cambridge cycling campaign · 2003-09-20 · cambridge cycling campaign campaigning newsletter 50,...

F o r b e t t e r , s a f e r a n d m o r e c y c l i n g i n a n d a r o u n d C a m b r i d g e

Cambridge Cycling Campaign

Half a million words later

The JunctionCouncil decision oncycle parking

Tidal flowSilver Street restrictionstake effect

CAST.IRONThe community railwaycampaign

Milton bridgeLast minute hold-up

St Andrew’sStreetTwo majordevelopment projects

My WayArbury to Fulbourn

Parking signsWhat they mean

Newsletter 50 • October–November 2003£1 — free to members

Looking back at 50 issues of the Newsletter – see page 2

www.camcycle.org.uk

http://www.camcycle.org.uk

Cambridge Cycling Campaign Campaigning Newsletter 50, October–November 2003

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Cambridge Cycling Campaign was launchedeight years ago, in June 1995, and this is thefiftieth issue of our bi-monthly newsletter.Time for some nostalgia, then, we thought.

I had no idea of the scale of the task beforesitting down to write this article, though. Wehave published more than 1200 articles,containing over half a million words, inaround 800 pages – with nearly 3 millionkeyboard presses!

Constant themes

Not surprisingly, certain topics and themesreappear throughout the various issues. Hereare a few examples: the list is very far fromcomplete, but it gives a flavour of the widerange of topics we’ve covered.

(Numbers in square brackets are Issuenumbers).

• Cycle parking (The shortage throughoutmuch of central Cambridge; 300 newspaces at Cambridge station [21]; ParkStreet Cycle Park; Simon Nuttall’s cycleparking experiment [39]; the City Council’scycle parking standards)

• Car parking (in cycle lanes – especiallyoutside Brinton’s Garage on Cherry HintonRoad; visibility problems at pedestriancrossings)

• Speeding (speed cameras; traffic calming;growth in number of local 20mph zones;

Home Zones; the Slower Speeds Initiative;our successful objections to use of speedin some car advertising)

• Pinch points on roads (not much seems tohave changed since our first campaign toremove a narrowing at the Jesus Lockpedestrian crossing)

• Pinch points on cycle routes (Problemsposed for child trailers and bikes withbaskets). The installation of cattle gridssolves the problem on some routes, butthere are new chicanes on brand new cycleroutes too.

• Cycling bans (in Burleigh Street and FitzroyStreet, and in the city centre)

• Cycle theft (annual statistics; localpartnership project to reduce theft)

• Bikes and trains (Carriage of bikes on trains;cycle parking at stations; WAGN’s peakhour cycle ban [30]; redevelopment plansfor Cambridge station)

• Bikes and buses (bus priority schemes;visibility problems at bus shelters onshared-use pavements; guided busproposals; the removal of road space forcyclists to provide bus lanes)

• The behaviour of some cyclists givingothers a bad name. (The report of ourlaunch meeting, in Issue 1, said ‘a recurringtheme was the behaviour of “rogue”cyclists who pose a danger to pedestrians(and other cyclists) and make life difficultfor the rest of us by heightening hostility tocyclists among other road users.’)

Looking back at 50

If you like what you see in this newsletter, addyour voice to those of our 700 members byjoining the Campaign.

Membership costs are low: £7.50 individual,£3.50 unwaged, £12 household. For this, you getsix newsletters a year, discounts at a largenumber of bike shops, and you will besupporting our work. Please get in touch if youwant to hear more.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign was set up in1995 to voice the concerns of cyclists. We arenot a cycling club but an organisation forlobbying and campaigning for the rights ofcyclists, and for promoting cycling in andaround Cambridge.

Our regular stall on Saturdays outside theGuildhall is the public face of the campaign;volunteers are always welcome to help. Anddon’t forget our meetings, open to all, on thefirst Tuesday of each month, 7.30 for 8.00 pm atthe Friends’ Meeting House, Jesus Lane,Cambridge.

Elected Officers 2002–2003

Co-ordinator – Martin Lucas-Smith

Liaison Officer – Clare Macrae

Membership Secretary – Dave Earl

Newsletter Editor – Mark Irving

Treasurer – David Dyer

Stall Officer – Paul Tonks � 07870 441257

Press Officer – post vacant

Officers without portfolioJim Chisholm, Nigel Deakin, Richard Taylor,Lisa Woodburn and Wookey

(Non-committee) Secretary – post vacant

Contacting the Campaign

Cambridge Cycling CampaignPO Box 204Cambridge CB4 3FN

Telephone and fax � (01223) 690718http://www.camcycle.org.ukE-mail � [email protected]

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper byVictoire Press, Bar Hill.

Grant aided by

Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM will be on Tuesday 4 November, at 7.30 pm for 8 pm (ending 9.30 pm) at the Friends’Meeting House on Jesus Lane.

We hope to arrange a speaker for the meeting. Details will be posted on our website, or contact us(see box to the left) if you’d like to know more.

Minutes of the last AGM and the agenda for the next will be sent round our members’ e-mail list aweek in advance (or just request a copy from us). You can join the e-mail list using the quick formonline at www.camcycle.org.uk/membership/discussion.html .

If you have any motions for the AGM, please ensure they reach the Co-ordinator by Sunday 26thOctober so that there is enough time to assemble the agenda and publicise the motions.

As usual, all the Committee posts, as listed on this page, are up for election. We gave someinformation about each post in the previous Newsletter, partly in the hope of inspiring more peopleto become involved!

We will certainly be looking for a new Press Officer, to help deal with press enquiries and respondto press reports and letters. Contact us to find out more or if you are interested. We thank SamDavies, our outgoing Press Officer, for her work.

Martin Lucas-Smith, Co-ordinator

http://www.camcycle.org.uk

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/membership/discussion.html

Campaigning Cambridge Cycling Campaign

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Newsletter 50, October–November 2003

• Cycle training (for adults, children andforeign language students)

• Cycle maintenance (and lighting)• Carrying children by bike• Cycling for fun (leisurely rides; charity

sponsored rides)• Cycling entrepreneurs (local bike shops;

Chris’s mobile repair service; the coming –and going – of trishaws in Cambridge; andeven a window-cleaning service towing its6 m ladder by bike [23])

We have of course reported on a wide rangeof Cycling Campaign activities, including:

• Our many position papers, reports andconsultation responses

• National Bike Week every year• Our fact-finding trips in the UK and

overseas• Our visits to many cycling conferences and

meetings

We’ve reported on local and national policiesand strategies (and our involvement ininfluencing them):

• Local Transport Plans • Two Cambridgeshire Cycling (and Walking)

Strategies• One Cambridge Cycling and Walking

Strategy• Our optimism over the Integrated

Transport White Paper• Our pessimism over the Ten Year Transport

Plan [31 & 32]

