Cambridge City Council anticipates new car park will encourage sustainable transport

A council has expressed its hope that individuals will transition to “greener travel” following the inauguration of an underground car park in a city centre, which features 23 charging stations for electric vehicles. The Park Street car park in Cambridge welcomed its initial visitors on Tuesday, having been closed since January 2022 for primary project construction and demolition. The former building on the site was razed to facilitate the development of a five-storey, 229-room hotel, scheduled to open next year. Simon Smith, the executive councillor for finance and resources at Cambridge City Council, commented: “The opening of Park Street represents a real milestone for the council.” The facility offers 223 subterranean vehicle parking spaces, including 23 electrical vehicle (EV) charging points. It also provides 200 spaces equipped with cables and power supplies, enabling the future addition of more charging sockets if demand increases. These new spaces are part of the council’s broader commitment to installing 800 EV chargers across the city’s car parks. Furthermore, there is secure parking available for 239 bicycles, 10 oversized bicycles, and 20 motorcycles. Ling Yohoya, who was visiting the city from Malaysia, became the first person to park in the newly opened car park. He remarked: “This is actually my first visit to Cambridge… I feel honoured of having the privilege of being the first visitor to this car park.” The reopening of the building experienced a “major delay,” having initially been expected in August. Cambridge City Council cited “unprecedented weather, changes to compliance and regulation requiring additional works, and supply chain issues” as reasons. The council further specified that the delay was caused by a “contractor’s failure to install the power connection.” Councillor Smith explained that the council decided to invest in the project due to the previous facility “ageing.” He stated: “It offered us an opportunity to develop new facilities that will play an important part in supporting people shifting to greener travel options with the EV charging and the substantially improved facilities for secure cycle parking.” He added that the aparthotel is projected to “provide much needed income to support essential services for residents, as well as a boost for local businesses… this is an important renovation for well-used facilities in the city centre.”