Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Mill Road Safety Scheme


There are a couple of dates coming up for the consultation exercise being carried out for the County Council's proposed safety scheme for Mill Road, that could see a 20mph limit introduced - exhibitions will be held as follows:

• 20 August 2009 11am – 7pm, The Jordan Room, Romsey Mill
• 8 September 2009, 11am – 7pm, The Old School Hall, St Barnabas Church

If you have strong views about the plans, please turn up to the exhibitions to ask questions, or fill in the consultation - it is important that the views of people that use Mill Road but live slightly further away are taken into account. Further details and a download of the consultation form and online version of the survey are available at http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/transport/projects/cambridge/millroad/

A detailed speed survey was undertaken at several points on Mill Road over the course of a week in August 2007, and indicated average speeds along the road of between 13 and 26mph, almost all drivers were travelling under 30mph, with very few drivers going significantly over the (30mph) limit. I remain to be convinced by the case for a 20mph limit when so few cars speed at the moment - we need to understand the causes of the accidents that are occuring and tackle them. I would suggest dangerous overtaking of cyclists on the railway bridge and car drivers failure to spot cyclists when emerging from junctions (perhaps because it is dark and they don't have any lights on...) might be good places to start.

2 comments:

Martin said...

How about adding lorry enforcement to part of the scheme's objectives? Not just of potential new ones (no prizes for guessing what company I am referring to) but getting existing traders to agree to an enforceable code of practice on deliveries. In some cases there are side streets that could be used, but it would mean that the delivery operatives have to walk an extra 50 metres.

Unknown said...

I agree with Martin that we should be thinking beyond the safety measures laid down in the consultation. A code of practice for deliveries would be a good start, backed up by renewing the yellow lines and signage and increasing parking enforcement. A 20 mph limit will do no harm, but it is ludicrous not to extend it for the entire length of Mill Road.