Much of the coverage has been of localtraffic-related schemes, because of theireffects on, and often benefits for, cyclists.For example:

• The Core Scheme (Bridge Street;Emmanuel Road; Silver Street)

• Barton Road• The Jubilee Route• Newmarket Road• Trumpington Road (and the long saga of

appalling conditions during construction)• Grange Road• Hills Road• Mitcham’s Corner• New links opened (Rustat Road/Clifton

Road; Newmarket Road to Riverside; theJubilee Route; Cherry Hinton to Fulbourn;and soon the A14 bridge at Milton)

• And many of our campaigns have beensolely about preventing the status quofrom getting worse (Hills Road bus laneproposals; Milton Road bus lane proposals)

Some topics have run for longer than others.For example, on Newmarket Road:

• Our campaign to get green cycle filtersinstalled on traffic lights in bus lanes –started in [18]; resolved in [20]

• Our campaign to restore a wrongly-removed cycle lane on the Barnwellrailway bridge – started in [18] – and it tookfive years to get that one done

• The Royal Cambridge Hotel junction (thedecision to install traffic lights [11];installation delayed [13]; more than sixyears on, this junction is still a seriousproblem for cyclists)

There are a number of other cases whereour initial requests were immediatelydeclined, only for the work to be doneeventually. For example, we asked forRegent Terrace to be resurfaced, and forwider gaps between the bollards by PizzaHut [20]. The resurfacing happened twoyears later [33] and the gaps were widenedthree years later [39]. It’s worth persisting.

As well as much constructive criticism, therehave of course been very many ‘thank yous’over the years. Perhaps most significantly inresponse to a complete U-turn by the localcouncils over plans to ‘force’ (as wedescribed it) cyclists off Grange Roadsouthbound; we awarded the final scheme a‘Golden Bell.’

Contents2 Looking back at 50

Annual General Meeting

3 Mountainous invitation from BelgiumFrom Newsletter 34

4 Spot the cycle path, number 11

5 Planning Committee decision on cycleparking at The Junction

6 Silver Street restrictions take effect

7 Last minute hold-up at Milton bridge

8 My WayPhil Rodgers’ journey from South Arburyto the old Fulbourn Hospital

10 Cast iron versus concreteThe campaign to re-open the St Ivesrailway line

11 Changes in St Andrew’s Street

Commentary

12 Signs galoreParking signs and what they mean

Coral Park road-works

Parker’s PieceContractors create a visibility problem

13 More on Milton Road bus land proposal

Cycling Shorts

14 Bruno barks againFilm review: Belleville Rendez-vous

Small ads

15 Letter

Campaign Diary

Coldham’s Lane railway bridge

16 Your streets this month

One of our oddest non-events, reproduced from Newsletter 34:

Mountainous invitation from Belgium

The Campaign gets a lot of peculiar mail. Some of it is deeply junk, like the frequent invitations tobuy Viagra by mail (is there something about cycling we don’t know?), or how to becomemillionaires overnight (err – is there something else about cycling we don’t know?). But of thecycling related messages, a recent one from Belgium lightened the mood.

‘First,’ the writer said, ‘I have to tell you that we work all together only with friendship and the shareof the same passion.’ Great, another cyclist! Just friendly? No, there's more. ‘Are you eventuallyinterested on becoming our Lincoln, Norfolk and Cambridge’s newsletter and websitecorrespondent?’

Ah, he wants something. Correspondent for what? ‘This website presents you more than 2,000 ofsplendid climbs in Europe. We already have 49 correspondents in Europe (but none in Lincoln,Norfolk and Cambridge).’

Geography starts to kick in. ‘Our guide Passacol describes those climbs reaching 1,000 tops with allthe following data: height of the foot, height of the top, ..., maximum gradient, description of how toreach the foot, what’s at the top (nothing or restaurant, TV tower, viewpoint, orienteering table, ...).It’s important to know if the pass or the mount can be reached with road-bike or only with MTB.'

‘You’ll become the manager and real chief of the regional guide of Lincoln, Norfolk and Cambridge, ifyou desire. All the good climbs (very steep ones, or very touristic ones, or very mediatic ones) willbe included by you in this guide.’

I don’t suppose we’ll get many more invitations to be correspondent for East Anglian mountainclimbing by bike. But one can but be optimistic.

David Earl


4

There have been some lighter notes, too,of course, including:

• The Hills of Cambridge [22]• Girton College Bicycle Club [28]• A mountainous invitation from Belgium

[34] (see box on previous page)

The Credits

I think we can be forgiven for being proudof this publication. It truly would not havebeen possible without contributions pastand present from many who care about thecause of cycling in the Cambridge area:

• The editors: Jonathan Whiteland, PhilipMorley and Mark Irving

• The copy editors: Debby Banham, DavidGreen, Beth Morgan and Lisa Clatworthy

• Page layout: Mike Smith• The authors: Too numerous to mention

them all, but Dave Earl, Nigel Deakin, JimChisholm and Lisa and James Woodburndeserve particular credit.

• Photography: Dave Earl• Cartoons: Mick, and Dave Earl• Online conversion: Mike Smith, Martin

Lucas-Smith, Mike Causer.

In the early days, I spent many long hours atStaples waiting for photocopying ofnewsletters – so there was probably no-onehappier than me when Victoire Press in BarHill took over the printing process forNewsletter 16.

Behind the scenes, our teams of envelope-stuffers and deliverers, ably organised byLisa Woodburn, then complete the process.

We are grateful, too, to Cambridge CityCouncil for a Sustainable City Grant whichhas enabled us to distribute the Newslettermore widely, in particularto schools, libraries,councillors and councilofficers.

Looking ahead

So what does the futurehold for the CambridgeCycling CampaignNewsletter?

Well, we would likeeventually to include

colour photos in the printed version of thenewsletter, as we’ve always done in theweb version, but this is just too expensiveat the moment.

In recent years, we’ve broadened the scopeof the Newsletter, with series like ‘My Way’.We meet to review every issue, andconsider ways it could be improved. Pleasetell us if you have any suggestions – or ifyou would like to contribute to a futureissue.

Clare Macrae

Spot the cycle path,number 11

It is several years now since a cycle crossing at Perne Road wasmoved. It was incorporated into the traffic lights a few metresfurther along the road when a mini-roundabout was converted tosignals at the end of Mill Road. No effort was made at the time tomove street furniture (mainly a phone box and a post box) in theway of the new path. Nor were the Give Way markings expunged.They always were over the top anyway.

Now, contractors have taken it upon themselves to repaint theredundant markings. So we’ve been reminded once again thatcyclists should always give way to telephone boxes. Apparently itis all right not to give way to metal railings though, as theequivalent markings on the other side of the road were notrepainted.

