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Drivers ARE allowed to park cars in cycle lane in Cambridge, the UK’s most ‘cycle friendly’ city

Greater Cambridge Partnership say move is “to support local businesses”

The Greater Cambridge Partnership, the delivery body for Cambridge's City Deal, decided last Wednesday that cars should be permitted to park in a cycle lane on Green End Road to help people access local businesses. Cycle campaigners say the move is dangerous and undermines the whole purpose of the scheme.

A spokeswoman for the GCP told Cambridge News: “No parking restrictions have been implemented on Green End Road yet and it is proposed that there will be a short amount of time-limited parking outside the shops to support local businesses. The Traffic Regulation Orders will be reviewed at next week’s Executive Board.

“Kerb segregated cycle lanes from Nuffield Road to Milton Road on Green End Road are planned and work will start this later this year.”

In a statement on its website, Cambridge Cycling Campaign suggested an alternative.

“Camcycle would instead like to see the Traffic Regulation Order restore double-yellow lines to the entire cycle lane. In the case of the businesses that believe they will need car parking directly outside their premises, we note that the planning application currently filed for the property offers an opportunity to resolve this issue: through the creation of a segregated cycleway next to the footway, in a manner that puts parking spaces for cars between the cycleway and the carriageway.

“At the Greater Cambridge Partnership Executive Board meeting on Wednesday we will be asking the Board to support a resolution to create both a safe, protected cycleway and parking availability for the businesses.”

However, the campaign group today tweeted that GCP’s traffic regulation order has been approved, and added:

Camcycle believes allowing parking in the cycle lane undermines the entire scheme.

“The GCP must do better for the large number of people who cycle on Green End Road. Winding in and out of cycle lanes on busy roads is also unsafe, so many people cycling will make the logical decision to avoid the cycle lane entirely and to hold a safe and primary position in the lane as encouraged by the Highway Code.

“We understand the importance of access for local businesses to thrive. However, by their very nature local businesses appeal to people who live locally within walking and cycling distance. We would like local trips by foot and by bike accommodated and encouraged, as there is evidence that this is good for local business.”

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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18 comments

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Al__S | 6 years ago
1 like

WHat's really needed is a reduction of traffic. If there was another road to get to the east of the railway (home to various businesses and caravan parks) then the level crossing on Fen Road could be shut, removing the aggresive traffic associated with that. Close Chesterton High Street to through motor traffic (except the Citi 2 bus) and you get rid of those using Chesterton to avoid Milton Road and potentially make the High Street a nicer place.

 

And ban people from parking on the road, everywhere. At all times.

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kitsunegari | 6 years ago
2 likes

I use this cycle lane and it is an utter farce.

It is now considerably less safe than it was before they redid this road, and given that a lot of parents use it to pick up children from the two nurseries/school on the road it is inherently a terrible piece of design.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership should be utterly, utterly ashamed.

Avatar
KINGHORN replied to kitsunegari | 6 years ago
1 like
kitsunegari wrote:

I use this cycle lane and it is an utter farce.

It is now considerably less safe than it was before they redid this road, and given that a lot of parents use it to pick up children from the two nurseries/school on the road it is inherently a terrible piece of design.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership should be utterly, utterly ashamed.

 

anyone involved in the city planning around here, should hung! The whole place is a shambles.

Avatar
spen | 6 years ago
1 like

"The corner outside a busy row of takeaways and shops is a designated cycle lane, but, at the assembly meeting of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (formerly City Deal) last Wednesday (July 19), delegates agreed it was only an “advisory cycle lane” and that cars should be allowed to park in it." (from the story in the Cambridge News)

 

Odd that as the GCP arent the highway authority for Cambridge and have no powers to designate anything on a highway.

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brooksby replied to spen | 6 years ago
0 likes
spen wrote:

"The corner outside a busy row of takeaways and shops is a designated cycle lane, but, at the assembly meeting of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (formerly City Deal) last Wednesday (July 19), delegates agreed it was only an “advisory cycle lane” and that cars should be allowed to park in it." (from the story in the Cambridge News)

 

Odd that as the GCP arent the highway authority for Cambridge and have no powers to designate anything on a highway.

On the other hand, I've yet to read *anything* positive about City Deal / GCP

Avatar
Al__S replied to spen | 6 years ago
1 like
spen wrote:

Odd that as the GCP arent the highway authority for Cambridge and have no powers to designate anything on a highway.

