Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

Eddington Avenue and Huntingdon Road

– Please sign the petition! (28 October 2015)


Dr Nicola Pearson, Prof David J C MacKay, Dr Axel Zeitler



tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

@EddingtonSafety
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

 tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety
We are campaigning for urgent improvements to be made to cycling and walking routes between the new North West Cambridge development ("Eddington") and neighbouring communities, especially Girton village.

Please support our Petition

To the University of Cambridge, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, and Cambridgeshire County Council:

We are deeply concerned that the designs of the Eddington Avenue / Huntingdon Road junction and the Bunker's Hill / Huntingdon Road / Girton Road are not safe for pedestrians and cyclists coming and going between the North West Cambridge Development and Girton Village, including both Girton Road and Thornton Road; moreover these designs are utterly inconsistent with the stated aspirations of the University, the City Council, and the District Council, to enhance the transport connections to neighbouring communities.
We note that the University’s Transport Strategy [1] aims to give cycling and walking high priority and states an aspiration for "high quality" solutions, including "safe and convenient crossings for pedestrians and cyclists".
We note that the University’s Community Strategy [2] repeatedly mentions the goal of linking to neighbouring communities through cycling and pedestrian routes.
We note that the City and District Councils' Policy [3, NW17, NW18] stipulates that pedestrian routes should be provided that are "direct, safe, and attractive", and that new and enhanced cycle links should be made, "including links to nearby villages".
The Eddington / Huntingdon junction design that is being built violates all these aspirations and commitments by singularly failing to include ANY new crossings of Huntingdon Road that are direct, safe, and attractive for people travelling from and to Girton and other destinations in the north-west.
This failure of design to conform to vision and policy is of particularly serious concern because over 100 small children need to cross Huntingdon Road every school-day to go to the University of Cambridge Primary School, and 41 of those pupils live to the North, in Girton. Future demand from the North will only increase over the coming years: based on this year's intake, we expect that in two years' time the school will have roughly 105 pupils who live in Girton; the adjacent nursery will surely also attract cyclists and pedestrians from the North; and all the other amenities on the North West Cambridge site will be very attractive to Girton residents. 		The Bunker's Hill design is partly satisfactory (albeit not "high quality") for inbound and outbound cyclists and pedestrians heading from and to Girton College, and for confident outbound cyclists heading up Girton Road, but it provides no satisfactory route for young inbound cyclists coming from Girton Road; nor does it provide a satisfactory route for inbound or outbound pedestrians along Girton Road, because there is no safe route to get between the end of the Girton Road footpath and Bunker's Hill. Girton Road and Huntingdon Road are both 3 lanes wide, and both are busy roads from 8am to 9am.
We have the gravest concern about the possibility of a tragic accident. Numerous near misses have already occurred.
We call on the University urgently (1) to amend the design of the Eddington/Huntingdon junction by adding two new pedestrian and cycle crossings across Huntingdon Road, eliminating the cycle-lane pinch-point, and widening the southern footpath, and to implement these improvements with the utmost speed; (2) to amend the design of the Bunker's Hill junction so as to ensure that all categories of pedestrian and cyclist have a direct safe and attractive route in both directions.
We ask the University of Cambridge to change the plans, and the City Council, the District Council, and the County Council to support and expedite the approval of the satisfactorily revised plans with utmost urgency.

References:
[1] http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_3_non-technical_summary.pdf ; http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_2_appendices.pdf ; Policy NW14; http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_1_assessment_and_figures.pdf Sections 7.5.1, 7.6, 9.6.4.
[2] North West Cambridge Community Strategy (Feb 2013) File name 11_1114_OUT-SCHEDULE_06_-_COMMUNITY-1120456.pdf (not currently available on original website)
[3] https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/North%20West%20Cambridge%20Area%20Action%20Plan.pdf
www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety
"quality accessibility and connectivity to the surrounding areas".

"attractive, direct, and safe" routes

NW Cambridge Transport Strategy

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy,
and 4-year-old)
(eg parent
and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔?
Girton Road ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘ ✘

Our Proposal

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety



Presented by Prof David MacKay
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

The "November 2015" Plan for Eddington Avenue

Eddington Avenue / Huntingdon Road –
Our Main Points

1. The "demand" assumptions underlying the "November 2015" design are now known to be wrong.


2. This design does not make satisfactory provision for pedestrians and cyclists coming from and going to the north.


3. The design is inconsistent with commitments made in the 2011 NWC Transport Strategy.


4. An integrated toucan crossing, recommended by the Safety Audit, was cut out using an argument about "capacity" that is probably spurious.






