Issue - meetings

9.05pm

The Committee received a presentation from the Project Officer, Cycling Projects Team, Cambridgeshire County Council.

The presentation referred to the County Council’s proposals for the traffic and road safety improvements on the City bound side of Huntingdon Road between Girton Road and Oxford Road. The proposals aimed to improve conditions for pedestrians, bus users and cyclists. Public consultation for the scheme had started on 4 March until 7 April 2014.

The Committee were shown three separate design options developed for the public consultation showing:

     i.        Fully segregated cycleway.

    ii.        Raised kerb (hybrid) segregated cycleway.

   iii.        Combination of  hard  kerb  and  raised  kerb  segregated cycleway.

The benefits of the above schemes were as follows:

     i.        Cyclists would travel on a quick, direct, continuous route, without the need to negotiate obstacles or parked vehicles.

    ii.        Reduction in stress levels for motorists.

   iii.        Cyclists who currently cycled on the pavement would feel safer on the new cycle lane. 

  iv.        Pedestrians would benefit from reduced cycling on the footway and from the buffer that the new cycleway offered from the main traffic lane.

Extra width required by the new cycleway would be achieved by reducing the central hatching on the road and some of verge and footway.

The Committee were informed that new ‘floating bus stops’ would be introduced with the cycle lane will go behind the bus stop. Bus passengers would wait on the footway and cross the cycle lane to the ‘bus boarder’ to board the buses. This would negate the need for cyclists to have to go round stationary buses at stops or negotiate buses pulling in and out of stops. The cycle lane would narrow through the bus stop area to slow cyclists down.

Martin Lucas-Smith, Chairman of Cambridge Cycling Campaign informed the Committee that he welcomed the proposals which he believed would encourage new cyclists on to the roads  which would help to prevent gridlock as the size of Cambridge increased.

Members Comments:

     i.        Welcomed the proposals.

    ii.        Questioned if there would there be a risk to pedestrians with disabilities crossing?

   iii.        Queried if there had been any reported accidents to pedestrians on the Brighton Scheme as shown in the presentation.

  iv.        Asked who would get priority on a dual style crossing?

   v.        What would happen when the cyclists reached the end of the scheme, as confidence could be lost when cyclists came off a dedicated cycle route.

  vi.        Would cyclists turn just turn right on cycle zebra crossing?

 vii.        Would Cars have to queue behind stationary buses if they had to wait in carriage way of floating bus stops?

viii.        Some cyclists could encounter aggressive motorists particularly when straying out of the designated cycle lane. Therefore the raised kerb hybrid) segregated cycleway would be the preferred option.

The Chair thanked the Project Officer for her presentation and advised of the importance of engaging public opinion of the scheme. Any of three options would be welcomed would help to change the nature of cycling in Cambridge and increase confidence of cyclists. Finally it was concluded that it would be beneficial if the scheme could be extended in future.