Ironically, this was done immediately after the County Council saidthey would remove the markings altogether. So expect a secondlot of contractors to come along and erase them before long.Move the phone box as well? Let’s hope.

Give Way to a phone box.

News Cambridge Cycling Campaign

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We have had some success in our efforts toobtain on-site cycle parking for users of TheJunction, which is about to be expanded toprovide space for the Cambridge DramaCentre. The Drama Centre is to move in2004 from its current location in CoventGarden to The Junction’s site. Both TheJunction and the whole Cattle Marketdevelopment next to it are on Council-owned land.

As reported in Newsletter49, the architects in theirapplication for planningpermission proposed toremove all the existingcycle parking for membersof the general public onThe Junction site. The planwas that cyclists wouldhave to use the grosslyinsufficient amount of cycleparking to be provided onthe adjacent Cattle Marketdevelopment. We sent inan objection asking theCouncil to apply its ownLocal Plan cycle parkingstandards, which require specified numbersof on-site cycle parking spaces to beprovided near the main entrances of newbuildings.

Since then the application for PlanningPermission has been twice modified to takeaccount of our objection. The application

which came before the Planning Committeeon 3 September proposed that the presentnumber of cycle parking stands for thegeneral public should be kept and notremoved as had previously been suggested.In addition another 66 cycle parking spaceswould be provided.

When we spoke at thePlanning Committee meetingwe welcomed the change butargued that both the quantityand the quality of the cycleparking to be provided werestill not sufficient to meet theCouncil’s own standards. The66 new spaces were allocatedfor users of the new 200-seatauditorium (one for everythree seats). But no cycleparking spaces at all were tobe provided for the manyother new facilities includingadditional rooms for

performances and a café-bar. Under theStandards, provision should have been madefor these. At themeeting officialsrejected this using thesurprising argument thatthe other newperformance roomswould not be used atthe same time as themain auditorium. Thisseems to us unlikelyand is, in any case, nota valid reason for failingto implement theStandards in full. Theyare mandatory.

We were more successful in our argumentat the meeting that spacing of the cyclestands was insufficient. They are now to bea metre apart.

We asked for good lighting, for securitycameras and for the parking stands to beroofed. We were told that there should be

good lighting and cameras but that roofingwas unacceptable because it could interferewith the operation of the cameras.

We expressed our concerns about safe andeffective cycle access to TheJunction and its cycle parking.This is part of a more generalworry about the planning of cycleroutes within the Cattle Marketdevelopment. It remains unclearwhether cyclists will have theeasy access they need throughthe main piazza. The curious newcycle path outside the newly-builtflats on the Cherry Hinton Roadfrontage, which goes fromnowhere to nowhere, does notsuggest a thoughtful approach tocycle routes.

As the material in the box indicates, themerged Junction and Cambridge DramaCentre is an exciting new development. Wevery much hope that it will be much usedand enjoyed by cyclists and others and thatthe facilities provided for cyclists will be ofthe high quality that they are entitled to fromthe Council on Council-owned land.

James Woodburn

Planning Committee decision on cycleparking atThe Junction

Construction work at The Junction site.

More space will be provided ina new location for theCambridge Drama Centre.

Cycle path going from nowhereto nowhere on Cherry HintonRoad.

From The Junction’s publicity material:

• 150 000 attenders in 2002

• 1061 events in 2002.

New facilities in 2004 to include:

• a new flexible performance space forinnovative productions and an extensiveprogramme of theatre, dance and children’sshows

• a 200 capacity local bands’ auditorium andsecond club space

• a dedicated education room with sprungfloor for dance classes

• an all day café bar offering a communalspace for people to meet and relax

• two music rehearsal rooms for local artists,upcoming bands and workshops for peopleof all ages.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign News Newsletter 50, October–November 2003

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Restrictions on private motor traffic in SilverStreet started in early August. There is somere-paving work going on near the riverbridge, but rising bollards are now working.

It is too early to judge the overall effect.Traffic is at its seasonal low in late summerand highest in the autumn. We also knowfrom the experience in Bridge Street thathowever many signs are put up, people takea long time to get used to changes likethese.

The chosen option nowin operation is a tidalflow system. The streetis closed to generalmotor traffic during themiddle of the day and atthe dead of night (aconcession to us, thoughit was in the eveningthat we wanted itrestricted). All traffic isallowed inbound, but notoutbound, in themorning from 6 am to10 am and outboundbetween 4 pm andmidnight. Buses (thereare few, mainly the four-per-hour sightseeingbuses which operate outbound only), taxis(there are lots) and cycles continue to bepermitted in both directions at any time.

The system is enforced by rising bollards oneach side of the road near the Queens Roadend, so this means that the street is stilltwo-way at all times but traffic can’t get allthe way through when the closure is ineffect. Bikes have bypasses on either side ofthe bollards, an arrangement that is verysimilar to Bridge Street and EmmanuelStreet.

There are strategically placed signs inTrumpington Street, as well as in SilverStreet, which change according to the timeof day. When traffic is restricted they show‘no through road’ and at other times areblank or show weight restrictions. At thebollards themselves ‘no entry exceptauthorised vehicles’ signs turn blank whenthe appropriate bollard is lowered to let alltraffic through at 6 am or 4 pm.

What people do

As I write this, the reversible signsaren’t working. The ‘no through road’and ‘no entry’ signs are staying puteven when the bollard is lowered.Not that this stops anyone drivingover the lowered bollards.

When the bollards were in operationI saw many drivers coming alongSilver Street then having to return.Hopefully this will reduce as people get usedto the situation. However, at present there is

a lot of congestion at thebollards. Cars tend to arrivein groups resulting in twoknots of turning andreversing traffic either side ofthe bollards, mixed up withthe bikes and taxis that areallowed to go through. Onereversing car nearly hit a bikein the few minutes I waswatching, and severalcyclists rode up onto thepavement to avoid the mêléeor a blocked cycleway. I sawonly one driver who actuallydrove past the no entry signsand expected the bollard togo down.

Clearly, traffic is much reduced, thoughlevels in Silver Street fell after 4 pm on theafternoon I was there (which was probablyatypical, being a damp Saturday). Before4 pm every outbound car used Silver Streettwice through having to double back, while

after 4 pm there definitely wasn’t twice thenumber of cars. When the traffic is allowedthrough in one direction, turning trafficunable to go in the other direction getsmixed up with it. I didn’t see anyone gothrough the open gap in the wrongdirection, but I fully expect this to become aregular dodge once people realise there isnothing to stop them.

