, Longstanton or Northstowe area, you can collect the ebike from the Longstanton Park & Ride. Bikes will be available on a on a first-come, first-served basis. However, commuters can reserve a bike online. For more information, see here.

Mobike in Cambridge

27/7/2018

100 Mobikes arrived in Cambridge last month! The company will initially start with 100 bikes before expanding the number of bikes gradually over the coming months, based on demand and popularity of the scheme. Mobike provides an affordable means of shared transportation for convenient short urban trips, while reducing congestion, and our city's carbon footprint. These combined - Mobike improves the quality of city life. Mobike’s business model is similar to other dockless bike-share companies, with users downloading an app, using the app to find and unlock a bike, and leaving the bike wherever they want when they finish using it. For more information, see here.