Issues

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This section lists issues - problems on the street network and related matters.

Issues always relate to some geographical location, whether very local or perhaps city-wide.

You can create a new issue using the button on the right.

Listed issues, most recent first, limited to the area of Waterbeach Cycling Campaign:

  • Consultation (by 26Sep'14) - to end max car parking standards?

    Created by Rohan Wilson // 1 thread

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339528/Technical_consultation_on_planning.pdf

    Quote: para 2.77 "The Government supports the motorist and wants to see adequate parking provision for them...."

    Question 2.16: Do you agree that parking policy should be strengthened to tackle on-street parking problems by restricting powers to set maximum parking standards?

    Not a simple issue, but probably worth CCyC's commenting.

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  • NCN route 11 and the Waterbeach Gap

    Created by Rohan Wilson // 1 thread

    I've visited Riverside to Waterbeach with William Rayner of county cycling team. He's revising signage here and providing it along the St Ives corridor, with the old NCN 51 being renamed Regional Route 24 (blue patch). We've decided finally to continue to sign NCN 11 from Riverside Bridge to Waterbeach Station, and he's looking at suitable (hopefully temporary) wording to advise to follow NCN 51 to Bottisham for destinations beyond Waterbeach, which will hopefully eliminate misrouting those from outside the area.

    Our inspection of existing signs showed that only one new signboard was provided on completion 5 years ago of Riverside Bridge. Signboards still send people via Green Dragon. Sustrans considers signage is an important part of any route project.

    The intention is to sign Milton Country Park as a destination, not as part of the route, removing route signs within the park, and probably retaining Coles Road as the signed route through the village, though it would be much preferable to have improvements past the shops and the village green, pubs etc.

    Retaining the route to Waterbeach as NCN will help keep the gap in people's awareness.

    I am planning to contact again the landowner of the missing link between Bottisham Lock and Fen Road, Lode with a suggestion for a low-level route, southeast side of the Bottisham Lode floodbank which is the route of the public footpath, where signs forbid cycling. It might be considered more visually acceptable. All parish councils are for the route, including the one of which he is a member.

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  • Inappropriate surface treatment for cycle route ie Fen Road, Milton

    Created by Heather Coleman // 1 thread

    I've had a letter from the council. Not sure if someone put a copy through my door as they knew I was interested in the Fen Road, Milton, as it's dated 30th June which is over two weeks ago.

    I think "suface dressing" ie loose chippings, is a totally inappropriate treatment for a road which has not that much motor traffic and rather a lot of cycle traffic. The loose chippings will be a skid and physical hazard for cyclists for months to come.

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  • Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2015

    Created by Hester Wells // 1 thread

    Consultation on road markings and traffic signs at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/traffic-signs-regulations-and-general-directions-2015

    There are a number of things which I believe affect cyclists, see http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/dft-to-allow-better-signage-for-cyclists-including-removing-asl-lanes/016336
    This is really a national issue, but didn't want to spam all users.

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  • CRC Science Park Busway Junction

    Created by Robin Heydon // 1 thread

    The Guided Busway is a huge success. It carries many adults and youth to and from many destinations, a major destination being the Cambridge Regional College bus stop. Unfortunately, the volume of bicycle and pedestrian traffic along the line of the busway at this point probably wasn’t considered and is now causing problems. It will probably cause even more problems once the new Science Park Station is built at the far end of the busway.

    Current Situation

    When I started looking at this junction, I tried to ignore what was “built” and instead tried to observe how people moved through the junction. In the first diagram I’ve shown the main desire lines. Desire lines are where people actually move rather than those which engineers designed. For example, when crossing the access road to the college, from the busway, people walked in as straight a line as possible pretty much ignoring the supposed 90º toucan crossing.

    Many people on bicycles don’t bother with the toucan but instead just wait for a gap between the traffic light phases and quickly scoot across. Many people ignore what has been designed and have found new, possibly better, ways through the junction - for example, creating a path from King Hedges Road over bare ground. This informal crossing obviously works, but is it safe? Do the bus drivers expect people to cross at this point?

    There are many conflict points, some less bothersome than others. The two biggest problems are at the bus stop exit junction with the science park entrance, and between the toucan crossing and the brick surround of the gas supply for the area. When cycling there can be many people trying to cross the road, especially after the bus has stopped, or just before classes are due to start, all getting in your way. Of course, we are getting in their way too, and this isn’t helped by the poor sight lines.

    I would therefore summarise that the problems are simply:

    1. Severely limited space at the toucan crossing and busway crossing points.
    2. Informal pedestrian crossing show junction isn’t working as desired.
    3. Very narrow access to science park with poor sight lines.

    Proposed Solution

    First, we should always respect peoples desire lines. They are voting with their feet, it is obviously safe enough for them to do it day after day, and they have left plenty of evidence that it works by wearing down the grass. So we should make this a proper pedestrian route. This actually has two benefits: it moves a lot of the pedestrian traffic to the west side of the busway stop reducing the number of people at the science park entrance, and it allows a more “directed” path to the north side of that brick building.

    Second, we should separate the CRC traffic and guided busway traffic as much as possible at the CRC junction. The busway traffic should follow their natural desire line which is straight on. There are wide turning splays for buses to access the busway from the CRC, yet no buses do this. We should remove them and make a straight on toucan in line with the busway. The CRC traffic would be given their own toucan on the north side of the brick building. Some of the existing railing (cycle parking) here may need to be removed, and the car stop line pushed back a car length or so. The space between the car stop line and the new toucan could usefully become an advanced cycle box.

