Agenda item

1. Apologies – John Richards (City Council) and Mike Davies (Cambridgeshire County Council)

 

2. Minutes of the last meeting 16^th July 2015 and matters arising.

·       Camsight tandem shelter. CR contacted various manufacturers following concerns regarding the required size but none offered anything suitable. Camsight have decided to approach a local builder for a bespoke shelter. If unsuccessful, Cllr Blencowe suggested ‘Borley Brothers Engineering’ could be approached as a local firm who have worked for the City Council on a variety of small projects.

·       Station Area. CR has met with Abellio and Brookgate regarding additional cycle parking near the station building. This was not supported due to a management issue. Three more cycle parking blocks have been added to the existing temporary cycle park with access improved. Network Rail are looking into improving the area outside the Mott Macdonald building where bikes are randomly parked.

·       ACTION: Cllrs Blencowe and Robertson to continue to raise cycle parking at their regular contractors’ meetings. (Jonathan Tym of Network Rail has confirmed his attendance at the next meeting.)

With random cycle parking likely to continue after the completion of the new cycle park, the Group agreed there would need to be careful promotion of the new (free) facility to minimise this as far as possible.

Cllr Moore highlighted the issue of the various signal control boxes and other obstacles and trip hazards around the station that makes navigating the area extremely dangerous for the ambulant disabled and partially sighted. 

ACTION: Access officer Mark Taylor to assist in an audit of the station area in order to explore where short-term improvements can be made.

·       South East Cycle route signage. Cllr Robertson had been referring to the route between Mill Road, Natal Road and Burnside heading into the city. CR confirmed the Tins Path improvements should be complete by December.

·       ACTION: CR to audit the existing signage of the route and identify gaps.

 

3. Promotion Grant Funding

·       Cambridge City Locality Bicycle Project.

The project would be aimed at children or young people who may have had difficulties socially or at school and are risking exclusion. All bikes would be donated, with funding to be used for young people to train in cycle maintenance with the aim of achieving a recognised qualification and to pass on their skills to others. Four projects would be run per year comprising of six sessions with at least four participants per project. (Total cost £1,427)

 

The Group’s comments:

Although the outcome of this project is unknown, (and there was some reservation expressed regarding using City Council funds for a County-led project) the Group felt this was nevertheless a good concept that could be of real benefit to young people for relatively little cost.

 

APPROVED (unanimously) (approx. £5000 remaining in the budget)

 

The Group went on to discuss other potential cycle-related projects.

 

·       ‘Espresso Library’. Cycle parking provision was proving to be problematic due to Highways issues according to RdB. Cllr Smart suggested the café was at a good location for some kind of cycling-related event.

ACTION: CR to check the Highways map and contact ‘Espresso Library’ regarding the cycle parking issue.

·       Cycle parking provision outside the Queen Edith PH. Cllr Moore with support from the landlord had sought funding from the Council’s Streets & Open Spaces budgets.

ACTION: CR to discuss Queen Edith PH/Wulfstan Way cycle parking with S&OS Project Leader John Richards.

·       Thoday Street cycle parking. This was a successful example of car parking given up for cycle parking according to SN and could be regarded as a fairer use of parking resource that could be repeated across the city.

 

Cllr Blencowe stressed the need to look out for any potential cycle parking opportunities or cycling promotion ideas. Cllr Moore added there may be scope to installing cycle racks in areas where bikes parked inappropriately act as obstacles for vulnerable pedestrians.

 

·       Park Street Car Park. As a significant amount of city centre cycle parking will be lost, all agreed it was worth considering at an early stage where replacement temporary racks could be provided during the car park’s redevelopment.

 

 

4. City Deal Cycle Schemes update (CR)

·       Milton Road and Histon Road cycling improvements. The proposals for consultation were approved at the last City Deal Board meeting. Consultation exhibitions will be arranged for January. Options for Milton Road include 2m wide cycle lanes on both sides of the road. As on Huntingdon Road, trees are likely to feature heavily in discussions although according to Cllr Smart, there is an opportunity here to make improvements to the current tree planting where trees struggle to survive under harsh conditions. Cllr Robertson raised the issue of the red tarmac used on new cycle lanes which is in short supply resulting in projects taking considerably longer. Cllr Moore confirmed this had been raised at South Area Committee.  According to CR, engineers are aware of the supply issue and are looking into this.

·       Chisholm Trail. A Member briefing is scheduled tonight, 15^th October.

·       Cross City Cycle Routes. A consultation is scheduled for early in the new year.

·       Cambridge Access Study. CR expressed her disappointment that the report did not include analysis of cycle provision for those outside the city travelling in. Full details are available via the City Deal website www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/citydeal/ .This is a separate project from the City Centre Access Study.

·       A428 improvements. This is generating considerable interest.

 

5. City/County Cycling Schemes (CR)

·       Palmer’s Walk (outside Petersfield Mansions). This is the proposal to widen the footpath where cycling isn’t banned but isn’t promoted. Residents nevertheless raised concerns regarding the potential speed of cyclists along what’s regarded by officers as a non-strategic route. The scheme is being partly funded by ARU

·       Shelford Path. Linking the Guided Busway with Shelford Road. ‘Respect’ signage is proposed to reduce conflict/increase awareness.

·       City Centre cycle parking. The new racks for Guildhall Street should be installed before Christmas. The racks installed incorrectly outside Sainsbury’s, Sidney Street are to be turned around.

·       Queen Ann Car Park. One of the worst areas for cycle theft in the city. Although the car park has a finite lifespan, some improvements can be made including improved CCTV coverage and lighting.

·       Green Dragon Bridge. The ‘do minimum’ option was the most popular, especially considering the proposal for the new bridge further down the river next to the railway bridge. Work was proposed to be undertaken in the Spring/Summer 2016 although this would depend on the application for works under section 38 of the Common’s Act and the timing of the TRO advertisement for the double yellow lines on Water Street.

·       One-way streets. SN stressed that the Cycling Campaign were supportive of this project as it gives cyclists in areas with high levels of contraflow legal protection as vulnerable road users. (Coronation Street has been removed from the project due to its narrowness and significant volumes of traffic.) Officers during the next phase will be focussing on the narrower; more challenging streets in the Romsey and Newtown area. Cllr Smart highlighted Emmanuel Road as a particularly dangerous area as cycle lanes are often crossed by cars and buses during busy periods. SN stressed the need to update existing signage which did not all reflect the newly permitted cycle contraflow streets. Making all streets 2-way would be welcomed by the Campaign according to SN. .

 

 

6. Any Other Business. 

·       Emmanuel/Parker Street bus station junction. A particularly difficult area for the disabled as there are no pick-up/drop off areas (Cllr Moore)

·       Darwin Green local centre and primary school. There are no plans for a school crossing, only a raised table. This is due to the road being categorised as a ‘local’ road despite being a key linkage between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road.

 

 

7. Date of next meeting – 25/2/16