Economic growth in a historic city—the transport challenge

The university city of Cambridge in eastern England has long been a popular place to live—even more so now it has become the UK's equivalent of Silicon Valley. But as with many other historic cities in Europe enjoying an economic boom, balancing increased transport demands with the need to maintain an attractive urban environment is a continual problem.This paper reports on the pioneering yet practical initiatives undertaken in and around Cambridge with varying degrees of success over the past 35 years, culminating in virtual daytime closure of the city centre to car traffic. It involves an innovative scheme of rising bollards for buses and taxis and one of the most advanced park-and-ride schemes in the world.