Despite the reduced traffic during restrictedhours, however, pedestrians still cram ontothe exceptionally narrow pavements in thecity centre end of the street. There is stilltoo much traffic (going both ways) forpedestrians to feel comfortable taking overspace on the road. The layout of the roadhasn’t been changed either, which sendssignals to everyone using it. But people stillinevitably and necessarily step off the kerbinto the road to pass each other. Cyclist PhilGibbard contacted us recently to say he’dnearly been felled when someone did thatimmediately in front of him without looking.‘One of them was a policeman!’ he said.

What does seem to have been the mostimmediate and highly positive effect of therestrictions is the reduction in large vehicles.Nevertheless, I still saw a tour bus mountthe pavement to within inches of thebuildings to pass another vehicle.

Knock-on effects

There have been the inevitable grumbles inthe local press. The ‘it was never a problembefore’ kind of letter from a disgruntleddriver was no surprise. Clearly he never hadto step off the pavement to make room foranother pedestrian, nor had bike wheelssqueezed against the kerb by a passingcoach.

Silver Street restrictions take effect

Scrum in Silver Street. Reversing cars mixwith bikes at the bollards. In time, we hopethis will become less common, but at presentthere is clearly a serious hazard.

Reversible signs show ‘NoThrough Road’ when the street isrestricted in that direction.

The restrictions at a glance.


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One specific problem is that foreigncoaches with doors on the ‘wrong’ side lettheir passengers out into the traffic onQueens Road, their new parking spot. Thecommon-sense answer which wesuggested, for these coaches to approachfrom the other direction, met with somecriticism that they would have to cross thepath of the oncoming traffic, includingbikes.

Elsewhere, the cycle crossing at GonvillePlace has been reconstructed, removing thecentral island to make room for an extratraffic lane which is supposed to help withthe knock-on effects of traffic displacedfrom Silver Street.

In conclusion

It is hard to draw many conclusions so faras the real test is yet to come and peoplestill have to get used to the system.However, it is already clear that pedestrianshave hardly benefited from the scheme atall because the continued two-way streetarrangement, even though it carries lesstraffic, means there is still no more spacefor people on foot.

Because the County Council was notprepared to back a proper closure, thescheme is quite complicated. The trafficengineers have produced a remarkablysimple way of implementing a complicatedrestriction, but it does mean that moretraffic will be in the street than should beand scope for rearranging space is verylimited.

The half-hearted restrictions also mean thatthere is still a problem for cyclists gettingout of the end of the contraflow lane inPembroke Street. The crash-prone junctionat the Royal Cambridge Hotel will carrymore traffic. Will councillors continue toduck responsibility for the safety of cyclistsby putting traffic capacity first at these miniroundabouts?

When the Silver Street restrictions werefirst discussed, restrictions in Regent Streetwere also mooted but were put aside. Willwe now see them revived? While wetentatively supported the restrictions, theimpact on cyclists in Downing Street couldhave been quite damaging, and many of usthink that the problem for cyclists in RegentStreet is from buses, which would not havebeen restricted.

David Earl

Last minute hold-up at Milton bridge

Assembly ofprefabricated parts forthe cycle bridge acrossthe A14 between Miltonand north Cambridgemeans that a bridgestructure is now visiblefor the first time.However, the plan toclose the road to roll thespan into place, firstplanned for the weekendof 13 September, andthen for a week later,was put on hold again atthe last minute – afterwarning signs had goneup and leaflets beenprinted. The plan is now to close the road in late October or November. After the span is in place,the ramps and fitting out still has to be completed, so the opening of the new bridge will also slip.January has been mooted, but don’t hold your breath.

We are also told that improvementsmay be made between the north endof the bridge and Milton CountryPark, a route that is at present oftenoccupied by parked goods vehicles.

David Earl

The span in mid September, before being rolled in place.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign Feature Newsletter 50, October–November 2003

8

Phil Rodgers works in modern offices builton the site of the old Fulbourn Hospital andlives in south Arbury. We follow him homeone evening.

Starting from the office [A], I leave thehospital site and turn left onto Fulbourn OldDrift. It’s downhill and along the new cycleroute beside Tesco. This is a bigimprovement on the old route over the levelcrossing and down the very bumpy part ofFulbourn Old Drift. You can get up a goodspeed going down the hill, but you need tobe careful at an awkward wiggle alongsidethe Tesco car park [B].

My Way

Yarrow Road is sometimes tricky to crosssafely [C]. It’s usually not too bad in theevenings, but in the mornings I can have along wait if I arrive just after a train has beenthrough the level crossing. On the other sideof the road, the way through to the next bitof Fulbourn Old Drift is also much improvedwith just a bollard to negotiate [D].

Then it’s along the last bit of Fulbourn OldDrift. Last year I was knocked off my bikehere by someone in a parked car opening adoor, so I’m particularly alert to this now.

At Cherry Hinton High Street it’s left andimmediately right into Coldham’s Lane. Thecycle lane markings want me to use the

pavements andpedestrian crossings,but this takes ages.Instead I sit assertivelyin the middle of theright turn lane and waitfor the lights [E]. (Afew months ago I waspushed off the road atthis junction by aStagecoach busmaking space foranother bus. Icomplained and theysent an apologeticreply.)

A

B

C D

E

F

G

Feature Cambridge Cycling Campaign

9


After all that, it’s a nice straight run [F] pastthe airport to the scary roundabout bySainsbury’s [G]. There’s often a long wait fora gap here, with the added excitement ofcar drivers from Coldham’s Lane trying toturn left across me. Again I go for assertivelane positioning and hope!

New cycle lanesare being built inthe next bit ofColdham’s Lane,though all thereis so far is somered tarmacacross sideroads [H]. Thenew cycle lanesshould make iteasier to passqueuing traffic but I don’t want to cycle tooclose to the parked cars.

Past Greens gym – my company offerssubsidised Greens membership, but I reckoncycling to work is a better way to keep fit –and over the railway [I]. This is a steep climbwith impatient car drivers (mostly) unable toovertake. I gather the proposed cycle bridgehere has been delayed but I’ll be interestedto see how it works. Past the Beehiveroundabout where drivers seem particularlybad about signalling [J].

Then left onto Newmarket Road. When thenew bridge over the Cam is built, I’llprobably go down River Lane and over thebridge instead, but for now it’s down theElizabeth Way underpass – I reckon the riskof being mugged in the underpass is smallerthan the risk from the traffic on theroundabout. Cyclists never like dismounting,so I go the longer way round and ride down[K]. I actually use some of my lower gearson the way back up on the other side [L].

Over the ElizabethWay bridge andpast two moreslightly scaryroundabouts [M]and I’m inHighworth Avenue.Now I can relax –Leys Road [N],Leys Avenue,round the back of Arbury Court, down analleyway and I’m home [O].

My cycle computer shows just over fivemiles. The journey usually takes me 25–30minutes. By car, the quickest route is tenmiles. That’s along the A14 and round theairport, and still takes 20 minutes, evenwhen the A14 is in a good mood. There’salso the C1 bus which runs all the way fromthe end of my road to just outside the office,but takes over an hour!

