29/04/2017
The Government has agreed a “Devolution Deal” for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with a new Mayor to be directly elected on 04 May 2017. The deal will transfer resources, powers and accountability from central Government to a Combined Authority for the region. The new Mayor will have responsibility for key aspects of transport, and specifically the Combined Authority is tasked to provide “world class connectivity and transport systems, fit for the 21st Century“. The Mayor needs to identify “priority proposals for infrastructure and transport… and focus on a step change in infrastructure delivery“. To enable delivery, £600 m in funding is allocated to the Combined Authority over a 30 y period. This is a very significant investment, and could be transformative for the region if allocated and leveraged in the right way.
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to enable long-term and enduring transport improvements for the region, as called for by Cambridge Connect. The new Mayor will have a vital role ensuring investments are right for our future. The policies, vision, commitments – and delivery – of the new regional Mayor will have very direct impacts on our lives, and it is critical that we carefully weigh up the candidates when making our choice!
To help you make your choice, Cambridge Connect has put together a brief summary of the main transport policies of candidates in our simple “CA Mayor Candidate Transport Ready Reckoner“. Quotes are from the local Cambridge Independent newspaper, dated 19 April 2017. We specifically highlight statements on light rail and tunnelling to help you compare candidates. We offer our own evaluation of the policies for your consideration.
Further information on candidate transport policies, and the Devolution Deal in general, may be found at Smarter Cambridge Transport and in the media.
The new Mayor will have significant influence on transport solutions for our future – please seize the opportunity and make your vote count on 04 May!
