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Newsletter 33 (December 2000/January 2001)

Contents:

• Along Coldham's Lane
• Party on
• December guest speaker
• What does CCC stand for?
• On the cards
• Spot the Cycle Lane number 4
• Waterbeach, a new settlement?
• A much improved speed policy
• City centre pedestrian zone review
• Trumpington Road progress?
• Cambridge Northern Fringe
• Fulbourn Tesco
• Cleaner air, fewer crashes
• Cutting cycle theft in Cambridge
• Regent Terrace update
• Cycle Parking update
• Cycle Friendly Employers
• AGM Report
• Cyclists Conference
• New cycle map - mixed feelings
• Letters
• Are narrow cycle lanes better than no cycle lanes at all?
• Letter from York
• Making life easier... (10) Saddle up?
• Brand new Hills Road cycle lanes dug up already
• Milton Cycle Scheme
• Your streets this month
• About the Campaign
• Elected Officers
• Contacting the Campaign
• Campaign Subgroups
• Other Organisations
• Campaign Diary

Along Coldham's Lane

A year ago, in Newsletter 27, we reported the consultation on the junction of Coldham's Lane with Cromwell Road. This junction, at the foot of the railway bridge, was to have traffic lights.

'This is how it should be done'

Well, the lights have now arrived, and they are much improved over the original proposals. Indeed I would go so far as to say 'this is how it should be done.'

The concern we had in the draft plans was that Coldham's Common is a route heavily used by cycles, but it had not been properly integrated into the signals. Instead, cycles would have been required to cross into Cromwell Road using nearby pedestrian lights, though they would probably have tried to cross straight over without being able to see how the lights were set.

Cyclists using Coldham's Common are treated as a fourth arm of a cross-roads when they reach Coldham's Lane

On Burrell's Walk where it meets Grange Road, another junction gives a cycle-only route the same status as the crossing road.

Now, however, the Coldham's Common path has been made the fourth arm of the junction. A second cattle grid has been installed alongside the existing one (which itself has been there less than a year) to provide proper two-way working. From the lights you can go in any of the three directions. In fact, these lights have their own turn in the sequence.

It is nearly as easy to come in the other direction along Cromwell Road, even though cycles and cars share the road space.

All three road approaches have forward stop lines with proper approach lanes to them (though if you want to turn right into Cromwell Road, I advise getting into the right hand traffic lane).

The Coldham's Common approach has a push button for cyclists but, because the cattle grid is fairly narrow, you are always close to it.

There is one unusual feature of the lights: there is a phase for larger vehicles to do a U-turn to get into the nearby industrial area. Unfortunately, this, and the significant weighting towards Coldham's Lane as a whole, means that a complete cycle of the lights is rather long. This will tempt left turning cyclists to ignore the lights. Turning right onto the common remains a somewhat tricky manoeuvre. The pedestrian crossing, which is now part of the overall junction signalling, may well be the easiest option for that.

Nevertheless the recognition of the cycle track as part of the junction is very welcome indeed. The Barton Road junction at Lammas Land was the first example of this in the city, though there it was more of a cycle crossing. The new lights on Coldham's Lane are really the first of their kind - though the signals at Lyndewode Road and Tenison Road have a similar arrangement where the fourth arm is for cycles only. This one works particularly well for cyclists, with no inconvenient push-buttons. Close behind are the new lights on the West Cambridge route from Adams Road into Burrell's Walk, where Grange Road is crossed. Again, the fourth arm of the junction is for cycle traffic only.

On Coldham's Lane, the big challenge that remains to be tackled is the railway bridge itself. Drivers frequently intimidate cyclists and overtake, despite the blind summit and double white lines, and as a result many cyclists avoid it.

David Earl

Party on

It's that time of year again.

For several years now we have had a Campaign Christmas party, a chance to see old faces, meet new ones and talk about things other than cycling! (Well, we do talk about cycling too.) It's a great way to meet other Campaign members and all are welcome. Bring a bottle.

Saturday 9 December 2000, from 8.30 p.m., at 8 Thirleby Close (between Histon Road and Carlton Way - phone for directions).

Richard Taylor 740989

December guest speaker

At our December Open Meeting, Bob Menzies will be our guest speaker. Mr Menzies is the County Council's Road Safety and Signals Manager. He has agreed to speak about his group's provision for cyclists within the Core Scheme, safety schemes and bus priority corridor schemes. The meeting is at the usual time and place: 7.30 p.m. for 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 5 December, at the Friends' Meeting House on Jesus Lane.

