Two-Way Cycling On One-Way Streets

As part of the European Bike Friendly Cities project Cambridgeshire County Council is looking at increasing the number of one-way streets in Cambridge City that allow two-way cycling. This has recently been made a lot easier to do in that a new plate, "except cycles", can now be added to the standard no-entry signs.

Here is a list of the streets involved;

Panton Street
Brookside
Norwich Street
Coronation Street
Mercers Row
Swanns Road
New Square (south)
St Eligius Street
Mount Pleasant
Shelley Row
Albion Row
Perowne Street
Emery Road
Emery Street
Argyll Street (west)
Cockburn Street
Sedgewick Street
Catherine Street
Thoday Street
Ross Street
Hemingford Road
Belgrave Road
Vinery Road (north)
Harvest Way
Fitzwilliam Street
Park Terrace
Springfield Road
Albert Street
Adam and Eve Street at Burleigh St*
Hope St*

*- These two require additional work. The removal of signage as well as removal of island blocks.

King's Hedges isn't blessed with any specific one-way streets which we could ask for this change to be applied to but if you cycle into the City Centre and would like me to add any other roads to the project please let me know.

Utility Companies Could Face Daily Charges To Close Roads

Cllr Sarah Whitebread (LD, Market)

Utility companies could be charged a daily fee for road closures while they carry out work across Cambridgeshire.

The idea has been put forward by Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Whitebread and would apply to companies laying new gas or water mains or carrying out similar work in the county.

Cllr Whitebread, who represents Cambridge’s Market Ward on Cambridgeshire County Council, claims the move could prevent lengthy closures such as the one which brought the city’s East Road to a virtual halt for weeks while new gas mains were laid.

She made her suggestion during Question Time at the county council meeting today (Tuesday, May 15) and it was agreed to look into such a scheme.

A similar idea, approved by the Department of Transport, will allow Transport for London to charge companies in the capital up to £2,500 a day for closing major roads. Companies will face lower charges if they carry out work outside of peak times.

"The county system at the moment has no incentive for speedy work, or to encourage work outside peak times" said Cllr Whitebread. "Given the frequency with which utilities companies need to carry out road works in Cambridge, I think a charging scheme of this type needs serious consideration.

"I also pushed the council to look at ways to encourage utility companies, when carrying out works, to keep roads open for cyclists. Often there is road space around the works that could be made available, but instead cyclists told to wait with cars or dismount and walk.  In a city where so many people travel to school and work by bike, this clearly needs addressing."

The county council’s Cabinet Member for Community Infrastructure, Tony Orgee, agreed to look into such a scheme.

Telecom Giants Told To Repair City Grass Verges

Cllr Geoff Heathcock
(LD, Queen Ediths)

Telecom giants, BT and Virgin Media are to be asked to pay for repairs to grass verges in Cambridge’s Mowbray Road after residents complained that their companies’ vans damaged them.

Workers parked on the verges during the recent wet weather and drove off leaving them churned up say residents.

They complained to Cambridge City Councillor, George Pippas, who represents Queen Edith’s, saying that drivers are prohibited from parking on verges under a council by-law which these companies appear to have ignored.

Cllr Pippas took their complaints to city council enforcement officers who told him that both companies would be contacted to either pay for the damage or carry out the repairs and the area would be photographed as evidence.

“The grass verges have been devastated by these vehicles parking on them,” said Cllr Pippas, “and residents are understandably furious. The destruction spoils the area and residents are left living with it once companies have finished their work.  

“I am pleased that the city council is going to contact these companies asking them to repair the damage. We have a by-law which prevents drivers parking on the verges so that they are protected and this should apply to everyone.”

Geoff Heathcock, Cambridge City Councillor for Queen Edith’s added: “Anything we can do to ensure the utilities put right what they have damaged is absolutely right and sets a good example to others who constantly damage our verges"

Cambridge City Council Enforcement Officer for Streets and Open Spaces, Lisa Munro told Cllr Pippas in a letter that she was taking up the matter with Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Department.

And she added: “I will be contacting both BT and Virgin Media with the view to recovering costs or to repair the damage themselves. I will be photographing the area to use as evidence.

“BT have an obligation to inform County Council Highways Department as to when works will be carried out and subsequently when repairs will be made to any damage caused. I believe that County Council therefore have already been in contact with BT but this is the information that I am waiting for.

“We would of course support County Council with the verge parking byelaw and will enforce against anyone seen parking on the grass verges.”