Have your say on new segregated cycle lane plans for Cambridge

If you’re invested in Cambridge’s cycle facilities, why not head to a public meeting to decide future improvements to Hills Road and Huntingdon Road in the city.

From Tuesday, 4 March, Cambridgeshire County Council will be launching a consultation on the £4.1 million investment proposals for cycling.

In a bid to improve cycling safety along these routes and encourage people to commute and ride to school by bike, wider and safer cycleways are being planned, which may be segregated from other traffic.

A series of road shows and events will be held in and around Cambridge, starting with a breakfast launch event in Huntingdon Road on Tuesday 4 March, to garner local views on the proposals.

Currently there are around 2,800 journeys by bike on Huntingdon Road andover 4,000 on Hills Road each day with an expected increase as the city grows. Since 2008 some 65 per cent of accidents on Huntingdon Road involved cyclists while on Hills Road it is 55 per cent.

The new improvements would make it safer for both cyclists and motorists.

On Hills Road a new cycle lane is proposed on both sides of the road between the junctions with Long Road and Cherry Hinton Road.

On Huntingdon Road a new cycle lane is proposed, city-bound between Girton corner and Oxford Road. This may be extended to run all the way into the city centre.

Three design options are under consultation by the council:

• a segregated cycle lane where the lane is separated from traffic bya kerb (there are breaks in the kerb at junctions and driveways)
• a raised cycle lane which is slightly above the road height butbelow the height of the pavement
• another option which is a combination of the two different ideas

All will include a new style of bus stop where thecycle lane continues behind the bus stop so cyclists can continue their journey without having to mix in with motor traffic, even when a bus is stationary.

Draft proposals for these stops will also look at safety measures for pedestrians crossing the cyclelane.

The plans, drawings and visuals of how the new road layout will look,together with a feedback form are online here.

The proposals are going to be on display in Rock Road and Cambridge Central Libraries and at public events throughout the city including:

• Tuesday 4 March, Breakfast Launch, NIAB frontage, 7.45am to 9.15am
• Thursday 6 March, St John the Evangelist Church, Hills Road, 5pm to7.30pm
• Wednesday 12 March, Girton Glebe School 5pm to 7.30pm
• Friday 14 March, Main Foyer, Addenbrooke's, 11am to 2pm
• Tuesday 18 March, St Augustines Hall, 5pm to 7pm
• Monday 24 March, Foyer, The Kaetsu Centre, Huntingdon Road, 5pm to 7pm,
• Wednesday 26 March, The Perse School, Hills Road, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

You can also have your say by emailing the Transport Delivery Team at transportdelivery [at] cambridgeshire.gov.uk,  by calling 01223 699906, or by writing to Transport Delivery Team, Box CC1211, Castle Court,  Castle Hill,Cambridge, CB3 0AP.