Author: Vince Poole

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You can help Arbury Road get the attention it deserves! Respond to ‘LCWIP’ for better walking and cycling provision by 13th July!

Pin your own comments to the online map of Cambridge roads- See below for more details

ALSO

Fill in the 18 question survey – it’s very straightforward- click here for what to do

Background:

The Cambridgeshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) forms part of the Government’s aim to make walking and cycling the natural choice for all short journeys or as part of a longer journey. The Department for Transport recommended that all local authorities should develop LCWIPs and have advised that those authorities with plans will be well placed to bid for future funding

Pin your own comments to the online map – click the link below:

https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/ccc-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan-consultation-2021/maps/suggest-alternatives-on-our-map#marker-25506

You can read what other people have said and add your own comment as a ‘pin’

Describe your own experience of the ‘safety’ of Arbury Road as a cyclist or a pedestrian

 

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LCWIP- Do the online questionnaire

Support Arbury Road to get extra funding under the Cambridgeshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan consultation (LCWIP)

You can help Arbury Road get the attention it so desperately needs by filling in the online questionnaire

Here’s what to do – fill in and submit the survey by 13 July

The survey has 18 questions. But you don’t have to fill them all in to submit your views. You only need to complete the ones that matter to you.

The survey can be found here:

https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/ccc-local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan-consultation-2021

Take a look at the accompanying materials especially at the Cycle Map (in Appendix 1) and the walking map (in Appendix 4) of the LCWI Plan. You can find the Plan here. If you don’t have time, the main thing to know is that Arbury Road East is identified as a walking and cycling route for improvement under the LCWIP scheme. But for this improvement to be given priority, it is important to show our support.

If you want any guidance on what to say, our position is as follows:

Q1 ‘strongly support’ as Arbury Road is identified as a joint walking and cycling route

Q2 ‘strongly agree’ on the Cambridge line- no need to fill in all lines eg for other areas

Q3 use the box provided to emphasise that Arbury Road is an important cycle link down to the river and up to Arbury, Kings Hedges and Histon in the other direction and also for students and children going school by active travel

Q4 ‘strongly agree’ as Arbury Road is identified as a walking route

Q5 use the box provided to emphasise that Arbury Road is an important walking link to local amenities (shops, vet,church,school, library, doctors, dentist, community centre) as well as a walking link to town and the river, Arbury and Kings Hedges

Q6 use the box provided to describe how you think the current situation on Arbury Road discriminates against the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women and parents with young children. For example, the effect of a dangerous road forcing cyclists onto the pavement. Also difficulty in crossing the road and pollution due to congested traffic having a disproportionate effect on vulnerable groups.

Q7 voice your support for improvements to Arbury Road again highlighting the current dangers

Q8 Please feel free to upload any photos you have as evidence of the dangers of Arbury Road

Q9- Q18 Please complete as appropriate to your individual circumstances

 

Please continue to push for improvements to our road!

Encourage friends and family to respond to the survey too!!

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Does your house shake?

Cars being forced off the road by articulated lorries unable to turn safely at the Milton Road junction

Speeding lorries and the poor condition of Arbury Road has resulted in many of you experiencing disturbing structural vibrations in your homes, particularly in the early hours of the morning. Have you experienced this? Are you worried by structural problems? 

We believe a 7.5 ton restriction should be put in place to prevent large lorries from using the eastern end of Arbury Road where it is narrow and the pavements offer little protection to pedestrians.  These lorries also endanger cyclists and obstruct cars travelling in the opposite direction. Such a restriction would match that on Union Lane and force large lorries to use wider and safer routes into Cambridge – as intended by the A14 signage. Currently cyclists are routinely forced off the road.

Please let us know if you have experienced shaking and please report it to the Council using this link:

Highways Reporting Page

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Modal filter debate on Cambridge 105 Radio

Earlier this month, Cambridge 105 Radio hosted an interview programme with several members of the local community expressing views both for and against a modal filter. In the programme, Councillor Scutt (representative for Arbury) stated her “number one” solution for Arbury Road (and climate change) would be to apply for more trees (but strangely not to reduce emissions?). Even if this made sense – where would these trees go and what effect would a few saplings have? Our cycling officer wrote to her asking her these questions… 

A rough calculation shows that as a minimum, 5000 fully mature oak trees would be required between the North Academy and Milton Road to absorb the carbon dioxide emitted by the level of Co2e emitted in this 600m stretch. 

See calculation and Councillor Scutt’s response here.

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Our shops need a lay-by

As you are probably aware, our row of excellent independent shops on Arbury Road (near the Milton road junction) are in desperate need of a lay-by for deliveries and their customers alike.  Shops on Milton Road have lay-bys but the problem here has been ignored by the council for years. Our local shops have continued serving the community throughout the pandemic and deserve better. Please write to the council and your councillors on their behalf supporting a lay by

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Arbury Road East News – Spring 2021

Join our mailing list – become a member! Email info@arera.org.uk with your name and address and we’ll keep you informed

On Thursday 6 May, residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will go to the polls!

