Children arriving on foot, by scooter and by cycle held up signs reading ‘tired of waiting for a safe Mill Road’ at a protest gathering in Cambridge. The mother of one of them said that some drivers shouted and swore at them and passed close by at speed, which left them shaking.
Anna Williams, head of campaigns and engagement for Camcycle, said the aim was “to share the perspective of those whose voices have seldom been heard in recent discussions around the new Traffic Regulation Order”.
Cambridgeshire County Council is proposing to install a bus gate on the bridge which would restrict the amount of through-traffic on the street.
The aims of the scheme are to reduce congestion and associated air and noise pollution, improve road safety and encourage walking, wheeling, and cycling.
Supporters argue that a reduction in traffic levels would also free up space for improvements to the public realm such as wider pavements, more cycle parking, short-stay delivery bays and new planting.
The council’s deadline for comments is midnight on Friday 13 September.
Ms Williams said the legal action which led to an 18-month delay since the approval of the last Traffic Regulation Order “means that the community has now been waiting over three years since the removal of the previous bus gate.
“The children posed for photos on both sides of the bridge but found it difficult to cross amid the constant traffic.
“One mother said she frequently experienced dangerous driving on Mill Road when cycling to and from school with her daughter”.
She added: “Some drivers shouted and swore at them and passed close by at speed, which left them shaking. The mother agreed with the children that something had to change.”
CAMCYCLE collected thoughts from some of the children who turned out on Sunday.
Martha, 10, said: “Mill Road scares me when it’s too busy. I want to see fewer cars and bigger pavements so that I feel safe to walk and cycle there.”
Marcella, 7, said: “The cars here are so fast and scary. They get really close to me and my mum. I would feel safe if only buses were allowed because they wait for you. If there was a bus gate there would also be more room for us”.
Lottie, 6, said: “Mill Road is really busy, and I don’t want to get run over when I go to school and the park. If there weren’t so many cars, I could cycle over the bridge.”
Sofia, 11, said: “I love cycling, and going to school would be easier if Mill Road were safer and I could easily cycle along it.”
Nilakshi, 6, said: “I like going to the pizza shop for pizza and ice cream, but I feel scared now. I want to feel safe going to that shop.”
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 (if you did, you’d probably get answers along the lines of ‘it’s too noisy to chat and a bit dangerous cycling down, so we go elsewhere’).
“I feel much more has to be done to understand the needs of young people when making decisions that will have an impact lasting decades.”
The young people on the bridge were joined by adult supporters from the local groups Mill Road For People and Cambridgeshire Parents for Sustainable Travel, and the cycling advocacy charity Camcycle.
Liz Walter of Mill Road For People said: “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.”
Ms Williams 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.”
Elisabeth Whitebread of Cambridgeshire Families for Sustainable Travel said: “During the period of the 2020-21 bus gate, the whole road became more welcoming, less polluted, safer for children and great for cafés and restaurants as chairs and tables were put out onto the pavements.
“With a new bus gate and properly designed street improvements we could experience a more pleasant Mill Road once again. The reduction in pollution would improve children’s health and a safer street would enable more families to cycle to school leading to less congestion for everyone.
“The benefits are huge – it’s time to say YES to them!”
Ms Williams said that Cambridgeshire County Council’s Statement of Reasons for the Mill Road bus gate scheme points out that the proposal supports national and local objectives to enable and encourage the increased use of active travel.
“The council has seven ambitions for Cambridgeshire which include giving children and young people the opportunity to thrive, making travel safer and more environmentally sustainable, and helping local people enjoy healthy, safe and independent lives,” she said.
“It’s time it began delivering on those promises on Mill Road and for other communities across the county.
More information about the Mill Road bridge Traffic Regulation Order, including ways to submit comments before the 13 September deadline, is available on the council’s website.
The relevant page can be accessed via the shortlink tinyurl.com/MillRdTRO.
FACT FILE
- Camcycle, a local charity with over 1,700 members, works for more, better, and safer cycling for all ages and abilities in Cambridgeshire. camcycle.org.uk
- Mill Road For People is a group of over 1,100 local residents and traders working together to get the best Mill Road for everyone. https://millroad4people.org/
- Cambridgeshire Parents for Sustainable Travel campaigns for cheaper, easier, faster, fairer, and greener travel for Cambridgeshire.
