Focus of work
Together with Cambridge Living Streets and the Cambridge Area Bus Users, Camcycle set up the Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance (CSTA) to campaign in support of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Making Connections proposals, which comprise a transformation of the bus network, improvements for active travel, and road charging in the form of a Sustainable Travel Zone for Cambridge. Via Camcycle’s employment of a dedicated Campaign Organiser, the CSTA aimed to:
- Lead other transport and environment groups in this campaign to encourage as many people as possible across the region to respond to the consultation in support of the proposals
- Present positive visions about what the proposals can achieve for the region while also calling for urgent and ongoing improvements to walking, cycling and bus services, strategically targeting those with a propensity to respond positively and making sure that they do
- Maintain pressure after the consultation closed to ensure that local politicians are brave enough to vote for further implementation via at least three relevant local authority meetings in the first half of 2023.
Impact
The CSTA has built a strong and dynamic sustainable transport alliance, comprising 30 member organisations which encompass local and national organizations and groups focusing on transport, climate and pollution, and 90+ active volunteers. They harnessed member organisations’ networks for their campaign through a series of blogs and guest blogs.
The CTSA encouraged positive participation in the consultation, which had the highest response rate ever for a GCP survey (24,000+). They conducted their ‘If not now, then when?’’ (INNTW) campaign to highlight the urgent need to take action now and motivate consultation responses, distributing over 50,000 leaflets (generating 5000+ click-throughs) and getting publicity in Cambridge newspapers and the wider region. The INNTW slogan has since been used by the media, most recently by a presenter on BBC Politics East. The CSTA submitted its own consultation response, as reported by the Cambridge Independent.
The CSTA put forward a positive visions of how Making Connections could contribute to the region: they published interviews with supporters and ensured voices in favour featured in press articles. Work is ongoing to ensure politicians feel confident voting for the proposals. The alliance supported a CSTA member organisation in arranging a march supporting the Making Connections proposals, demonstrating the extent of local support. A YouGov poll which CTSA commissioned about the proposals was discussed on a local politics radio show and they helped Councillors defeat motions calling for referendums on the proposed road charge by publishing a briefing paper on the topic. Councillors told the CTSA that the paper informed their arguments.