Cambridge North cycle hire hub is now open
Cambridge Electric Transport (CET) has opened a bizbike mobility hub at Cambridge North station beside the busway so commuters can complete their “last mile” journey from the station by bike.
Opening the hub, Daniel Zeichner MP said: “Now when commuters arrive at Cambridge North by train or guided bus, they can hop straight onto a bike to whizz across to the Science Park, cutting journey times and avoiding the need to lug your own bike around on public transport. Schemes like this are an important part of reducing congestion and pollution in our city.
“I go to a lot of cities and there’s bikes lined up at the station but this is simple and easy to use.
“We’ve got to get away from cars in a city like this. This hire option isn’t going to work for everyone but we’re beginning to see the transformation required to become sustainable.”
Sean Moroney, founder and CEO of CET, thanked Network Rail, Brookgate and Cambridge Science Park for the support they have provided in setting up the hub.
“Only by working together in partnerships will we be able to solve the city’s transport challenges. We have also had great support from Cambridgeshire County Council for the operation of our pick-up hubs at the Park&Rides. As a result, the bizbike commuter cycling service has already eliminated over 2,000 car journeys into north Cambridge over the past year.”
CET’s bizbike commuter service is funded by employers wanting to encourage their staff to cycle to work by providing free access to bikes and e-bikes that they can pick up from hubs around the city. The pedal bikes are assembled in Norway.
Jeanette Williams, director of the Science Park, welcomed the opening of the Cambridge North hub: “We have supported bizbike since July 2018 and actively promote the service to Park members as part of our wider green transport plan. We encourage other employers and business parks to support the service so we can continue to reduce the number of cars on our roads.”
Sven Topel, CEO of Brookgate, said: “The emerging development at Cambridge North gives us a fantastic opportunity to build in environmental sustainability from the very beginning. As part of this approach, we wanted to put in place the new mobility hub to support local people and visitors to make greener transport choices. It’s a really positive step for Cambridge North which is in place even before the first buildings have opened.”
About Cambridge Electric Transport: CET was launched in 2017 as a green micromobility innovator. It’s commuter e-bike service was launched in July 2018 with Cambridge Science Park to serve north Cambridge and will expand to south Cambridge sites in 2020. In partnership with the Bike Man, it operates cycle repair and service hubs at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Science Park. Next month CET launches a community e-bike service for Northstowe residents, funded by South Cambridgeshire District Council, and a similar service in Teversham in April with funding from the South Cambs Zero Carbon Fund.
One of the first riders from the Cambridge North Hub, Vladimir Gubala of Vital Signs Solutions on the Science Park, said: “It’s an excellent service, the bikes are working well and it saved me more than half hour commute time.”
A booking app is on the way. Details at info@bizbike.club.