    Third, we should build a proper segregated footway to the north of the cycle track that links to the existing footway going to the “new” toucan. This would be built similar to the Coton path such that pedestrian traffic would be encouraged to seek the higher and safer ground.

    Forth, we should straighten the line for access from the science park to the busway. The current facility bends away from the busway crossing, is very narrow, and limits the flow. I’ve seen times when people are queuing cross the busway to travel through this gate. On the south side, the highly restrictive chicane should be removed. People happily cross the busway at multiple points without problems, as here the buses are moving very slowly as they approach the station.

    Lastly, we should alter the phasing of the traffic lights. A simple desire for people on bicycle is to wait as little time as possible, but we take very little time to cross a road. Therefore, I would suggest that bicycles are given a green light between every car phase, but only for a few seconds. They should also be given a green light whenever the busway is given a green light. The individual phases may need to be lengthened slightly, say from 25 seconds to 30 seconds to maintain the “capacity”, but the advantages it gives to bicycles would be huge. Also, the pedestrian crossing could be changed to a zebra crossing. This route would then become preferable to the slower toucan crossing further pulling people away. It would also allow for a much more pedestrian focused environment around what should be highly walkable area.

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  • State of Waterbeach-Lode link

    Created by Colin Bell // 1 thread

    Has there been any improvement in the "new" NCN 11 route from Waterbeach to Lode since last summer? Last time I went that way I had to wheel the bike across fields and carry it over two or three stiles.

    Any information, including a forecast date when a proper route is likely to be built, welcome. Thanks.

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  • Faded paint and invisible signs on shared/dual use pavements

    Created by Heather Coleman // 3 threads

    This is a general use issue so people can create specific threads about shared or dual use pavements where mainly the paint is so worn that they sometimes get abuse or are told off for riding where it's perfectly legal to do so.

    I'm not a great fan of these facilities, and totally subscribe to their use being 100% optional, but there are places where they are useful for some or many, for example a short stretch to avoid having to turn right twice, or to be able to make a turn at traffic lights rather than in the middle of an unsignalled area.

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  • Building sites

    Created by Heather Coleman // 4 threads

    I'm creating this as a general "issue" in the hope that people will put different threads here for problems they have with building sites, generally associated with deliveries. Listing those problems and any action or complaints they've taken personally, and also asking how further complaints can be made.

    I can't help feeling we should be talking to the council about making it a condition of planning permission that deliveries that either require "odd" movements of HGVs eg, reversing and taking ages doing so, or parking on the street eg while delivering scaffolding, should not take place during "rush hour", especially on roads that are busy and are major cycle routes.

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  • HGV and LGV traffic on Nuffield Road

    Created by Klaas Brümann // 1 thread

    Campaign for a 300m section of the unguided busway between Milton Road and the pedestrian and cyclists access at the end of Nuffield Close to be built as a road, providing a more direct access for lorries and cars to the trading estate.

    Nuffield Road’s residential section should then be cut-off for motorised through traffic just past Discovery Way, turning the first part of Nuffield Road into a residential close.

    Petition: http://iitm.be/ChestertonTrafficReduction
    Picture Gallery: http://iitm.be/NuffieldRoad

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  • North Area Committee meetings

    Created by Al Storer // 10 threads

    Area Committees are a joint meeting attended by both city and county councillors. They decide on planning issues in the area, but also have a role in the allocation of community development money from S106 contributions. They offer an opportunity to engage with multiple councillors at once, through the Open Forum section and speaking on specific Agenda items. The North Area's website is here: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/north-area-committee

    Speaking at these meetings is a good way of making your feelings on matters the councils control public.

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  • Gagging Law

    Created by Phil Lee // 1 thread

    Are members aware that this bill would prevent us from virtually any activity at all during the 12 months before each and every election in the UK?
    Details can be found at various sources online, but there is a summary on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDtFoPWBoLc

    If this bill isn't defeated (or amended beyond all recognition) it will effectively stop us - and any similar group - from functioning at all.

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  • Charging for parking at Park & Ride sites

    Martin Lucas-Smith // 1 thread

    The County Council are proposing to move to a model where both the car parking and the bus element of park and ride are charged for. Effectively this is presumably aimed at stopping park and cycle, which seems counter-productive in transport strategy terms.

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  • Roadworks on the guided busway

    Created by Clare Causier // 1 thread

    This afternoon the guidedbusway was closed from Cambridge Regional College to Histon. There was a security guard in a car who provided information on the closure and diversion. However, there was no diversion signage for cyclists or pedestrians.

    When I returned home I checked cambridgeshire roadworks for further information but drew a blank.

    Is anyone aware if works on the busway is covered by any public notification system?

    Saturday afternoon is not a bad time for maintenance, but I imagine commuters would appreciate notice of works which affect their journeys.

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  • North Cambridge 20mph consultation closes today

    Created by Ian Jackson // 0 threads

    DUPLICATE ISSUE OF
    http://www.cyclescape.org/issues/74-20mph-limits-in-cambridge
    - PLEASE RESPOND THERE.

    ---

    The Cambridge City Council's consultation on 20mph speed limits in North Cambridge closes today.

    Here is the URL:
    https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/20mph-speed-limit
    If you haven't already done this survey, please do so.

    (I have said that I agree with all the proposals, and indeed that they don't go far enough.)

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