Clare Macrae

What does CCC stand for?

After the launch of 'the organisation formerly known as Cambridgeshire Transport Forum' a couple of years ago, local environment and transport campaigners found themselves repeatedly faced with a dilemma when reading internal communications: what does CCC stand for - Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council or Cambridge Cycling Campaign? Some bright spark quickly came up with a set of home-grown abbreviations that have been in frequent use on the Forum e-mail list ever since:

CCiC Cambridge City Council

CCoC Cambridgeshire County Council

CCyC Cambridge Cycling Campaign

We have striven to avoid revealing these in public, since they were unofficial, somewhat ugly, and anyway, we avoid abbreviations in publications such as the Newsletter whenever possible. However, we have received enough requests for alternatives to 'CCC' in recent months that it is probably time to offer these as suggestions for wider (informal) use. We are not going to start sprinkling them throughout our own publications - but we imagine that they might become a time-saver in local emails between Councils and others.

Clare Macrae

On the cards

The County Council has a complicated system for allocating its funds for improving the road environment. The 'accident remedial schemes' take into account casualty statistics, level of service, etc, to come up with a county-wide priority list. Most of the time this system means that Councillors can simply rubber-stamp the exercise, having already agreed the principles.

Only occasionally do individual schemes get tangled up in politics, such as the one to replace the double mini-roundabouts at Lensfield Road and Trumpington Road, a junction with a high cycling casualty rate, that was canned after the last County Council elections in 1997. That still has not come back for reconsideration, though some very welcome minor improvements were made this year.

Recently, Councillors considered the next tier down, medium sized schemes that are moving through the system, and new ones that have bubbled to the top of the list. Apart from speed cameras which do not yet have specific locations, but are - rightly - number one in the list, the following are of interest.

Mitcham's Corner

At long last Mitcham's Corner may get some attention

At long last this frightening confluence of traffic, described by the Council as a 'gyratory', may get some attention. At number two in the list, the junction has seen about one casualty a month, and half of these have involved cyclists or motorcyclists. The vague initial thought is 'signals', presumably involving the whole roundabout system.

I really think a more radical approach should be taken: replacing the gyratory system with cross roads would improve bus journeys and hugely simplify the system. The Council officer's report hints that maintaining traffic capacity will be a decisive factor in any proposal.

Clare mentioned a workshop on the future of this junction in the last newsletter. This had no official standing but it would be very desirable for this to be brought into the official process before options become too fixed.

At Quy, cyclists may get signals to cross to the tunnel under the A14, at a constantly busy location

Quy

At number three, the presence of a busy T junction at Quy so close to a major roundabout, together with cyclists crossing to use the tunnel under the A14 is a recipe for conflict. Signals here would include a cycle crossing, which will not only improve safety, but actually give cyclists a chance to get across what can be almost continuous traffic flow.

Queens Road and Newnham Road

Improved lighting should help reduce the unusually high number of collisions in the dark.

Cherry Hinton Road at Mowbray Road

Jim Chisholm has already attended a workshop on our behalf looking at changes to this medium sized roundabout, and we have now seen some early plans of what might be proposed. The money is already largely agreed for this.

The junction would remain a roundabout but the approaches would be made considerably more cycle friendly. In particular, the left-turn lane on Cherry Hinton Road heading out of town would be removed, and replaced with a pair of cycle lanes which position cyclists in the right place to go straight on as well as left. On the opposite side, a long cycle approach lane would get us past the traffic queues that are a feature throughout the day.

Before and after: Cherry Hinton Road could look like this some time in the next year

Key targets on road casualties

Cambridgeshire is one of twenty councils selected to try out a new system called public service agreements . This is mostly about the way funding is managed and is overly heavy on gobbledegook. However, the practical results seem to be

• There is more money to spend on particular 'black spots' and there will be a comprehensive survey.
• The Council is to find out more about skidding accidents. This is couched in terms of road skid-resistance, but would it really be a surprise to find that people skid because they are travelling too fast to stop in time?