We would like to propose modifications to the design

1: The design was based on incorrect assumptions

  • Principal demand for school was assumed, by the safety audit, to be internal to the NW Cambridge site;
  • Crossing demand to the North was not anticipated to be significant;
  • But University decided to open school early.

→ Girton pupils

  • Of all 111 pupils, 40 live in Girton.
  • Anticipate that in the next two years, number from Girton will rise to about 105.
    [because expect another (2 years) x (90 pupils per year) x (40/111) = 65 from Girton]
    [1st wave of on-site accommodation only planned Jan 2017]
  • New nursery will attract toddlers from Girton
  • New Eddington retail / leisure / recreation facilities will be attractive to Girton

2. This design does not make satisfactory provision for pedestrians and cyclists coming from and going to the north.

What do we mean by satisfactory?

  • Safe for all users (bearing in mind 4-year-olds, pushchairs...)
  • Not requiring cyclists to dismount and push their cycles
  • Not requiring cyclists to break the highway code
  • "High quality" / "attractive, direct, and safe"
  • – in both inbound and outbound directions

The "November 2015" Plan (with distances)

What is wrong with the "November 2015" Plan [desire lines shown in magenta]

Huntingdon Road on-road cycle-lane pinch points

Car driver's desire line


This pinch-point issue was flagged to the Lead Officer for the North West Cambridge Development at the City Council on 13/12/2011 by the Walking and Cycling Officer of Cambridge City Council.

Car driver's desire line


This pinch-point issue was flagged to the Lead Officer for the North West Cambridge Development at the City Council on 13/12/2011 by the Walking and Cycling Officer of Cambridge City Council.

5-fold foreshortened view from southeast

5-fold foreshortened view from southeast

January 2016

Is this the worst pinch-point on any major road in Cambridge?

January 2016



– Yes, motor vehicles do infringe the cycle lane
(as flagged over four years ago by the Walking and Cycling Officer of Cambridge City Council 13/12/2011)

What is wrong with the "November 2015" Plan [desire lines shown in magenta]

Southwest pavement is narrow

Wheelie bins are placed on the footpath once per week, further narrowing the narrow pavement

The cycle and pedestrian pinch points can be solved

by purchasing a strip of land
with width varying between roughly 1.3m and 2.6m

What does the "November 2015" Plan expect these people to do?

Note when 4-year-old friends see each other across a road, many have no innate road sense and just cross the road. (We have recorded incidents of children running / scooting across roads without parental permission twice in 5 weeks.)

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy, and 4-year-old)
(eg parent and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way

What does the "November 2015" Plan expect these people to do?

Note when 4-year-old friends see each other across a road, many have no innate road sense and just cross the road. (We have recorded incidents of children running / scooting across roads without parental permission twice in 5 weeks.)

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy, and 4-year-old)
(eg parent and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔?

(We'll discuss the Girton Road route in part 3)

3. The Current Plan is inconsistent with the Transport Strategy for the North West Cambridge Development

Section 7.5.1 These pedestrian and cycle connections through the Development will ensure quality accessibility and connectivity to the surrounding areas. They will also significantly enhance and improve the linkages between existing developments – such as Girton and the West Cambridge Development, and Girton and the south of the City – by providing direct quality links on desire lines.

7.6.1 The Development is well-located for walking and cycling with respect to existing pedestrian and cycle facilities, and to connect to other developments in the area. The Development will deliver safe, high quality walking and cycling infrastructure in the area further to support and encourage the walking and cycling mode. ... As such, it is considered that walking and cycling will form a significant percentage of the mode share for local trips, reflecting local and national policy guidance and strategies.

9.6.4 The Development Access Strategy and site layout have been designed to ensure the focus of the accessibility strategy for the Site remains strongly in favour of sustainable modes of transport over the private car.

