Cyclists will be out in force this weekend to raise awareness of the need for further improvements to the cycle route between Royston and Cambridge. The A10 Corridor Cycle Campaign’s second annual A10 Awareness Cycle Ride will take place on Sunday, May 18 with the aim of drumming up more support for their bid to get a new cycle path between Royston and Melbourn.

Two groups will set off simultaneously at 10am, one from Trumpington Park and Ride and one from Therfield Heath, convening at Phillimore’s Garden Centre in Melbourn. Cambridge MP Julian Huppert will see off the Trumpington cyclists and North East Herts MP Oliver Heald hopes to wave away the Royston cyclists.

Campaign chairwoman Susan van de Ven said: “This family-friendly ride will proceed off-road at a careful pace, the idea being to highlight the need for a safe off-road route between Royston and Cambridge and the villages in between.

“The A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign was launched in January 2013 and has achieved remarkable success in a short period of time. Earlier this year, a one-kilometre stretch of new off-road cycle path was completed along the A10 between Shepreth and Foxton. This was the first project undertaken via Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) ‘Cycling Ambition’ grant from central government.

“The Campaign is actively pressing CCC and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) to tackle the long-neglected need for safe cycling over the Herts and Cambs county border between Royston and Melbourn. This one-mile stretch connects two key centres of employment but is currently off-limits to all but the most intrepid cyclists, and those who have no choice on economic grounds because cycling is the cheapest form of transport.

“We are very pleased that CCC has recently made a bid to the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund for an off-road path connecting Melbourn and Royston. Equally encouraging is HCC’s current work on a feasibility study for a safe crossing over the A505 roundabout.”

Matt Scales, on behalf of the Campaign’s Royston sub-group, said, “Last year we had around 50 people start the ride from Royston. If we could expand on that number this year, it would be amazing. As Sustrans have highlighted, a safe crossing for cyclists and pedestrians is greatly needed over the A505, so now more than ever we need to increase awareness of the campaign in and around Royston to keep the momentum going.”

A third stretch of off-road path connecting Hauxton and Harston, through the new Trumpington Meadows Country Park, is now under construction.

Mrs van de Ven said, “We are grateful to the Clark family for allowing us to gather once again at Phillimore’s Garden Centre in Royston. Tea and cake from the Teapot will be provided free of charge, thanks to a grant from JR Tech Shepreth.”