Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Richard Preston, Project Manager and Sarah Prentice, Communication Officer (GCP - Greater Cambridge Partnership) regarding the Greater Cambridge Partnership ‘new road classification for Cambridge’ consultation.

The Project Manager said the following in response to questions from members of the public and committee:

      i.          The road network was as resilient as it could be at present. GCP, the County Council and Police were working on the enforcement of speed limits. There was an appetite to reduce speed limits in the city.

     ii.          Both residents and commuters contributed to congestion problems. Could use ANPR technology to allow residents to access more than one junction on the network if considered necessary, rather than creating a lot of additional mileage for Hills Road, Queen Edith's Way and Cherry Hinton Road residents who find themselves just on the wrong side of a filter for them if Central Government legislation for ANPR was approved.

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

      i.          A bus gate should be integrated into transport ideas as large employers wanted people to travel using public transport.

     ii.          Appropriate bus routes and services were needed.

   iii.          Concern over impact of proposed work on taxis. Could taxis and buses use the same routes/lanes?

   iv.          Suggested blue badges could be allocated to vehicles rather than people to assist groups such as dial-a-ride.

    v.          Resilience needed to be built into the system so that roadworks did not slow or stop traffic flow. There was a lack of resilience in the system at present.

   vi.          How to mitigate traffic displacement as roads closed and traffic moved onto other routes? Particularly concerned that some smaller roads could not cope with the traffic levels.

 vii.          Queried if there was a budget to undertake place making work at present?

viii.          Enforcement of speed limits was an issue. Queried if there were plans to make the road fabric or layout limit speed (eg traffic calming)?

   ix.          Traffic levels varied between school terms (more) and holidays (less).

    x.          How to improve air quality?

   xi.          Would there be a replacement to the congestion charge?