We’ve recently become a no-car household,which has definitely helped my motivationfor cycling instead of driving. Of course, it’sbeen a lovely summer for cycling; I’ll have tosee how things go when the autumnweather starts.

Phil Rodgers

H

J K

L

M

NI O


10

At the eleventh hour, a serious and wellorganised group has got together to try tohave the old St Ives railway line run trainsagain. This is instead of the guided bus thatCambridgeshire County Council proposes forthe same route (see Newsletter 49).

The new group, CAST.IRON (The CambridgeAnd St. Ives Railway Organisation – a veryclever acronym – billed as ‘Britain’s firstcommunity commuter railway’) is taking adifferent approach from previous groups.Ambitiously, they propose not just tocampaign for rail, but to actually run the linethemselves. They say this has been donebefore, though, and recently: Wensleydale’sline was reopened privately by leasing theline from Network Rail, refurbishing stations,purchasing a works train and hiring a dieselpassenger train.

These are the main issues, from a purelycycling perspective, distinguishing light railand guided bus proposals for this route:

• The prospects for a cycle route

alongside. The County Council guided busproposal incorporates an under-publicisedcycle route as part of an adjacent serviceroad. A link from Histon to the SciencePark is probably the most importantelement in the short term, though a newtown at Oakington will make othersections become increasingly importantand less Cambridge-centric later on. Whileconstructing a cycle track alongside therailway is not substantially different, it isnot an integral part of the railway scheme,so is less likely to happen. GivenCAST.IRON is raising funds privately, itseems inevitable that any cycle trackwould have to be obtained by anindependent method. Were the CountyCouncil (and the Government) to changeits mind and support rail, this would beless of a concern.

• The ability of the route to have an

impact on traffic levels. Many peoplethink that rail is a much more attractiveoption for attracting commuters than bus.On the other hand, a train is likely to bevery much less frequent than the verybusy schedule envisaged in the CountyCouncil bus scheme. Even with the bestwill in the world, the single track placessevere limitations on frequency. We mustalso consider the change from car, bus or

cycle required by most peopleat both ends of the route.

• Cycle parking at stops. Thereseems no particular reason tothink either bus or rail woulddiffer much here. Cycle parkingstandards can be enforcedthrough planning permission.

• The ability or otherwise of a

service to actually carry

bikes. It is almost certain thatno bus service using adaptedbuses, as proposed, wouldcarry bikes. The more tram-likevehicles once mooted (seeNewsletter 38) had more, but still notmuch, potential. Trains, on the other hand,often do carry bikes, and a localcommunity-based service would probablybe more responsive to this need than a bigrailway company. Experience shows,however, that peak services usually banbikes.

• The impact on cyclists of the service

away from the route. Lots more buseshave the potential to reduce other traffic,but the County Council seems determinedto promote bus priority measures insideCambridge itself at the expense ofcyclists. This is a serious and worryingaspect of the guided bus proposal.However, the CAST.IRON proposal initiallystops at Milton Road, requiring morebuses too. Completion of the railway toCambridge station would help, but thedifficulty of mixing light and heavy rail onthe main line was one of the main reasonsrail did not win out originally.

Is CAST.IRON just too late?

Cambridge Cycling Campaign has taken theview that it strongly supports publictransport use of this corridor, but that it isneutral on the type of transport, providedthat any proposal includes a cycle trackalong the route.

So we wish CAST.IRON luck. We have a lotof sympathy for a project which is grass-roots based and community led. Many of ussee the wider benefits of rail at a regionallevel and prefer it as individuals. But as anorganisation the Cycling Campaign can’tsupport it over the County Council’s scheme,especially as CAST.IRON does not currentlypromote a cycle track as part of its

proposals. If it were to do so, it wouldprobably have to double its budget.

Is its budget realistic anyway? CAST.IRONsays it needs less than £2 million to reopenlight rail between Swavesey and MiltonRoad. A single station at Addenbrooke’s onthe main line was estimated at £2 milliontwo or three years ago. There were otherconsiderations there, such as additional trackand electrified lines. However, if officialsupport were forthcoming the sums ofmoney which would be raised for transportin connection with the Oakington new towndevelopment should be able to finance arealistic budget.

We also have to consider what happenssouth of Cambridge. Would a guided bus beviable if it only ran from Trumpington to therail station? And if not, would we lose thepotential for a cycle route along that line thatwould accompany a guided bus system, orwould it make space available for cyclingwhich would otherwise be used as a bustrack?

But in the end isn’t CAST.IRON just too late?Hasn’t the decision in principle already beenmade by all the people who have thepower? Might it be that it will simply delayhaving anything happen on the St Ives linethat has already been unused for far, far toolong? Might the consequence be thatconstruction of a cycle route is put off andmore cars come into Cambridge? We’ve nowish to be hostile to CAST.IRON, and manyof us may offer it individual support. But ifonly it had been there ten years ago!

David Earl

Cast iron versus concrete

What’s left of Swavesey station and level crossings.

www.castiron.org.uk

http://www.castiron.org.uk


11


The County Council has been consulting onchanges to St Andrew’s Street. Two majordevelopment projects will have significantimplications for traffic and pedestrians in thearea. Together, the Grand Arcadedevelopment and the redevelopment ofBradwell's Court will increase pressure onwhat is already a busy area. The consultationis in two parts.

Temporary changes during the

development of the Grand

Arcade

Grand Arcade is a large shopping arcadedevelopment which will transform the areabehind Lion Yard. Being a large project, ithas been a long time coming and it followedthe rejection of the retail park planned bySainsbury’s between Arbury and the A14back in 1999. (You can read the ‘thread’ ofarticles we’ve published over the yearscovering the Grand Arcade on our website atwww.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/threads/grandarcade.html). The developers hope that, if allgoes well, the new shopping centre couldbe open for business by Christmas 2007.

In order to accommodate the constructionwork, some temporary changes areproposed for St Andrew’s Street for aroundtwo years, principally a hoarding to enclosethe works. This will take up much of theexisting footway in what is already a verybusy area. The council therefore plans torelocate the disabled persons’ parking bayand has suggested two options:

• Relocation to what is currently the taxirank further along the road during the day,with new electronic hailing for taxicustomers during the day.

• A new, smaller disabled persons’ parkingbay outside Bradwell’s Court.

The changes were discussed at theCampaign’s September monthly meetingand the first option was preferred. As wellas creating a parking bay in a ratherincongruous location, the second optionwould result in loss of cycle parking in anarea which has a considerable shortage ofcycle parking.

