There was an important announcement in this week’s Cambridge Independent.
Earlier this year, Ian Manning, our local county councillor asked whether we were interested in making a LHI fund bid this year.
We asked if we could have traffic calming reinstated since the GCP removed the chicane, shown below, without any consultation when it improved cycle lanes along Arbury Road west.
Ian Manning’s LHI bid has been successful, against the odds given that the Leader of the County Council wrote to me in January 26 to say “no intervention is needed” to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety on Arbury Road east.
This raises the question of where they will put the chicane or whatever they decide to install.
We need to remember how much space the previous chicane took up.
And replacement traffic calming can’t go in the space where the previous one was.
This is now occupied by the zebra crossing at the end of the dedicated cycle paths located so cyclists cross over to “The Cut” into Leys Road.
We are hoping that the County Council will engage meaningfully with local residents about what will be done.
It would be galling if they don’t ask us where the traffic calming should be located or, indeed what form it should take, given the way the Greater Cambridge Partnership acted without any consultation when it removed the previous chicane.
If any ARERA members want to offer Ian Manning thanks for his negotiations on our behalf, please send them to him at Ian.Manning@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.