Thursday, 04 July 2019
The Greater Cambridge Partnership have started a public consultation on the next steps for the "Melbourn Greenway". This is the new name for the cycleway alongside the A10 between Cambridge and Royston, which has been slowly improved over recent years.
See the
Melbourn Greenway consultation page on the GCP website. Here's a
direct link to the consultation leaflet and a
direct link to the survey questionnaire. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 5th August 2019.
Thanks to active campaigning by the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign there are now shared-use cycle/pedestrian paths along much of the A10 between Cambridge and Royston. However nothing has happened so far at the southern end between Melbourn and Royston, and the sections further north, despite being largely complete, still need improvements in many places.
The A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign have prepared
an analysis of the proposals and we support their approach.
The most significant proposals in the current consultation are for a new
pedestrian and cycle bridge across the A505 dual carriageway just north of Royston, and various new sections of cycleway to connect the new bridge with Melbourn. For many people this will make it possible to cycle between Melbourn and Royston, which are only about three miles apart (twenty minutes by bike), for the first time in decades.
The consultation contains some welcome proposals for improvements at other places along the Cambridge-Royston route:
- A new narrow path on the west side at Foxton crossing. This will avoid the need for cyclists to to cross the A10 twice. However the narrow path is not ideal so we think the alternative route, which uses the foot crossing over the railway and Barrington Road, should be retained.
- A new route through the fields west of Harston to offer a more convenient route for "through cyclists" (such as those travelling between Trumpington, Foxton and places beyond). Since some cyclists will still need to ride through Harston we would also like to see improvements to the existing shared-use path along Harston High Street.
- Improvements to the existing shared-use path through Trumpington Meadows between Harston and Trumpington.
- A new path along the western side of Trumpington Park and Ride to provide a connection to Grantchester Road.
- An improved route though Trumpington Park and Ride to connect to the cycleway alongside the guided busway.
The GCP proposals make no mention of the existing shared-use path along the A10 between Hauxton and Trumpington. We get the impression that the GCP has simply given up on this section. We think this unfortunate, and that this existing path should be actively improved by widening it, resurfacing it, and providing better crossings at the M11 roundabout. We believe this is an important alternative route to the path through Trumpington Meadows. It is shorter, more direct, lit, and we believe many people will prefer to use it after dark.
CTC Cambridge will be making these points in its response to the consultation. But your own views are needed too. Please read the
consultation leaflet and complete the
online questionnaire by 5th August.