Perhaps most important, especially in view of the speed policy agreed at the same time, the Council can recycle the money from speeding fines that currently goes to the Treasury, and spend it on enforcement. (Or in Council-speak: 'Permitting the hypothecation of speed camera fine revenue is an example of the removal of an inhibitor to allow the achievement of a stretch target.')

Excellent news all round, except for the English language.

David Earl

Spot the Cycle Lane number 4

Special route for slimmers seen at Trumpington Waitrose

Waterbeach, a new settlement?

The Cambridgeshire Structure Plan is coming up for review and many developers are putting forward proposals for inclusion. The campaign has received documents relating to one such proposal for a new settlement to the north of Waterbeach, on and around the site of the barracks.

This proposal includes 12,800 dwellings, and employment for 16,300 people. Between 2016 and 2030, phase two would add 8,200 dwellings. The first phase would cover 545 ha, of which 295 ha would be 'previously used land'. Currently, there are some 40,000 dwellings in 4000 ha for Cambridge City, and about 1,900 dwellings in Waterbeach.

The developers express the wish to promote Waterbeach as a walking and cycling community, with a 'wide-ranging network of footpaths and cycleways', and 'to cater for the needs of commuter cyclists in particular.'

The main transport proposal is for a 'high frequency rail shuttle service, an entirely new and dedicated rail franchise' between a relocated Waterbeach station and Addenbrooke's. I understand 'high frequency' to mean every 15 minutes, although it's not clear how developer's promises would become reality.

So far the proposals are high on aspiration and low on detail. The developers promise that the detail will be filled in as the structure plan review process progresses. Nothing is going to happen until the new structure plan is agreed, and Waterbeach barracks is still in active use!

The Regional Planning Guidance for East Anglia prefers development within, and on the periphery of, the built up area of Cambridge to a new settlement, so there is likely to be much discussion before this or any other new town proposal becomes reality.

Mike Richmond

A much improved speed policy

'South Cambridgeshire asked the County to 'explore new mechanisms for speed limit enforcement' and is writing to the Chief Constable asking for greater priority be given to enforcing speed limits. Well said, South Cambs!'

Nearly two years ago, the County Council adopted a policy on speed management. This was an interim policy pending the publication of the Government's speed review, which was issued this spring (see Newsletter 29). Recently, it has adopted its full speed policy.

We were scathing about the County's original speed policy. It was introduced with no consultation. It was full of things like how hard it was to lower speed limits and how motorists had to be able to get to places quickly. It said, in effect, that 20 mph speed limits wouldn't happen because they had to be supported by expensive street changes and there wasn't ever going to be enough money to do it.

We wrote a strongly worded letter to the Director of Transportation complaining about the policy's thoroughly reactionary attitude. We have not yet received a reply.

The new speed policy is much more temperate and positive. However, we cannot believe that the County Council has again passed such an important policy without its usual wide consultation. Why, when they are so good at asking us about every last detail of a set of traffic lights, is the County Council so insensitive about a general policy like this?

The Council appears to have talked to the police and to other county councils, but not to anyone else. Cambridge City supported making 20 mph areas and speed cameras easier to introduce. South Cambridgeshire made a very helpful request: it asked the County Council to 'explore new mechanisms for speed limit enforcement,' which was agreed by the committee. They also said they would write to the Chief Constable asking for greater priority be given to enforcing speed limits, pointing out the high cost of providing speed reduction measures. Well said, South Cambs!

The new policy, thankfully, takes as read that there are good safety grounds for reducing speeds, rather than trying to justify maintaining higher speeds (which was the 'undercurrent' we found so offensive previously). It says that there are three ways to make people slow down: persuasion (changing attitudes, and messages on the road such as lines and red paint); force (physical obstructions and other traffic calming), and fear (of getting caught).

Having said that persuasion in the form of 'gateway features, red strips across the road' and so on 'have little long term effect on speeds', it goes on to say that speed management should 'concentrate primarily on the persuasion element combined with an appropriate level of enforcement'. Then it says that the police don't believe enforcement is effective without a police officer present. The two things to concentrate on are immediately dismissed as ineffective. Hmm.

'Soft' persuasion to slow down: speed limit signs which flash when a car goes over 30 mph in Harston may now be tried in 20 mph areas. Though the County is not optimistic about their effectiveness, you can observe the dramatic effect they have on traffic through Harston.

So what has been adopted?

