Issue - meetings

This will be an opportunity for Skanska/County Officers to report back on actions taken to address concerns raised by members of the public 5 October 2015.

Also attached is an information note from Bob Menzies (Service Director, Strategy & Development) in response to ‘Issues raised at South Area Committee regarding the bridleway alongside the Guided Busway’ from the 5 October Open Forum.

Councillor McPherson referred to the 5 October 2015 Committee Action Sheet.

The Committee received an information report from the Team Leader (Cycling Projects), Cambridgeshire County Council regarding:

       i.          Hills Road Traffic and Safety Scheme.

     ii.          City Deal - Cross City Cycling Improvements.

   iii.          Cherry Hinton High Street.

   iv.          The Tins.

    v.          Queen Edith’s Way and Cherry Hinton Road.

   vi.          Trumpington Road.

The Committee received an information report from the Scheme Delivery Manager (Skanska) regarding the Hills Road Traffic and Safety Scheme:

       i.          The project was meant to finish in March 2016, but would now take until the summer.

     ii.          Issues raised at the 5 October SAC meeting regarding the Addenbrooke’s to city centre side of the Hills Road cycleway had been noted. The intention was to learn from them avoid the same issues during work on the city centre to Addenbrooke’s side of the Hills Road cycleway. Skanska was dependent on work by some of its partners (eg UK Power) to implement this.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

       i.          Requested that road user safety be considered when undertaking work. For example, an uneven road surface and blocked pavements caused safety concerns, particularly for sensory/mobility impaired people.

     ii.          Referred to issues raised earlier in SAC (minute items 15/116/SAC and 15/117/SAC) regarding unclear signage on the Trumpington cycleway, and asked if this could be improved through measures such as painting information (eg end of cycleway) on the cycleway/shared pavement.

The Delivery Manager (Skanska) said the following in response to questions from Councillors:

       i.          Skanska was working with CamSight to address safety concerns. For example, by moving bus stop locations (to make them more accessible) and investigating ways to keep people informed of obstacles.

     ii.          Contractor induction information covered how staff could monitor potential hazards, assist passers-by, and erect warnings using high contrast markings (to make them more obvious).

The Team Leader (Cycling Projects) said the following in response to questions from Councillors:

       i.          The build period for the Trumpington Road scheme should be confirmed in January 2016.

     ii.          There were many shared use paths in the city, and various issues associated with them as pedestrians/cyclists were unsure where people could/not cycle. This cross-city issue needed a thorough review to address, but the County Council was unlikely to be able to do so due to declining staff and resource levels. The current focus of infrastructure work was on major projects where funding could be bid for (eg from Central Government) to implement this. It may be possible to address cycleway information issues through maintenance work.

   iii.          The Cambridge Cycling Campaign gave out Highway Code information at Fresher Fairs and language schools to try and improve cycle safety in the city.

   iv.          There was a joint City and County Council project team to co-ordinate 20 MPH, public realm and cycleway work in Cherry Hinton. The intention was to limit disruption to residents.