Traffic chaos warnings after GCP’s surprise plans for Cambridge city centre junction unveiled
A residents’ association has warned there will be further traffic chaos in Cambridge city centre if proposals to prevent drivers turning at a major junction go ahead.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has put forward the plans for the Catholic church junction to improve cycling safety.
Charity Camcycle says changes are desperately needed because “far too many cyclists are seriously hurt in collisions” there.
But the plans for the junction at the Our Lady and the English Martyrs church – where Lensfield Road, Hills Road, Gonville Place and Regent Street meet – were only unveiled after the end of a public consultation about changes to the road, which means residents have not yet been able to have their say on the matter.
The scheme would ban right turns into Hills Road from Lensfield Road, and left turns out of Hills Road and Regent Street. The GCP says this would “create additional footway space to make it safer and easier for all users”.
The proposals are set to go before the GCP joint assembly meeting on December 11 and would go out for consultation if they proceed.
Frank Gawthrop, who is secretary of the South Petersfield Residents’ Association, said: “This proposal, which is exclusively to improve cycling, is going to cause massive problems for motorists. We know traffic is on a knife edge in Cambridge. You only need one set of roadworks and the whole town grinds to a halt.
“I think the GCP is out of control. They say this will improve things for cyclists because it will make it safer. But they have presented no accident statistics for cyclists on the Catholic church junction. And they’ve done no analysis of the impact that making these changes will have on other streets in the area and particularly the residential roads of South Petersfield. I really despair. We have spent a fortune so far on the Greater Cambridge Partnership.
“I really sometimes wonder what we’ve got to show for it.”
Frank has raised concerns that motorists who cannot turn left from Hills Road into Lensfield Road will have to take huge detours if they want to travel to the Fen Causeway, Newnham or West Cambridge. Meanwhile, drivers unable to turn right onto Hills Road from Lensfield Road could end up driving down Mill Road and residential streets in Petersfield, including Tenison Road.
He added: “We have not got an opportunity to object to this at the moment.”
The GCP put forward two conceptual options for consultation to enhance junctions and active travel paths on Hills Road. These have
been merged to create a “preferred option” with changes based on the public’s feedback. But, after the consultation closed, the GCP added added a further option for the Lensfield Road/Gonville Place junction which includes banned right turns into Hills Road and left turns out of Hills Road and Regent Street. The GCP says it is “to create additional footway space to make it safer and easier for all users.”
It adds: “The wider scheme will retain key sections of bus lane, create better active travel links and a CYCLOPS junction at the Station Road and Cherry Hinton Road junction to encourage more people to walk and wheel around the city.”
A spokesperson for cycling charity Camcycle said: ”Hills Road/Lensfield Road is one of the most dangerous junctions in Cambridge with far too many cyclists seriously hurt in collisions here. Not only is it unacceptable that anyone should be hurt during their everyday journeys, but we also know that lack of safety is the leading barrier preventing people from beginning to cycle.
“The proposed changes to this junction will rebalance road space, allocating half the area to walking and cycling and half to motor vehicle movements. Currently people walking make 40 per cent of the daily journeys on Hills Road, but are only given 26 per cent of the road space at this junction, leading to squeezed pavements and congested crossings. Increasing the walking areas to 34 per cent of the space, and cycling areas from six per cent to 17 per cent will vastly improve safety and comfort for people walking, wheeling and cycling. It will also encourage more people to choose these modes of transport for journeys to schools, shops, workplaces and other destinations in this area. This will improve air quality for everyone and free up space on the roads for those who have no choice but to drive.
“The design of this scheme would need to be carefully planned and adjusted to ensure a solution that works well for all road users and residents in surrounding roads. However, we believe that these changes are urgently needed to address the huge safety issues at the junction and to act as an important step to give people better transport choice within the city.”
Paul Van de Bulk, GCP project manager, said: “Listening and responding to the feedback we received at public consultation, we are now putting forward revised proposals for Hills Road to our joint assembly and executive board for discussion.
“Alongside the original minimal change option for the Lensfield Road/Gonville Place junction is a new additional option that would ban right turns into Hills Road and left turns out of Hills Road and Regent Street. This would create additional footway space on all four corners of the junction to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and help to reduce traffic levels to improve bus journeys.
“The options would be subject to further public consultation, modelling and technical work before any recommendation is made to members for a decision.”
The joint assembly will also consider proposals to improve safety at the Addenbrooke’s roundabout by significantly widening cycle lanes and footpaths on both sides of the Fendon Road arm.
The central island would be reduced in size to accommodate the upgraded active travel links while retaining the width of the lanes in the road for motorised vehicles, with the roundabout regularly used at all times by the emergency services.