Firstly the County has agreed to go for 30 mph in all villages which want it, something that had been resisted until now. 'Soft' traffic calming would be introduced where needed. Most importantly, the policy supports the introduction of lower speed limits (especially 20 mph) in built-up areas in conjunction with:

• Safer Routes to School projects
• cycle route schemes
• accident reduction schemes
• jointly funded schemes
• environmental enhancement or urban regeneration schemes, in clearly defined zones.

However, the speed limits must be 'self enforcing', and that's going to be the biggest problem because it involves street redesign and therefore money. Speed limits can also be extended in between villages where they are very close together.

There is also a very welcome commitment to try experiments in new 20 mph areas with flashing speed limit signs that come on when someone drives too fast.

There is a recognition that some road safety schemes in rural areas may require lower speed limits. However, in common with the Government's paper, they have ducked the issue of speeding in country lanes, on the specious grounds that they don't know what a country lane is.

The much more positive attitude to 20 mph zones and reduced speeds in villages is a most welcome step forward. But the metaphorical shrugging of shoulders on enforcement, an attitude we repeatedly see from the police, needs to change. I hope we may be able to be involved in the promised 'exploration' of this. If the government's review of traffic law penalties ever happens, that may also help. An 'experiment' allowing speeding fines to be recycled into enforcement (see the article On the cards in this newsletter) may go a long way to improving the situation.

David Earl

City centre pedestrian zone review

The County Council has started a review of the pedestrian zone streets in Cambridge city centre. Three consultation meetings are planned. The first was held on November 7 and considered King's Parade. The remaining two are in the new year and will consider the triangle and St Andrew's Street areas.

These meetings are 'workshops': attitude and information gathering exercises by the County Council. They do not aim to decide anything, but they will feed into a process of formal proposals, if any, later on. However, our fear is, of course, that moves will be made by some of the people consulted to widen restrictions on cycling in the City Centre. As this was one of the factors motivating us to form a Cycling Campaign in the first place, we will vigorously oppose any such moves.

To reinforce this stance, the recent Campaign Annual General Meeting unanimously passed the following motion:

Cambridge Cycling Campaign reaffirms its opposition to the restrictions on cycling in Cambridge city.
The Campaign will resist attempts to extend bans and restrictions, especially in view of the lack of alternatives to St Andrew's Street and Trinity Street for northbound and southbound cyclists.
The Campaign will take any opportunities to have existing bans reduced, especially during the week, when pedestrian flows are light.

Despite identifying pedestrian-cyclist conflict as the one substantive issue to mention as an example in the letter inviting people to the consultation meetings, it works both ways. Saturdays are extremely busy in the City, and Sundays are also becoming crowded too: the second most popular shopping day. It would not be surprising if some Sunday cycling restrictions were eventually proposed. However, there is also the opportunity to lift some of the weekday bans when there really isn't a problem.

We were delighted to hear David Howarth, leader of Cambridge City Council, confirm, in his speech at our AGM, that the Liberal Democrats (who are now in control of the city) opposed the original ban and would not support further bans. Those of you who have been in Cambridge long enough will know that the inspector at the public inquiry into the city centre restrictions largely found against the cycle ban.

The meeting about King's Parade arose from the Council committee's decision that the scheme should be reviewed after it was completed (though actually, lighting still has to be finished). The meeting was pretty uncontroversial both from a cycling point of view and generally. In fact, two of the Council's originally stated aims were to maintain access for cyclists and to improve safety. As well as its attraction for tourists, King's Parade is arguably the most cycled street in Europe, and the cyclists arrive in 'pulses'.

Most people at the meeting agreed that the scheme was an improvement, and that many of the criticisms were minor. The main common point was that there was too much unnecessary traffic still in the street: drivers often entering, finding that they couldn't park and then having to turn round at the end and come back. Several of the working groups proposed better signing at Silver Street and the removal of the small number of remaining parking spaces south of Bene't Street.

The absence of cycle parking was also a widespread complaint (not just from the Cycling Campaign). Perhaps some of the removed car parking spaces could provide some cycle parking in the road near Ben Hayward's shop? It was also widely noted that the taxi rank was rarely used and that better use could be made of that space. There wasn't a consensus on quite how, though.

The other two consultation meetings could possibly be more contentious. There are so many competing uses of what is a very small city centre that it would be surprising if there weren't a heated debate. But the Councils have become much more willing to seek consensus, co-operate with each other, and listen to what people have to say in recent years.

