Concern had been expressed about the possible impact on queues and [...]]]>

The scheme to improve the B1049/A14 junction for cyclists and pedestrians is taking another step towards implementation. Detailed modelling of a proposal to install Toucan crossings on all crossing points has demonstrated the feasibility of the scheme and it can now go to consultation.

Concern had been expressed about the possible impact on queues and capacity so the CCC Traffic Signals Team has completed a ‘Linsig model’ to see what would happen based upon actual traffic flows. This work has revealed that there would be no negative impact on either queue lengths or the capacity of the interchange except in the instance where traffic has to bypass the A14 below the interchange and hence go ‘up and over’ it; in this rare instance the police will be able to manually turn off the crossings as an option.

Consultation events will take place:

• Tuesday 10th July, 4-7pm at Histon and Impington Pavilion
• Wednesday 18th July, 5-8pm at Orchard Park Community Centre

Sue says: ‘This is a welcome development. The CCC Traffic Signals Team has done excellent work both to design the scheme and to test it. When it is implemented it will make the route into Cambridge from our cillages safer for cyclists and pedestrians.’

Click on the icon below for a pdf of the scheme.

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This initiative is important because BT plans only go so far and would cover about 70% of the country in total. [...]]]>

The County Council has just published a newsletter to explain where it’s got to with respect to its project to bring ‘superfast broadband’ to Cambridgeshire. Click on the icon below to read it.

This initiative is important because BT plans only go so far and would cover about 70% of the country in total. With the County Council’s ‘add-on’ that will rise to 90% in Cambridgeshire.

Some parts of Cottenham, Histon and Impington are well served already, namely Histon and Impington. The rest of the division is poorly served.

To find out how good your broadband speed is at the moment go to http://bit.ly/r4R0lJ and click on ‘check your speed’.

Residents who are not currently well served by broadband should go to the County Council’s Connecting Cambridgeshire website (http://bit.ly/IV7hp2) and click on ‘REGISTER HERE for better broadband’.

David says: ‘I’m lucky. I live in Histon where we can get BT Infinity today but even before I’ve been getting decent download speeds. However I remember the days of dial-up internet and know how frustrating a slow link can be’.

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Additional width was achieved by purchasing adjacent land and piping a watercourse.

Local [...]]]>

Improvements to the Cottenham toHiston cycleway have now been completed. The £450,000 scheme was funded through the Housing Growth Fund administered by Cambridgeshire Horizons. Cyclists now have a pretty good route all the way from Cottenham to the A14 junction.

Additional width was achieved by purchasing adjacent land and piping a watercourse.

Local cyclists have been impressed with the smooth machine-layed asphalt surface with solar powered cats eyes to light the way at night and the scheme has already been successful in attracting commuters to cycle to Cambridge in preference to adding to traffic congestion by driving.

To mark the opening of the route a free Cyclists’ Breakfast, sponsored by Station Cycles, will be held on Cottenham Village Green on Tuesday, 8 May 12, from 7.30am to 8.30am. Staff from Station Cycles will be on hand to undertake free cycle safety checks.

Sue said: ‘Residents have been eagerly awaiting the completion of the improvement works and are keen to consider cycling as an option for commuting to Cambridge.

David said: ‘It is pleasing to see the completion of the improvements and there is already evidence of increased cycling along this route.’

The Lib Dem candidate in the Cottenham ward, which includes Oakington and Westwick, and Rampton, is Richard Gymer. [...]]]>

It will soon be May and in South Cambs that means election time. If it’s not the county council, elections which come round every 4 years, it’s the district council and that’s what it is this year.

The Lib Dem candidate in the Cottenham ward, which includes Oakington and Westwick, and Rampton, is Richard Gymer. Richard is a long term resident of Cottenham. he is a keen cyclist and a daily user of the improved cycle path beween Cottenham and Histon.

In the Histon and Impington ward, which includes Orchard Park and the Meadows, the Lib Dem candidate is Yemi Macaulay. Yemi lives in Orchard Park where he was the first resident. He is chair of the Orchard Park Community Council.

Cambridge Road in Impington, the stretch that [...]]]>

There’s too much of a tendency in our villages for motorists to park on our verges and, sometimes, to use them as an extension of the road. And results in them being damaged. Sometimes it’s the only option but often it’s a lack of patience or simply poor road design.

Cambridge Road in Impington, the stretch that runs between the two ends of the Crescent, is a case in point. There’s a traffic calming restriction at each end, people park on both sides and the road isn’t very wide. It’s also a bus route. And although it’s lost much of its grass verge, as dropped kerbs have been installed to enable residents to park off road, that which remains is routinely abused as the photograph shows.

Local residents bought this matter to David’s attention and he has since walked the stretch with a local parish councillor.

David says: ‘It would be easy enough simply to put some bollards in. That would keep people off the grass but it doesn’t address the root cause of the problem which is a badly designed bit of road. The traffic calming does us no favours and the road isn’t really wide enough for the buses.’

‘I have discussed a series of measures which would protect the verges, make it easier for the buses to get through and provide better parking. The problem will of course be funding but at least we can start with the intent to do things right.’

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The meeting focussed on the area at the Station Road/High Street junction in Histon and several [...]]]>

David and Sue met county officers last week to address an issue raised by a local wheel chair user viz the poor state of the footpaths and crossings in our villages as far as the disabled are concerned.

The meeting focussed on the area at the Station Road/High Street junction in Histon and several issues were identified;

1. the width of Station Road, it’s lack of a central refuge and the poor disability when crossing from the Co-Op side.
2. the width of the pavement outside the Co-Op
3. the poor state of the footpaths and the presence of several unnecessary drop curbs
4. the absence of drop kerbs where they are needed
5. the absence of a controlled crossing point between the Co-Op and the Green.

These issues don’t just affect those in wheel chairs of course. They affect the elderly and infirm and parents with push chairs. And the absence of a controlled crossing is a serious problem for students going to school at the junior school.

David says: ‘We do make some progress, look at the improvements in the footpath along Station Road beyond the baptist church towards Kay Hitch Way but too much of what is done is not joined up. We need to look at the total end to end system and make sure that it’s practical for people to use it.’

Sue added: ‘And it’s not just pedestrians: many disabled people use their cars for shopping and it would be useful if our local stores could provide suitable reserved space for them. Tesco is very good at its big stores but does nothing in this respect at its store in Histon.’