Check out Camcycle’s elections survey, which profiles what candidates standing in the elections are saying about cycling and walking issues. Use your vote to raise the profile of active travel on May 6th

Does your house shake?

Hating liveable neighbourhoods just to get a headline!

ARERA presses councillors and the police on speeding on Arbury Road

If you see anti-social driving report it directly to Cambs police using this link, with or without video evidence

  • https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Vehicles

UK increase in cycling and walking must be nurtured, says minister

Our shops need a lay by

Modal filter debate on Cambridge 105 Radio

Support ARERA

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ARERA presses local Councillors and police on Speeding on Arbury Road

At the North Area Committee Meeting on the 15th March ARERA presented data on Speeding

Data from a County Council Speed Camera which was installed on Arbury Road clearly shows that for a two-week measured period maximum traffic speed is consistently twice the speed limit e.g. 40mph instead of the 20mph limit. There are also at least five instances of traffic exceeding 60mph on Arbury Road

We asked what measures are the police pursuing to reduce gross speeding violations on Arbury Road and prevent another fatality?

And whether the committee would include Arbury road speeding on the ‘recommended local areas of concern’ list for the next reporting period of the Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods Agenda item?

The response from the police was that they now have more officers allocated to driving issues and more speed guns. They will look into the problems on Arbury Road

The response from the committee was that the initiative to tackle bad driving on Fen Road would be expanded to cover other main North Cambridge Roads including Arbury Road and it will therefore be included under the ‘local areas of concern’

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ARERA asks the GCP when the cycle lane will be completed

The following question was asked at the Greater Cambridge Partnership Executive meeting on 17th March 2021

In relation to Agenda Item 7, City Access Strategy Recommendations, Part (b) ‘Agree to prioritise road space for sustainable transport and make it a more competitive choice, by discouraging car use through..’

It is very encouraging to see all the hard work going on through the GCP Agenda and Reports, but I would contest that Cambridge is the cycling city that people imagine but rather a car drivers city and the people who cycle do so despite the cars

For most days of the week the East end of Arbury Road is choked with idling traffic waiting to turn on to Milton Road

Now as my children return to school, two on bicycles and one on foot, one still affected by long Covid symptoms there is traffic queuing as far as the eye can see from my house, the road effectively blocked for cyclists.

We are being encouraged to take up active travel, but I worry about the quality of the air we breathe in, as well as the safety aspect. This is especially awful to see at school time, this road is heavily used for active travel by people of all ages. But at school times it is the parents with young children and babies in trailers, or the children and students themselves who must either sit in the traffic queue and breathe in the fumes, retreat to the pavement or get off and wheel their bikes

The abrupt ending of the protective cycle lane just after North Cambridge Academy does a disservice to all the people who ride bikes as a method of travel. It really says, ‘ok you’re on your own now, good luck!’

When will the Arbury Road cycle lanes be completed all the way down to Milton Road? It makes no sense as a safe cycling route otherwise and I have seen data to show that it is very heavily used by cyclists

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Arbury Road East News – December

Arbury Road East News – December Arbury Road Baptist Church ‘A Message of Christmas hope’ Fen Road consultationNew GCP Waterbeach to Cambridge transport links consultation ———————————————————Arbury Road Baptist Church: ‘A Message of Christmas hope’Arbury Road Baptist Church will be sharing some ‘viral hope’ this Christmas and help people to celebrate Christmas in what will be a difficult time for many. The ‘Christmas isn’t Cancelled’ community video will be shown online and is accessible to all. You can access it through the website, arburyroadbaptist.org/christmashope, on Facebook or in your living room on a smart TV via the Arbury Road Baptist Church YouTube Channel.Fen Road consultation Submit your comments on the proposed development by Cambridge Investment Partnership on Fen Road. As part of their consultation with the local community they will be hosting a live webinar where the project team will present the proposals and the local community will have the opportunity to ask questions. The webinar will take place on Wednesday 16th December at 6pm.Find out more and register for the webinar below:https://yoursay.online/fen-roadNew Waterbeach to Cambridge transport linksThe Greater Cambridge Partnership is currently consulting on three of its four ‘corridor projects’, aiming to deliver better public transport and active travel routes by 2030. To the north of the city,the Waterbeach to Cambridge route is open for public consultation until 14 December.  Options include a new public transport route and an active travel.  Please provide your thoughts and comments on the GCP website.Waterbeach to cambridge consultation here:https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.com/w2c-consultation-2020All other consultations here:https://consultcambs.uk.engagementhq.comWishing you all a Merry Christmas,ARERA
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