Amanda Taylor

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Cross city cycling*

by admin on 4 January, 2016

The Greater Cambridge City Deal has launched a consultation on five schemes designed to improve safety for people walking or cycling across Cambridge.

Accident clustersThe one that is of greatest relevance to us in Queen Edith’s focuses on the Long Road-Queen Edith’s Way- Hills Road junction, a key route for schools, sixth form colleges and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. It’s a difficult junction to negotiate by bike or on foot, with fast-moving traffic coming from all directions and it’s a known accident cluster, as shown on the County Council’s map. I have lost count of the times people have said the latest new cycle lane being built on Hills Road should have started at this junction, rather than just after it.

It’s an expensive project, and the money on the table is from the City Deal, a government-funded infrastructure programme granted by Nick Clegg when Deputy Prime Minister during the coalition government.

Exhibitions

There is a programme of exhibitions showing the proposals, and two are in our area: Addenbrooke’s on 18th January, and St John’s Church on 3rd February. Alternatively, you can see plans and comment on line, on the City Deal website. The consultation is open until 15th February.

* Not, as it looks, a description of the city or the cyclists – better with a hyphen, I think!

   4 Comments

4 Responses

  1. Helen Hague says:

    Hello Amanda
    It’s Helen from No. 65- Daniel’s mum.Have you realised that proposed plans for the cycle way at the link below, see D and Master B and also Master A, envisage removing the left hand turn from Hills road into Queen Ediths way. That means that all the cars turning left would come down our road!Doesn’t seem appropriate given it is a residential street in which children frequently play in the road and also the number of very young children crossing the road for Homerton. Surely the issues with bikes would be better addressed by increasing the time the traffic lights in that direction are on green?
    Thanks very much

    Helen Hague

    No. 65

    http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/citydeal/info/2/transport/1/transport/7

    • Dear Helen. Yes, I have noticed that they are suggesting banning a left turn into Queen Edith’s Way, which seems unworkable to me – and you are right that some of the thwarted motor traffic would come down our road, or possibly other side roads off Hills Road. Have you been to one of the consultation events?

  2. Sandra Day says:

    Hi there,

    Have had several folk tell me about this proposed ‘ban left turn’ in to Queen Edith’s Way but if you look closely at plan A, you will see that it actually says removal of left hand turn lane to allow wider cycle lane. If you look at the plan you will see a very small arrow on the road showing a side arrow and a forward arrow.
    This is so small that it didn’t show up on the printed leaflet.

    As resident of QEW I certainly don’t want a no left turn! Cherry Hinton Rd has successfully moved all the traffic to QEW with the 20 mph limit.

    It would make no sense to block QEW and make vehicles use the side streets and Mowbray Rd or Fendon Road.

    I think it is a case of not making the plan clear but correct me if I am wrong!

    • There have been hundreds of objections to the Queen Edith’s One-Way idea, and I think it should now be dropped. In case it isn’t, please respond to the survey. The paper version has a specific Yes/ No question about the no left turn but the onl ine one doesn’t so you may need to leave a comment at the end.

      Sandra, you mention diversion of traffic from Cherry Hinton Road to Queen Edith’s Way following the introduction of 20mph. Q E Way is also due to be made 20mph later this year; the City Council is rolling out the 20mph limit in phases and the south of the city is next. In the meantime, this is leading to some inconsistencies. http://amandataylor.focusteam.org/2015/11/10/why-a-road-safety-initiative-is-terrifying-parents/#page-content.

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