We will also be requesting that the cobblesin the present disabled parking bays areresurfaced, as cycles would be using thisarea for two years. We feel this is areasonable request given the high cycletraffic in this area and the length of time.

The consultation will have closed by the timeyou read this Newsletter and we will havewritten to support the scheme in generaland to give our feedback.

Further permanent access

restrictions

In the longer term, pressure on St Andrew’sStreet will increase as a result of the GrandArcade and the redevelopment of Bradwell’sCourt. Bus usage is also projected toincrease, despite the well-publicisedproblems of congestion at Drummer Streetbus station nearby due to lack of space.

The Council proposes to prohibit loading andunloading in St Andrew’s Street, north ofEmmanuel Street, during10 am – 4 pm like otherareas of the city centre.Additionally, it is hopedthat the currently highlevels of illegal use ofthe area by vehiclesusing it as a throughroute will decrease.Remarkably, over50% of cars andgoods vehicles in StAndrew’s Street arethrough traffic not

requiring access in the area. Furthermore,there appears to be a fair amount of‘overranking’ by taxis. All these factorsincrease congestion which can often spreadback into adjoining roads and the busstation.

We were concerned a few years ago thatCambridgeshire County Council wished tosee St Andrew’s Street fully pedestrianisedduring the day. Clearly, with the existingdaytime cycling ban elsewhere, that wouldmake access to and through the city centreeven more difficult for cyclists. However, ourfears appear to be unfounded and wewelcome the Council’s renewedcommitment to ensuring that this route iskept open.

We have written to welcome the changesand to offer our support for reducingcongestion in this area.

Martin Lucas-Smith, Co-ordinator

Changes in St Andrew’s Street

St Andrew’s Street is already very short of cycle parking. Bikes are parked anywhere andeverywhere – wherever a post can be found to lean against.

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/threads/grandarcade.html


12

If you have a question about cycling, ask DrDynamo and he’ll try to answer it.

Dear Dr Dynamo,Every day I see motor vehicles which Isuspect are parked illegally, but I'm not surewhat the road signs and markings mean.Can you help?Yours, Frances M, Arbury.

No waiting

A small yellowplate parallel tothe kerb is a‘no waiting’sign. ‘Nowaiting’ meansthat during thehours shownon the sign youcan’t park (i.e.leave your carfor an extended period) but you can stop toload or unload and to pick up or set downpassengers. ‘No waiting’ signs are reinforcedby yellow lines parallel to the kerb. Examplesare everywhere.

No loading

A small white plateparallel to the kerb is a‘no loading’ sign. ‘Noloading’ means thatduring the hours shownon the sign you may not

park nor may you stop to load or unload.However you can I think pick up or set downpassengers. ‘No loading’ signs are reinforcedby yellow lines perpendicular to the kerb.Examples all along Mill Road.

Loading only

There’s also a newwhite plate,‘loading only’, reinforced witha marked bay bearing themarkings ‘loading only.’ Thismeans ‘no waiting.’ Examplesin Bridge Street.

Urban Clearway

A yellow, black and whitesign perpendicular tothe kerb (i.e. facingdrivers) is an ‘urban clearway.’ This meansmore or less the same as ‘no loading’ –stopping to pick up and set downpassengers is permitted. Examples in EastRoad.

Clearway

A circular sign bearing a reddiagonal on a bluebackground inside a red circle,perpendicular to the kerb, is a ‘clearway.’This means no stopping: no waiting, noloading, no picking up and setting downpassengers, nothing. Examples along theentire length of the A14.

Dr Dynamo

Signs galore

Parker’s Piece

Contractors working on the public toilets on Parker’s Piece have created anasty visibility problem. They have put up a solid fence around the building,which they say is essential to keep dust and debris inside. However, the fencemeans that cyclists on the two diagonal paths that meet there cannot seeeach other.

Crude markings were later painted on the path. After we alerted the Councilto the problem, the offending corner of the fence was moved in a couple ofmetres, but as you can see in the picture, there is now a big sign in exactlythe previous location of the fence, obstructing the already limited view.

Hopefully that sign will also have been moved by the time you read this. Butwhy does it take so much effort to get little common sense things like thisdone properly in the first place? Even with the fencing set back, visibility willremain limited for a considerable time. Closure of the main pavement meansmore pedestrians than usual will be walking in the cycle path. So, on severalcounts, much care is needed here for the time being.

Coral Park road-works

A section of footway on Newmarket Road was obstructedwhilst works for the Coral Park redevelopment were carriedout. As a result, the cycle lane was coned off forpedestrians to use, and the remaining part of the bus lanewas coned off for use by cyclists. It’s good to see that thebuilders have considered the needs of cyclists here, eventhough the line of cones along the edge of the bus laneprobably wasn’t strictly necessary. The needs of cyclistsshould always be catered for when building work takesplace on the highway, especially if it means reduced lanewidths.


13


On 11 September, detailed plans for the newlength of Milton Road bus lane werepresented by County Council officials at aconsultation.

We have campaigned vigorously against thislength of bus lane which severely damagesfacilities for cyclists, well over a thousand ofwhom use Milton Road each day (seeNewsletter 47). As a result of ourcampaigning, councillors asked for moreinformation before taking a decision and it isthis information which has now beenpresented.

The proposed new bus lane runs north-eastalong Milton Road from just beforeWoodhead Drive to just before King’sHedges Road. The most damaging effectson cyclists would be when they are cyclingin the opposite direction, towards the citycentre. Inbound cyclists would have tochoose between cycling on the road in anarrowed traffic lane (three metres wide)where they would be harassed by motoristsor on a too narrow (1.5 metres wide)segregated cycleway on the pavement

which has to cross three side roads. On theoutbound side of the road cyclists wouldhave a choice between cycling in the narrow(three metres wide) bus lane or on the 1.5metre wide segregated pavement cyclewaywhich has to cross two side roads.

The most innovative element in the schemeis that, probably for the first time inCambridge, cyclists would be given priorityover motorists when crossing a side road ata road junction. Pedestrians have, of course,always had this priority (Highway Code, rule182) and cyclists have such priority in muchof continental Europe. Strangely, however,the priority would apply only to one side roadof the five (Woodhead Drive). At the otherfour, cyclists would have to give way. All fivecrossings would be ramped.

At two of the side roads (Cook Close andFraser Road) the crossings would go straightacross. At the other three crossings cyclistsand pedestrians would have to divert and tocross a few metres down the side road.Officials claim that such diversions areneeded on safety grounds. But this is a

strange claim as cyclists crossing directly area straightforward extension of pedestrianscrossing directly. Established continentalcycleway practice demonstrates that directcrossings do not create unacceptable risksfor cyclists or motorists. Diversions are aproblem for cyclists because they make itmore difficult to see turning vehicles andalso increase the likelihood of conflict withpedestrians.