They have powers legally delegated to them from the County Council to determine TROs

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spen replied to Al__S | 6 years ago
1 like
Al__S wrote:
spen wrote:

Odd that as the GCP arent the highway authority for Cambridge and have no powers to designate anything on a highway.

They have powers legally delegated to them from the County Council to determine TROs

 

Well that was a really stupid isea, as if they would prioritise use over business.

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Simontuck | 6 years ago
1 like

Around the corner from the barbers in the photo is the HQ for Camsight, a charity that helps visually impaired people. Now I understand why so many of the clients turn up in cars! I imagine with so many cars up on the kerb walking must be a nightmare. Cycling is important, but if even pedestrian access is severely compromised then something is clearly wrong!

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
4 likes

forget building some wishy washy segregated lane, just take one whole existing lane from motorists to use as a cycling lane, divvy it into two. On the remaining driving lane that only goes in one direction motorists can park up on it for all they're worth. priority for people on bikes wanting to cross to rejoin any of OUR lanes down a street or adjoining road. Make it massively difficult to drive anywhere and see how the fuckers like that!.

better yet, if you don't have a garage or a driveway, you can't have a car unless you're registered disabled, and I don't mean those whom can seemingly afford a £40/50/60k car on disability either!

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P3t3 | 6 years ago
5 likes

Story of the uk.....

Stop sucking up to the developer and just build the ****ING segregated cycle way and parking! How hard can it be to get this stuff right for everyone!?!?

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DavidKK | 6 years ago
2 likes

There's a simple solution - the cycle lane needs to be wide enough to allow a cyclist to pass a parked car with the door open.  Let's say 1.8m for the car, 0.8m for the door and 1.5m for the cyclist that's 4.1m.  Is the road 2-way then that's another 4.1m for the opposite direction. How wide is the carriageway?  Oh dear, I don't think there's any space left for anything else!

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just get a local cycling club to have a maintenance session blocking each end of the road...

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Ush | 6 years ago
3 likes

I like the photo showing the considerate car drivers pulled up on the pavement to ensure that no one in a wheelchair or pushing a pram can get past. Reminds me of the Copenhagenize articles about the "arrogance of space" showing how much disproportionate space in a city car drivers are allotted http://www.copenhagenize.com/2017/05/arrogance-of-space-copenhagen-hans....

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KINGHORN replied to Ush | 6 years ago
0 likes
Ush wrote:

I like the photo showing the considerate car drivers pulled up on the pavement to ensure that no one in a wheelchair or pushing a pram can get past. Reminds me of the Copenhagenize articles about the "arrogance of space" showing how much disproportionate space in a city car drivers are allotted http://www.copenhagenize.com/2017/05/arrogance-of-space-copenhagen-hans....

 

I'm in Cambridge, parking like a dick is pretty normal here! The police even ran a twitter campaign highlighing such dicks!

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
5 likes

Reminds me of when some fairly  modest cycle lane provisions and parking restrictions were proposed for the Gloucester Road in Bristol, with the shopkeepers up in arms, predicting that their businesses would close as they were dependent on drivers stopping outside.  Sustrans researched the shoppers and discovered that the vast majority walked or cycled to the shops, and drivers were a small minority.  So of course, the idea was dropped.  Can't have drivers inconvenienced can we.

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bsknight replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
0 likes
burtthebike wrote:

Reminds me of when some fairly  modest cycle lane provisions and parking restrictions were proposed for the Gloucester Road in Bristol, with the shopkeepers up in arms, predicting that their businesses would close as they were dependent on drivers stopping outside.  Sustrans researched the shoppers and discovered that the vast majority walked or cycled to the shops, and drivers were a small minority.  So of course, the idea was dropped.  Can't have drivers inconvenienced can we.

 

It was a sweet victory for us.

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don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
8 likes
Quote:

“We understand the importance of access for local businesses to thrive. However, by their very nature local businesses appeal to people who live locally within walking and cycling distance.

Would it be beyond the realms of possibility to ask the drivers, in some form of questionnaire, where they had come from, where they are going and where they live?

This would identify the local ones (who will need beating, or at least humiliating, for being lazy fuckers) and passing trade (like my goodself who travels up and down the northwest and stops at shops in strange towns).

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bsknight replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes
don simon wrote:

This would identify the local ones (who will need beating, or at least humiliating, for being lazy fuckers) and passing trade (like my goodself who travels up and down the northwest and stops at shops in strange towns).

You calling Cambridge a strange town?

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