Transport Assessment September 2011
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_1_assessment_and_figures.pdf

3b. The Current Plan appears inconsistent with the Transport Strategy for the North West Cambridge Development,

which says there will be
... new cycling and pedestrian crossings at all entrances into the development along Huntingdon and Madingley Roads as well as an additional cycle crossing linking to Whitehouse Lane.
[page 7, Non-Technical Summary of the Transport Assessment September 2011
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_3_non-technical_summary.pdf]
and:
From North West Cambridge there will be two new road junction accesses onto Huntingdon Road - the Huntingdon Road West and East junctions - and another new road junction onto Madingley Road. [...] These three junctions will be traffic signal controlled, and will include pedestrian and cyclist controlled crossings to aid their movement.
[page 8, Non-Technical Summary of the Transport Assessment September 2011
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_3_non-technical_summary.pdf]

The commitment to integrated crossings is repeated in the Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary



Improvements directed at improved connectivity and safety for pedestrians and cyclists

• new cycling and pedestrian crossings at all entrances into the development along Huntingdon and Madingley Roads as well as an additional cycle crossing linking to Whitehouse Lane.
[page 38, Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary – March 2012
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o2_7_7_environmental_statement_tech_summary.pdf]


What does "new cycling and pedestrian crossings mean"?

The new Madingley Road / High Cross junction has a toucan crossing.
The future "Huntingdon Road West Junction" has a toucan crossing.

North West Cambridge Transport Assessment:

"the numbers of cyclists counted along Huntingdon Road are over double the number counted along Madingley Road – implying that Huntingdon Road, serving the Girton area, is currently the more important cycling link;"

The "November 2015" Plan for Eddington Avenue

What does "new cycling and pedestrian crossings mean"?

See marks "C" and "D" on the map – expecting crossings here?

Policy NW14: Madingley Road to Huntingdon Road Link
A new route will be developed linking Madingley Road and Huntingdon Road. This road will be designed as part of the development and its design will be based on low vehicle speeds. It will give priority to provision for walking, cycling and public transport, including safe and convenient crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, in order to encourage travel by more sustainable modes.

Transport Assessment Appendices – September 2011
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_2_appendices.pdf

The current design is also inconsistent with the
North West Cambridge Community Strategy – Feb 2013


North West Cambridge Community Strategy – Feb 2013


vision: "high quality of life"


goal of linking to neighbouring communities is mentioned repeatedly
The closest neighbouring community to the North West Cambridge development is the village of Girton.

Thornton Road, Thornton Close, Thornton Way, Thornton Court, St Margaret's Road, The Brambles, and Bandon Road are all within 15 minutes' walk and 5-10 minutes' cycle.

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety
neighbouring community map identifying defects of walking/cycling provision

The current design is also inconsistent with Policies in the North West Cambridge Area Action Plan – October 2009

Policy NW17: Cycling Provision

New and improved cycle links will be provided as part of the development, including:
...
c) Linking the development with the surrounding walking and cycling network and orbital routes including links to nearby villages and open countryside.

Policy NW18: Walking Provision

Development will be required to provide attractive, direct and safe walking routes as part of the development, including:
...
c) Linking the development with the surrounding walking network, including links to an improved rights of way network and to nearby villages and open countryside.
[https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/North%20West%20Cambridge%20Area%20Action%20Plan.pdf]

4. The Safety audit [conducted for the Planning Authority] recommended integrating the Whitehouse Lane toucan crossing into the Eddington Avenue junction

"However, as detailed in the committee report for the application the junction will be operating at, or near capacity, when the development is completed, and therefore incorporating the pedestrian phases into the crossing would take this junction beyond capacity."

Katie.Parry@scambs.gov.uk
Date: 15 October 2015 16:58:00 BST

Our proposal
for Eddington Avenue / Huntingdon Road

What is wrong with the "November 2015" Plan [desire lines shown in magenta]

The "November 2015" Plan

Our Proposal

& if possible, mothball or delay the crossing at Whitehouse Lane

Our Proposal [BLE-N]

We propose that the toucan crossing at Thorton Road be positioned very close to Thornton Road


– like Trumpington Road / Newton Road (St. Faith's School)

Summary [Eddington Avenue]

1: Add an integrated toucan crossing at Eddington Avenue
    Add a toucan crossing very close to Thornton Road.