We will continue to campaign against thebus lane. Councillors will make their decisionon the scheme at the next meeting of theJoint Area Transport Committee on 20October.

Formal responses to the consultation haveto be submitted by Monday 29 September. Ifyou wish to express your opinions aboutwhether the bus lane proposal should beaccepted or rejected, you should [email protected] or writeto Alistair Frost at Box ET1017,Cambridgeshire County Council, Shire Hall,Castle Hill, Cambridge CB3 OAP.

James Woodburn

More on Milton Road bus lane proposal

Cycling Shorts

The County Council has appointedPeterborough Environment City Trust tooversee the design competition for theplanned new river bridge at Riverside. SeeNewsletter 45 for the background.Construction is due to start in November2004.

The process for planning applications hasbeen changed recently. The Governmentsays the changes are to speed up theprocess, though it is hard to see they willchange very much. While the views of‘statutory consultees’ can now be taken asread in some situations, RegionalDevelopment agencies have a complicatingformal role. If planning permission isrefused, the applicant has less time toappeal. Councils now have to give reasonsfor approving plans (previously they only had

to do so to reject them) – though this is onlyof any use, of course, if there are then themeans to challenge the decision.

The County Council is putting the finaltouches to the latestedition of theCambridge Cycle

Route Map. The newedition should beavailable by the end ofSeptember in time forthe new intake ofUniversity students. Themap was originallycompiled by a CyclingCampaign subgroup andwe have continued tobe involved in updating it since.Unfortunately later editions show an

increasing number of poor quality pavementcycleways. As well as correcting errors andomissions, the revised map reflects changeson the ground. For example, we have anentirely new route this time in the Jubileepath across Ditton Meadows.

The Government says it has put an extra£3.6 million into research about potholes.The money is to adapt a vehicle for localauthority use which is already used onmotorways and main roads to measuresurface condition while moving. They saythat this allows road condition to beassessed safely, efficiently and withoutdisruption to traffic. Minister David Jamiesonsaid: ‘potholes – the scourge of drivers andcyclists alike – could be filled much moreefficiently on local roads, thanks to newtechnology.’


14

Free to members, on cycling subjects.

For sale

Tandem – Claud Butler Majestic Twin £300. Alasdair Massie� (01462) 894219 (h) or (01223) 882000 (w)

‘Holdsworth’ 531 touring cycle with carrier; 21 speed, Michelin tyres,Mavic rims and in superb order (211

2"). £275 � (01487) 814015 Aylin.

Wanted

Hamax Discovery 103 child seat. Must be in good condition. Bikefixings desirable but not essential. � (01223) 362194

Small adswww.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/smalladverts.html

Every so often a film comes along which issomething to do with cycling. As a Frenchpassion, so often the origin is France. In thecase of Belleville Rendez-vous shown at theArts Picturehouse recently, that’s prettymuch true, though the production isthoroughly international. Here is a littlereview.

Belleville Rendez-vous is a short featurelength drawn animation. In the manner ofcartoons, it tells the fantastical story of therescue of Champion, kidnapped during hisTour de France ride by the Belleville mafia.He is put to work cycling on a fixed stage ina theatre for the mafia to exploit by betting.In the meantime, his grandmother-coachMadame Souza and his dog Bruno (wholoves toffees and barks at trains incessantly)set out across the ocean to Belleville torescue him. There they meet up with theTriplettes, forgotten singing stars of thethirties. Together they set out to freeChampion culminating in a car-cycle chasearound the streets of Belleville.

The film is beautifully drawn and coloured.It’s almost a series of set pieces: the countryhome of Champion’s childhood, theencroaching development as he grows up,the Tour, a chase across the ocean, Bellevillesqualor, and the chase at the end. Championhimself has no character: he lives only forthe Tour. And in fact there is little characterdevelopment of any of the players. Brunothe dog is perhaps the most, shall we say,animated.

However, the film is full of little sideswipesand observations on different societies. Thetwo-dimensionality and fanaticism of the Tourparticipants, the sad decline of Champion’shouse in the face of a spreading city and therailway viaduct, the poverty of the oldTriplettes, reduced to a state where their dietis entirely of frogs (perhaps a little bit of self-deprecation by the French there). Belleville isa parody of New York, down to the obeseStatue of Liberté.

Maybe there’s a tendency of the film to pushthe jokes a bit beyond their limits. Forexample, Bruno’s incessant barking becomestedious (but then aren’t dogs’ habits just likethat). That makes it a little slow, especiallynear the start. In the end, though, it is thesurreal world that only animation can createthat is the making of the film. But perhaps itis only in this surreal world that the cyclistscan outwit and win over the cars.

David Earl

Bruno barks again

Les Triplettes meet Madame Souza when she discovers howto play music on a bicycle wheel.

Madame Souza never lets up onChampion’s training regime.

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/smalladverts.html

Letter & Diary Cambridge Cycling Campaign

15


October 2003

Wed 1 5–7 pm Free cycle security coding at Cambridge Station Cycles, next to the RailwayStation. The security code is a deterrent to theft and enables bikes to be tracednationally.

Sun 5 Home Farm Trust Sponsored Bike Ride. 20 or 50 mile circular rides. From OrfordHouse, Ugley, near Bishops Stortford. In aid of the Home Farm Trust. For furtherdetails, contact [email protected] or � (01525) 379830

Tue 7 7.30 pm Monthly open meeting, Friends’ Meeting House, Jesus Lane, at the Park Streetjunction. (Tea and coffee, a chance to chat, and for us to introduce ourselves tonew members for the first half-hour. The meeting proper starts at 8 pm.)

Sat 11 10 am Local authority auction of unclaimed found cycles to be held at the 29thCambridge Scout Headquarters, Stanesfield Road, off Barnwell Road, Cambridge.Viewing from 9 am. Contact 01354 688197 for more information. Please note:although you may find a bargain, you have no rights if the cycle is faulty. If youare new to cycling or know little about cycles, we recommend purchasing from areputable cycle shop or dealer elsewhere in the city.

Sun 12 1 pm Leisurely Ride. A countryside ride, at a gentle pace. Meet at Hobbs Pavilion onParker’s Piece. Back in Cambridge around 5 pm.

Fri 17 8.30 am Newsletter 50 review and planning for 51, over breakfast at Tatties café.

Mon 20 7 pm Join us for a social gathering at CB2 café 5–7 Norfolk Street.

Sat 25 10–2 Free cycle security coding at Park Street Cycle Park. The security code is adeterrent to theft and enables bikes to be traced nationally.

November

Tue 4 7.30 pm Campaign Annual General Meeting. Friends’ Meeting House, Jesus Lane, at thePark Street junction. See 7 October for description.

