Histon Road has been closed to inbound traffic while improvements are made with City Deal funding. The Greater Cambridge Partnership says that its project “aims to provide better bus, walking and cycling facilities for those travelling on this busy key route into Cambridge”, see https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/transport/transport-projects/histon-road. Closures are expected to last for 12 months.

Traffic entering Cambridge from the Histon roundabout on the A14 is currently being signposted down Kings Hedges Road. ARERA had asked the GCP to prevent this diverted traffic from using Arbury Road since, before the onset of COVID, its staff had warned ARERA that the result of diversion was likely to be “carnage” for those of us who live, work or learn here. But no such signage has been put in place. Members of ARERA have been busy this week monitoring traffic on Kings Hedges and Arbury Roads so that we have evidence about how the diversion is affecting traffic flows on the two roads. Preliminary analysis shows that more traffic is using Arbury Road than Kings Hedges Road, including almost all cyclists and pedestrians. ARERA is sharing the collected data with our elected councillors and with the residents association for the Hurst Park Estate. HPERA are worried that the diversion will cause additional rat running via Leys Road. The collected data is being assembled to present to the GCP as part of our case for additional signage directing diverted traffic away from Arbury Road. Once the traffic data has been fully analysed, we will share our report with residents, businesses and schools on Arbury Road and with our elected councillors. Look out for further updates on the ARERA website.

At Grape Britannia, we can see the benefits of the modal filter. With our licence extended to allow drinking outside on our forecourt, the reduction in traffic noise and pollution from its introduction will, we hope, lead to a more positive environment for our patrons.

Best wishes

Matt

Grape Britannia website

NOTE: Grape Britannia bar is reopening from Saturday 11th July! Initially it will be 12-10 Friday and Saturday only

Grape Britannia now have a licence for tables outside the shop

Elaine’s has been in Arbury road for 34 years now it would be great to encourage more walking and cycling for those that can, there is a lot of pollution with the volume of traffic. We have now experienced less pollution because of the lock down and the air has been so much healthier so for the residents the schools and us shop keepers I think the modal filter would be safer and healthier for us all . Elaine

The article told a one-sided story from the perspective of group of Havenfield residents

However, many Arbury Road residents are pleased to support the idea of trialling a road closure and a recent Residents Group questionnaire showed that those who live on the road are ready and willing to try pilot schemes to develop proposals that would stop the rat-running, reduce pollution and bring our community together once again. Link: https://arera.org.uk/2020-01-22-survery-results/

The modal filter would be a temporary measure which could be reversed but we think that the effect would positively transformative for everyone

It doesn’t make sense to have “no change” to avoid a 5 min detour. We need to prioritise quality of life for the whole community

Those of us that live on the road see at first hand the problems of congestion, pollution and dangerous conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. Havenfield is set well back from Arbury Road so it is not in the front line

Secondly, many of the assertions of the article are incorrect:

Havenfield will not be cut off. They can have the closure either side of the Havenfield entrance. Worst case is a 5-minute detour if they go by car which is about how long it takes to queue at the traffic lights now!

On the question of emergency services access, Cllr Manning is arranging for a test. To state now that there may be a delay is jumping to conclusions and the test results need to be assessed against all the health benefits due to the scheme.

The proposal is for a modal filter and people can still access Arbury Road by car, no change there

The difference will be that Arbury Road will no longer be used by through traffic and this is what causes most of the pollution and the danger to pedestrians and cyclists because of the narrowness of the road and pavement

This danger has got worse under the pandemic due to speeding cars which has made it more difficult for pedestrians to pass each other

The block will help us maintain safe local distancing and contrary to Ms Purrs assertion this will be of benefit to elderly and infirm pedestrians who are particularly impacted by the current problem

Arbury Road residents have been talking about a scheme like this for some years and are really pleased that there is now some funding to try out the ideas

Survey and headline figures – 87% supported (from 63 households) filtering and with COVID-19 this figure has probably increased.

It was the most popular of proposed solutions:

Question submitted to Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly on 4th June 2020

Question regarding agenda item 10, ‘City Access Strategy, update and support for Covid-19 recovery’:

Arbury Road is a residential street with terraced homes close to narrow pavements in the easternmost section, and the 20mph speed limit is routinely flouted. It is an important link in the county cycle route network but the GCP installation of cycle lanes on the western part left a gap in cycle provision at the east end which remains dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists – especially acute when social distancing for Covid-19. The Histon Road project works are expected to flush additional cars down our street creating even more hazardous conditions and worsening air quality.

Agenda item 10 paras 3.5 and 3.6 says that the GCP is supporting work to identify measures to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists in response to Covid-19,  however Arbury Road does not appear on the list.

The Department for Transport expects councils to use pop-up and temporary interventions to create environments that are safe for walking and cycling. They expect measures like ‘point closures’ to be used to create low-traffic filtered neighbourhoods.

Our recent survey* shows that a large majority of those who live on the road are ready and willing to try experimental or temporary schemes that would stop rat-running, reduce air pollution and improve community health. A point closure between Leys Road and the Cambridge North Academy on Arbury Road would achieve that.

Will the Joint Assembly resolve to add Arbury Road, with description ‘prohibit through movements between Cambridge North Academy and Leys Road’, to the list of schemes prioritised for implementation to enable and encourage more walking and cycling between West and East Cambridge?

Here’s the video of the question being read out (the answer comes a bit later after all the questions are read out & the discussion occurs):