Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

In the city of Cambridge, just about an hour's train ride north of London, you'll find lots of people bicycling. In fact, the official bike mode share is 22 percent, but advocates believe it's even higher and could comprise up to 50 percent of all trips in the city center.

More than protected bike lanes, the key to Cambridge's success has been the management of motor vehicle traffic. For one, the city center is now ringed by a cordon of moveable bollards that only recede for buses, taxis, and some service vehicles. Private cars are not allowed downtown but people on bikes are free to enter at any time -- which makes the bicycle the most convenient mode of transportation.

In residential neighborhoods, Cambridge has also tamed cars using a strategy called "filtered permeability" -- placing physical barriers at some intersection that divert motorized traffic while allowing other modes to filter through. This prevents motorists from using residential areas as short cuts and encourages cycling. Similar techniques are employed in famous cycling cities like Groningen, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam, and even here in the U.S. in places like Portland and Berkeley.

Cambridge is a growing city, and if new residents choose to drive cars, its streets could become overwhelmed by traffic. So the effort to create better streets for biking and walking continues. Recently, the city has adopted a 20 mph speed limit for most of its roadways, and a new push is on to install much more robust protected bike lanes in targeted areas where cycling feels less safe.

For bonus footage of Cambridge streets, check my post from earlier this week.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The Problem With … ‘Friday Video’?!

The urbanism YouTube sphere is thriving — but who's getting the views?

August 22, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Reap What They Sow

Turns out, states that voted for the "Leopards Eating People's Faces Party" are getting their faces eaten by leopards.

August 22, 2025

Californians Continue to Love High-Speed Rail, Even if Republicans in Washington D.C. Don’t

High Speed Rail has only become a partisan in recent years. But under Trump, it's become hyper-partisan.

August 21, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Designing and Delivering Bike Networks

NACTO's Ryan Russo on the transformation of street systems and managing space for people and deliveries.

August 21, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Faster Than a Speeding Bullet Train

Amtrak lost a champion in Joe Biden just as new, more advanced trains are set to start running up and down the East Coast.

August 21, 2025
See all posts