2: Widen the southwest footpath

3: Add warning lights that flash at school-travel time

4. Mothball or delay the Whitehouse Lane crossing until its connections are in place.

Our Proposal

If there really is a capacity issue with our proposal, it could perhaps be solved:

Or, if both integrated crossing options are ruled out, the same functions as an integrated crossing could be provided thus:

But this is our Preferred Proposal

Disatisfactory alternatives that might be suggested

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy, and 4-year-old)
(eg parent and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔?
Girton Road ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘ ✘
tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety



Presented by Prof David MacKay
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

What's wrong with
"Bunker's Hill" / Girton Road

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy, and 4-year-old)
(eg parent and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔?
Girton Road

The current situation at Huntingdon Road / Girton Road junction

Girton Road inbound


Let's play "spot the safe and convenient crossings for pedestrians and cyclists" at Bunker's Hill!

What's wrong with the Bunker's Hill plans

Which journeys would be safe, attractive, and direct?

Pedestrians Cyclists

(eg parent, buggy, and 4-year-old)
(eg parent and 4-year-old)
from
Eddington 		to
Eddington 		from
Eddington 		to
Eddington
Thornton Way ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✔?
Girton Road ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘ ✘
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

Our Proposal

Comparisons with similar roads in Cambridge



 
  • Histon Road
  • Trumpington High Street
  • Hills Road


Things to consider:
  • Direct toucan crossings and pedestrian crossings
  • Traffic-light-protected crossings near to schools, and at roads that lead to schools
  • Four-way traffic lights with pedestrian/cycle-only phases
  • Distances between traffic-light-protected crossings
 

Accident data and cycle-survey data
Madingley Road

Distances between crossings on other roads around Cambridge

[cf 160m to proposed Thornton Rd crossing]




Histon Road


Note that the Warwick Road / Gilbert Road junction, which is near Mayfield Primary School, has four direct pedestrian crossings, and a pedestrians-only phase.
Trumpington High Street – Note the direct pedestrian crossing at the road leading to Fawcett Primary School.

The Hauxton Road / Shelford Road junction is comparable to Huntingdon Road / Girton Road
Trumpington High St / Hauxton / Shelford Huntingdon Road / Girton Road
Hills Road – pedestrian crossings at every school and college.
Huntingdon Road Huntingdon Road with predicted blackspots.

105 Girton pupils x 2 crossings per day x 195 days per year x 7 years = 286,650 crossings

Northwest Cambridge Personal Injury Collision Plot – 30/6/2011

Comparison with plans for Madingley Road

Transport Strategy for the North West Cambridge Development

From North West Cambridge there will be two new road junction accesses onto Huntingdon Road - the Huntingdon Road West and East junctions - and another new road junction onto Madingley Road. [...] These three junctions will be traffic signal controlled, and will include pedestrian and cyclist controlled crossings to aid their movement.
[page 8, Non-Technical Summary of the Transport Assessment September 2011
http://www.nwcambridge.co.uk/files/o1_8_3_non-technical_summary.pdf]



North West Cambridge Transport Assessment:

"the numbers of cyclists counted along Huntingdon Road are over double the number counted along Madingley Road – implying that Huntingdon Road, serving the Girton area, is currently the more important cycling link;"
tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety



Presented by Prof David MacKay
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

Oxford Road / Windsor Road

The Thornton Road Rat-run problem

Aggressive drivers
Queue of 20 cars waiting to turn left in the morning peak
Parked cars on the other side of the road

Often impossible to cycle by, on road
As you LEAVE the residential area (Thornton Rd) you are warned that Girton Road has traffic calming!


As you LEAVE the residential area (Thornton Rd) you are warned that Girton Road has traffic calming!


Speed limits, Home Zone, Signs

Constriction

Oxford Road / Windsor Road
Safer Cycling and Walking to and from North West Cambridge

tinyurl.com/EddingtonSafety

1 – Overview

2 – the Huntingdon Road / Eddington Avenue junction

3 – the Bunker's Hill / Girton Road crossing

4 – Comparison with similar roads around Cambridge

5 – the Thornton Road Rat Run


www.ipetitions.com/petition/EddingtonSafety

What's new since October

Monday 19 October: Met NW Cambridge team leader, Stuart Wilson. We presented our proposals for Eddington Avenue and Girton Corner. He said he would look at them. We also raised the issue of rat-running on Thornton Road.

