Both sides have their say as consultation on Mill Road bridge traffic order in Cambridge draws to close

The consultation on the traffic order that would close Mill Road bridge in Cambridge to most private motor vehicles closes at midnight on Friday (13 September).

Ahead of the consultation closing, campaigners from both sides have been having their say.

Charity Camcycle and pressure group Mill Road 4 People organised a demonstration on Sunday (8 September) at which they expressed their support for the plan to create a bus gate.

Campaigners’ children held up signs saying ‘Tired of waiting for a safe Mill Road’.

Meanwhile, a counter protest was staged by members of the Friends of Mill Road Bridge, who want to see the road stay open to all traffic.

The county council is consulting on a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) that would close the bridge to all motor vehicles, except buses, bicycles, emergency services, taxis and Blue Badge holders, who could apply to register up to two vehicles on a permitted vehicles list. Any other vehicle caught on camera crossing the bridge would be fined £70.

Anna Williams, head of campaigns and engagement at Camcycle, said: “National cycling guidance makes clear that a street with this level of traffic – around 12,000 cars per day – and no separate cycle lanes will exclude large numbers of potential cyclists and raise safety concerns for those who do ride there.

“Mill Road sees some of the highest number of collisions in the county and is frequently rated one of the worst places in Cambridge to cycle. If we want to help young people in the Mill Road area start and continue to cycle for their everyday journeys we need to make the street feel attractive and safe.

“A bus gate could reduce through-traffic by around three-quarters, unlocking the potential for transformative change to the streetscape and enabling people of all ages and abilities to cycle more.”

Liz Walter, of Mill Road 4 People, added: “Every parent should be able to walk and cycle safely with their children. Habits instilled young are likely to last a lifetime, and what better habit for our kids than to learn to rely on active travel rather than cars? This is likely both to improve their health outcomes and help them grow into independent teens, capable of transporting themselves for their hobbies and social lives in a healthy, efficient and environmentally-friendly manner.”

Winter, 16, said: “Having lived near Mill Road for many years, I think it can be a great place to go to the shops or just hang out. But it is ruined by the ridiculously busy road running through the middle. You’ll struggle to find anyone my age who doesn’t want the bus gate since none of us can drive and we almost all walk and cycle everywhere. Yet it doesn’t really feel like anyone has asked us.”

A previous consultation by Cambridgeshire County Council found that 72 per cent of respondents wanted the bridge closure. However, those in favour of keeping the bridge open have pointed out the respondents were a small sample of residents in the area.

The Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance has urged people not to forget about the benefit to bus travel from installing a bus gate.

Pam Wesson, chair of the Friends of Mill Road Bridge, who won a court case against the county council to have a previous TRO on the bridge quashed on technical grounds, said: “Many of us are appalled that such a large decision affecting the whole county is supposedly based on a flimsy consultation that lacks any real studies or data to back up its assumptions and did not reach thousands of people in the county affected by this decision.

“Our own tiny group has managed to deliver flyers to over 20,000 people to help spread the word and we thank each volunteer.”

She is urging people to fill in the consultation and email the county council to let them know their views.

Of Sunday’s bridge protest, she said: “I was upset at using children as a desperate and distasteful propaganda ploy. Others agreed, and thought it fitting to be there together to present different points of view.”

Meanwhile, the Cambridge Muslim Trust has written to the council to oppose the closure.

It said: “The proposed bus gate would severely limit access to the mosque, making it difficult for many worshippers to attend the five daily prayers, which are central to Muslim religious practice. Many members of the community rely on private vehicles due to age, disability, or distance from the mosque.

“The long diversion caused by the bus gate would add significant time to the journey for many worshippers. Given that prayers must be performed at specific times throughout the day, these prayers have tight windows for observance, this delay could prevent many Muslim worshippers from accessing the mosque on time if at all.”

Last week, Cllr Katie Thornburrow, (Lab, Petersfield), asked county council officers for data that proves the benefits of the closure.

She asked whether traffic controls could be brought in as “experimental measures” to see if the changes make the situation better or worse before making the bus gate permanent.

She wrote in a blog: “As the city council representative, I’m going to be asking for information from the county council and also asking them whether they are willing to explore options, like postponing the TRO until there’s evidence and a model of the impact.”

In an update posted on 4 September, Cllr Thornburrow said that she was not asking for the TRO to be halted but wants “to see data on the likely impact of the proposed TRO and for the county council to consider it”.

Green Party city councillors are broadly in favour of the bus gate. They said: “The Greens think that a bus gate, allowing buses, cycles, electric scooters, taxis, emergency vehicles and Blue Badge holders to pass, will be a solution. But the viability of local businesses, and access by those dependent on vehicles, must be assured. We need a staged approach to changes, with time for adjustment and further discussion with residents and businesses, to ensure traders can restock, and customers can access shops and cafés.”

See the consultation and respond by midnight on Friday, September 13 at consultation.appyway.com or visit Cambridge Central Library to view the documents. You can email Policy.andRegulation@ cambridgeshire.gov.uk to respond.