Tue 7 7 pm Bicycle Maintenance 2 evening class, Coleridge Community College, RadegundRoad. First of five weekly sessions aimed at people with some experience ofbicycle maintenance. This course builds on the basics and concentrates onother, less-everyday bike maintenance tasks. Further information on Camlearn(www.camlearn.net), enrolments (01223) 712340/1.

Wed 5 5–7 pm Free cycle security coding at Cambridge Station Cycles. See 1 October fordescription.

Sat 8 Newsletter 51 copy deadline. Please send articles to the Editor.



Wed 26 7.30 pm Newsletter 51 Envelope Stuffing at the Baby Milk Action offices, 23 St AndrewsStreet (between the Robert Sayle main and computer shop entrances, entrancenext to Lunch Aid). Help very much welcomed!


December

Tue 2 7.30 pm Monthly open meeting. Friends’ Meeting House, Jesus Lane, at the Park Streetjunction. See 7 October for description.

Wed 3 5–7 pm Free cycle security coding at Cambridge Station Cycles. See 6 August fordescription.




Further ahead

6 January 2004 Bicycle Maintenance 1 evening class. First of five weekly sessions aimed atpeople with little or no previous experience of bicycle maintenance who want toget started. For more details see 7 November.

Campaign Diary www.camcycle.org.uk/events

Life cycle of a cycle helmet

Following on from Guy Pooley’s letter inNewsletter 49 I have a question abouthelmets. According to the now defunctBycycle magazine (number 4, page 27) Ihave to change my cycle helmet every threeto five years.

Is this so and why? Does any reader knowof an ecological way of disposing of myunscathed 13-year-old Bell V1-Pro apart fromturning it upside down and using it as ahanging flower basket?

Chris Arnold

Letter

Coldham’s Lanerailway bridge

Network Rail has given CambridgeshireCounty Council permission to proceed with theplanned cycle and pedestrian bridge besidethe existing road bridge. We reported on theseplans in Newsletter 39 (December 2001), butthere was a long delay after the collapse ofRailtrack. Work is due to start in late October,and the project will take six months tocomplete. The £1.1 million cost is to be metmainly through developer contributions fromrecent retail developments in the area.

A new toucan crossing will be installed closeto the Beehive roundabout replacing theexisting zebra crossing. A second Toucan willbe put in to link the bridge to the Coral Parkdevelopment.

The county council’s press release says thatthe ‘restrictions of the site’ do not allow thebridge to be wider than 3.5 metres or to besegregated for pedestrians and cyclists. Thisis a metre narrower than the busy cycle bridgenear the station, and at one end it will lead toa very narrow shared-use pavement and abusy roundabout.

Two years ago we called this a very expensive– but mediocre – bridge which is almostuseless when heading away from NewmarketRoad and with inadequate access from theBeehive Centre. Many eastbound cyclists willchoose to remain on the road where, we fear,they are likely to suffer increased intimidationby drivers who believe they should be usingthe new bridge.

Mark Irving

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events

http://www.camlearn.net


16

Your streets this month

Bad route to get worse

The new cycle route between Tesco in

Newmarket Road and Riverside, alreadynotorious for its chicanes, is to become evenmore inconvenient to use. Cambridge CityCouncil has approved plans to permanentlydivert the route as part of the landscaping ofa residential development adjacent to thepath. The new route will be almostunbelievably tortuous. Cyclists riding downto the river will find their way blocked by anew tree right in the middle of the path.Instead they will have to follow a diversionwhich first swings round to the left, thenright, then sharp left again, round a tighthairpin bend and then left again to rejoin theoriginal route. We could hardly believe oureyes when we saw the plans. The planshave been approved and it’s too late to makea formal objection, but complain nonethelessto Peter Studdert, Director of Environmentand Planning at the City Council, in the hopeof preventing this ridiculous scheme beingconstructed.

Councillors have also approved a largeresidential and office development on thesouth side of Newmarket Road between

Coldham’s Lane and Abbey Street. Thedevelopment will provide a 4 m strip of landalong the Newmarket Road frontage whichwill be used to provide a bus lane. Wehaven’t seen the latest plans, but hope thenew bus lane will therefore be 4 m wide,allowing the existing cycle lane to beretained within it. In addition, the pedestriancrossing at Abbey Street is to be made‘more cycle friendly’ – whatever that means.We hope that means that the crossing –which forms part of a well-used cycle routefrom the York Street area to the river – willbe converted to a toucan.

Useful new route

A new residential development nearNewmarket Road cemetery in eastCambridge has created a useful new routefor local cyclists. A short length of smoothnew cycle path off Newmarket Road justeast of the cemetery together with the quietroads of the new estate now make itpossible to cycle from the MeadowlandsRoad/Airport area to the Jubilee Cycle Route(NCN 51), avoiding the NewmarketRoad–Ditton Lane junction and the narrowand busy Ditton Lane.

The new route connects with the existingpavement cycleway along the north side ofNewmarket Road. The short stretchbetween Ditton Lane and MeadowlandsRoad is wide and smooth, but the end nearthe new development has seen a lot ofabuse by parked vehicles – mainly bybuilding contractors working on the newestate and car transporters delivering toMarshall’s. Now local residents have startedobstructing it. It remains to be seen how badthis problem is and whether physical orenforcement measures will need to be takento keep this useful pavement cycleway clear.

Useful route

threatened

The City Council is proposingto convert Abbey Walk, auseful link within the routebetween the Grafton Centreand the Beehive Centre andused heavily by Petersfieldresidents, into a one-waystreet. No cycle exemption isplanned, despite a successfulexperiment initiated by theArea Joint Committee twoyears ago to exempt cyclistsfrom one-way streets andwhich should be ongoing.

We are unclear as to thereason for this change whichwould effectively criminalisecyclists who wish to cycle

through what is a perfectly reasonable route.The only problem here appears to be at theblind corners, and this is generally due to theconsistently high level of illegal parking. Wewould like to see action taken to enforce theparking rules rather than penalising thevictims.

Much opposition is expected. Comments toGraham Lowe, by 6th October. stating thereason for the objection.

Silver Street

The part time closure of Silver Street toprivate through motor traffic is now inoperation, with tidal, one-way flow throughthe closure point during the morning peakand in the evening. The result has been tomake this extremely busy cycle route muchmore pleasant and less congested. Seearticle on page 6.

Peter Studdert,Director of Environment and Planning,Cambridge City Council,The Guildhall, Cambridge CB2 3LQ(Riverside development).

Graham Lowe,Engineering Manager, Cambridge City Council (address as above)� [email protected](Abbey Walk)

Address for comments

A useful new route for cyclists nearNewmarket Road cemetery.

The tortuous new route between Tesco in NewmarketRoad and Riverside.

cambridge cycling campaign · 2003-09-20 · cambridge cycling campaign campaigning newsletter 50,...

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