Faster action is required to make Cambridgeshire’s roads safer for cyclists
Campaigners say faster action is needed to create safer cycling routes in Cambridge as data shows the majority of those injured on the city’s streets are cyclists.
An average of 69 people were killed or seriously injured in the city in the three years pre-pandemic, with 62 per cent of those cyclists.
A further 16 per cent were pedestrians, making nearly four-fifths of those killed or seriously injured pedestrians or cyclists.
The data was presented to the Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership by Cambridgeshire police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston.
“As a former police officer, I personally dealt with far too many serious injuries and fatal incidents on our roads and saw for myself the devastation these, mostly avoidable incidents can have on loved ones,” he told the Cambridge Independent.
The data was supplied by the Vision Zero Partnership which aims to significantly reduce the severity of injuries and subsequent costs and social impacts from road traffic collisions in the county.
“Cycling should be safe and accessible for everyone who wants to ride,” said Cambridge cycling campaign Camcycle’s Anna Williams.
“Concerns about safety are the biggest barrier preventing them from doing so.”
Cambridge recently failed to feature in a published study of the UK’s ‘most cycle-friendly cities’ from French civil engineering firm Colas.
But while the study’s methodology, which claimed Bristol contained 107,000 kilometres of mapped cycleways – a quarter of the UK’s entire road network – has been debunked, campaigners say faster action is still needed to get more people out on their bikes.
Anna said: “We need to see faster action from local councils on the things that have been proven to work: off-road routes like the Chisholm Trail, low-traffic street schemes like Carlyle Road and Nightingale Avenue and protected cycle infrastructure like the Histon Road/Gilbert Road junction.
“More cycling will help the city tackle big issues like air quality, inactivity and climate change so it’s time to get moving on the projects local people are calling for, including the Greenways network and second round of active travel trials.”
She added: “Government statistics show that half of the residents in Cambridge cycle at least once a month and 29 per cent cycle three times a week, easily the highest levels of cycling in the country (Bristol ranks 21st by these metrics).
“Camcycle is pleased that so many people feel able to cycle in Cambridge but we know there’s a lot more to do, both within the city and in surrounding areas. The Sustrans Bike Life report revealed that 15 per cent of residents in Greater Cambridge would like to start cycling and 47 per cent would like to cycle more.”
Mr Preston said: “Road safety is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan and I am committed to supporting the county’s Vision Zero Partnership.”
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