Petition: presented to University on 3 November; and to the City Council, District Council, and County Council shortly after.

6 November: Robin Heydon of Cambridge Cycle Campaign drafted a Dutch-style design for Girton Corner.

29 November: We started a survey of Girton residents to find opinions on Thornton Rd Rat Run.

Wednesday 9 December: Met Heather Topel.
Monday 21 December: NW Cambridge Syndicate met and received our petition.

Monday 11 January: Estate Strategy Committee met.

Monday 18 January: Next meeting of NW Cambridge Syndicate. approximate measurements of the down-hill, round the houses, up-the-hill route that Douglas DeLacey suggests cyclists should take to avoid the dangerous Huntingdon Road route
[using 1 Thornton Way as an example start point]:

Approximately 1420m. [perhaps further because I haven’t got a proper fix on the school.]
Desire line: approximately 613m. [perhaps further because I haven’t got a proper fix on the school.]
Difference: approx 800m.
[Error associated with difference is much smaller than the errors on the two absolute quantities.]

January 2016

Is this the worst pinch-point on any major road in Cambridge?

January 2016



– Yes, motor vehicles do infringe the cycle lane
(as flagged over four years ago by the Walking and Cycling Officer of Cambridge City Council 13/12/2011)

No need to move utilities?

University lines on Eddington Avenue junction

  • It's got planning permission
  • You can't have an integrated crossing because
    • The road is too wide
    • There would be a capacity problem
    • There isn't space for the crossing
  • It's had a safety audit
  • It's been consulted on, ages ago, so go away

Key points to make

  • The design is inconsistent with University's strategy and with policies of town council and district council
  • The safety audit made incorrect assumptions about the school's pupils
  • The safety audit made many recommendations, identical to ours, which were simply ignored
  • Consultation? Many of the representatives consulted made the same points as us!

What next?

  • Eddington Avenue
  • Girton Corner
  • Thornton Road Rat Run

End of presentation

Supplementary slides and photographs follow.

Reported road casualties by age and road user type

In 2012, 5,979 pedestrians were killed or seriously injured. Of particular concern was the number of young pedestrians killed or seriously injured: 26% were aged under 16; 8% were aged up to 7; and, 18% were aged between 8 and 15.
The number of pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured has increased in every year since 2004. In 2012, 3,340 pedal cyclists were killed or seriously injured in 2011 of whom 10% were aged under 16. Among the 516 moped riders (motor cycle riders 50cc and under) killed or seriously injured in 2012, 45% were aged 17 or under.

Source: Reported Road Accident Statistics
Standard Note: SN/SG/2198
24 October 2013
House of Commons Library
www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn02198.pdf
AA Motoring Trust
www.theaa.com/public_affairs/reports/facts_about_road_accidents_and_children.pdf

The Safety audit recommended integrating the Whitehouse Lane toucan crossing into the Eddington Avenue junction

The junctions have to go through a process called Safety Audit and whilst this is not necessarily undertaken by Cambridgeshire County Council, they are responsible for advising the Local Planning Authority (both South Cambs and Cambridge City Council in this case) as to whether the junction is safe and subsequently approved or not. For Huntingdon Road East Junction a safety audit was conducted and can be obtained by request from Sue Parsons at the County Council (sue.parsons@cambridgeshire.gov.uk).
The safety audit does suggest that the toucan crossing situated to the east of the junction (close to Whitehouse Lane) should if possible, be incorporated into the main junction upon a ‘review of pedestrian desire lines’.

Katie.Parry@scambs.gov.uk
Date: 15 October 2015 16:58:00 BST
However, as detailed in the committee report for the application the junction will be operating at, or near capacity, when the development is completed, and therefore incorporating the pedestrian phases into the crossing that would take this junction beyond capacity. The toucan crossing close to Whitehouse Lane is situated strategically to join the two cycle routes from the Darwin Green and NWC Developments on a desire line anticipated to carry significantly higher cycle and pedestrian flows.

this presentation was written in HTML using: Christian Steinruecken's 'slides.css' and 'slides.js'

manuals, examples, keyboard shortcuts

David J C MacKay FRS,
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge

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