Cambridge Cycling Campaign (original) (raw)

At a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways & Transport Committee on 4 October, councillors voted 9-5 in favour of a new bus gate on Mill Road bridge in Cambridge. The filter will be installed in November 2024 and aims to reduce congestion and associated air and noise pollution, improve road safety and encourage active travel. Restrictions on through-traffic will be enforced with ANPR cameras and will apply to all motor vehicles, except buses, emergency services, taxis and blue badge holders. The bridge will continue to be a through-route for people walking, cycling and wheeling.

Supporters of the Mill Road bus gate celebrate its approval with a pop-up parklet outside New Shire Hall in Alconbury.

Councillors had unanimously agreed to proceed with a Traffic Regulation Order for a bus gate in July 2022 following a public consultation in which 72% supported traffic restrictions on the bridge; this was approved in March 2023. However, following a legal challenge, this was quashed and replaced with a newly-published TRO in August 2024 when the council ended its defence of the court case. 4,049 comments were received in response to the current TRO, of which 53% were in favour. More than half of the responses were received from residents in Petersfield and Romsey wards, the areas each side of Mill Road bridge: of these, 68% of these were in favour.

Public speakers at the meeting highlighted many of the benefits of the scheme, talking passionately about improved cycling, reduction in air pollution, improved bus journeys and benefits for local businesses. Councillors asked for clarifying questions on the exemption criteria before voting with a majority in favour.

Speaking during the debate, Independent Cllr Stephen Ferguson said:

It is absolutely beyond doubt that the empirical data for road traffic restrictions such as these [show] that they lead to a reduction in traffic not only on the routes themselves but on nearby routes and surrounding boundary roads … the data also show that traffic restrictions such as this in reducing the amount of traffic reduces NOx emissions and reduces particulate emissions … almost all of which shows that we can expect lower traffic and lower pollution.”

Following the decision, Anna Williams, Head of Campaigns and Engagement at Camcycle, said:

Camcycle welcomes the decision councillors have made today and thank those who spoke in favour of the Mill Road bus gate and the many more who sent messages of support in response to the TRO. The community has been calling for restrictions on Mill Road bridge for over 50 years and waiting for a new bus gate for over three years now: it’s essential that the county council moves quickly to implement the scheme. It must also work with the community on the accompanying public realm improvements such as pavement widening, additional cycle parking, delivery bays and new planting, so that all those who love this street can enjoy maximum benefits to their walking, wheeling and cycling journeys and their time spent living, working, shopping and socialising on the street.”

Elisabeth Whitebread of Cambridgeshire Families for Sustainable Travel said:

Speaking today, our group was really glad to be able to bring some of the voices of young people into the meeting. We hope to see the bus gate implemented quickly now so that families in and around Mill Road can start to benefit from cleaner air and safer streets.”

In a press release issued after the meeting, Cambridgeshire County Council quoted the chair of the meeting, Cllr Henry Batchelor. He said:

Today, as the chair of this special committee, we heard from all sides and listened to the concerns raised. There has been a lot of engagement on this project and whilst this was not an easy decision, we agreed restricting most of the traffic over the bridge would be beneficial and give local people more improvements.”

The county council says that work on the scheme is expected to start in November and be completed in December. It is exploring public realm and active improvements in collaboration with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Partnership. They will include general improvements such as additional cycle parking, signage and decluttering the highway.