Transport in Cambridge is always a hot topic for the town, but the latest ‘tram plan’ proposals have caused particularly mixed feelings.

The city has recently been identified as a ‘particularly attractive’ city for a tram network by the UK Tram, according to managing director Colin Robey.

He said, “Trams are a very good way of getting people around in large numbers. Cambridge is attractive in as much as it is a small city that has major developments on the way.”

Several local residents have backed it idea with Gazza Lawrence commenting online, “Something has to happen in the future, The rate that cars are being made and new people driving on the roads, Its (sic) too congested at the moment soon it will be bumper to bumper wherever you go.”
However, many others have been sceptical as to whether the idea is viable, or would work for the city.

Tanya Sheridan, the programme director at the City Deal, said that the cost of a new tram system was well beyond the city’s budget, as well as potentially putting cycling provision at risk.

The cycling issue was one brought up by several online commenters, as Cambridge is a city known for its cyclists.

Those annoyed by the idea included Paul Maguire, who said, “Tram tracks and cyclists? Many cyclists, a City known for it’s (sic) many cycles? Tram tracks!? Whose bright idea was this?”

He was referencing the fact that many cyclists are wary of trams, as the tracks are typically the same width as a bicycle tyre, meaning that if a tyre slips into the track, it can be very hard to get it out again. This is particularly dangerous as trams obviously cannot leave their tracks to swerve around a struggling cyclist, and could lead to accidents.

It is unknown whether the plan will actually go ahead.