The Greater Cambridge Partnership, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and EEH, with funding from the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, have been investigating how active travel routes, travel hubs, and bus journeys can be better designed and improved to enhance real and perceived safety.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and EEH, with funding from the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, have been investigating how active travel routes, travel hubs, and bus journeys can be better designed and improved to enhance real and perceived safety.
Through focus groups, safety assessments and research, the studies identified recurring themes that influence travel choices. These included lighting, visibility, bus reliability, wayfinding, maintenance,digital connectivity, and the presence of other people. Many participants described adapting their travel behaviour to manage safety risks, sometimes at additional personal cost.
The findings reinforce an important principle: that designing for those who face barriers to using active travel and public transport often creates better environments for everyone. Recommendations range from improved lighting, CCTV and real-time information to better vegetation management, accessible infrastructure, staff training and clearer reporting mechanisms for incidents.
Supporting our ambitions for a safe and inclusive transport system, we’ll be working with the Greater Cambridge Partnership to share the important learnings with local transport officers across the region.
This work is a valuable reminder that perceptions of safety play a major role in whether people choose to walk, cycle or use public transport.
A big thank you to everyone involved in the research, engagement and analysis. The insights generated will help inform more inclusive transport planning and support the delivery of transport systems that are safer, more accessible, and more welcoming for all users.
for more information, please see here