David Earl

Trumpington Road progress?

Poor positioning of railings

The first stage of the works in Trumpington is still unfinished after three months, but consultations on the second stage have started.

The (s)nagging list for stage 1 contains unfinished advisory cycle lanes both northbound and southbound in Trumpington village, as well as misaligned manhole covers within the area of these cycle lanes. These lanes were marked on all the plans produced for public display. In addition, the poor positioning of railings between the pavement and the road at junctions and the arrangement of some street furniture makes life more difficult for cyclists, both on road and on shared-use paths. Perhaps more crucially for Council credibility, delayed supply of some components has, I believe, delayed 'linking' of all the lights in this area. This could lead to even worse congestion in the area. Local councillors have taken up issues of incomplete works (and the Campaign may also write a letter to the Council).

STOP PRESS: new cycle lanes laid as we go to press complete the length of Trumpington High Street

Following workshops involving local residents and interest groups, the stage 2 proposals are currently being drawn up by the County Council. These initial workshops indicated good support for 'sustainable' modes of transport. They are likely to include a much improved route for cyclists from Trumpington to the city, as well as bus lanes and improvements to primary schools routes in the area. A public exhibition of these proposals will be held in Trumpington Village Hall on 6 December.

Jim Chisholm

Cambridge Northern Fringe

More consultations

The area north of Kings Hedges Road and south of the A14 Cambridge northern bypass is known as the Northern Fringe. Part of this area was, in recent times, subject to a planning enquiry for an out-of-town retail park which was to be called Arbury Park. If the city centre Grand Arcade scheme had not been granted planning permission, an equally large out-of-town plan might also have been submitted for the area further east around the sewage works and Chesterton sidings.

Following rejection of plans for the Northern Fringe, and changes in Government policy, the councils are consulting with local people about options in this area. The total area between the northern bypass and existing developments is some 100 hectares. This is larger than the Grafton Centre, the 'historic' city centre and all land in between put together!

All the options being considered include a multi-modal interchange for trains, buses, cycles and cars (on part of Chesterton sidings), high-density housing, and some leisure facilities. Some options also include much more employment. Consequent traffic congestion means that 'improving' the A14 is mentioned, as are public transport options on the old St Ives rail line.

It's worth noting that you could build nearly 1,000 high density houses on an area of land equivalent to that needed to widen the A14 to three lanes along a 10 km length of the northern bypass (10 km x 10 m). If you offered these houses at reduced cost to those who currently drive long distances to work in Cambridge, as long as they cycled to work, perhaps no road widening would be needed.

The official closing date for these consultations is 1 December, so you should have already returned the form which came through the doors of many homes in mid November. The Campaign will submit a response suggesting much improved cycle facilities including the northern section of the Chisholm Trail.

Jim Chisholm

Fulbourn Tesco

The Cherry Hinton end of the new path is expected to emerge in place of these trees, which have grown to near maturity in the time it has taken to get to this stage, close to the level crossing on Yarrow Road

It has been a long time coming: the news that Tesco and the County Council have agreed funding for a link between Fulbourn and Tesco alongside the railway just missed our deadline for the last newsletter. This link can replace the railway crossing and the need to use the unsurfaced Fulbourn Old Drift. This should have happened three years ago, but there was a dispute about what had been agreed at the time the store was built, that has taken the lawyers until now to sort out.

Though the link will be useful, in many ways it has lost its window of opportunity. During the delay

• a cycle track has been built alongside the parallel Fulbourn Road,
• the hospital has all but closed and patient profile is quite different (which means the main objective, to make it harder for disturbed patients to get onto the railway line, is now much less needed)
• the Old Drift has been given a much better quality surface

However, access from Cherry Hinton and the city to a new business park being constructed in the hospital grounds will be greatly improved. It will also cut a fair amount off the journey to Tesco for Fulbourn residents. It will pass between Tesco car park and the railway to join Yarrow Road by the existing level crossing.

Construction will not be easy though - there is a steep bank alongside the railway where the path has to go, there are possibly some unmarked graves in the hospital grounds and, during the delay, trees have matured in the corridor reserved for the path. It will also have become more expensive, when even the earlier estimates doubted that a tarmac surface could be provided.

David Earl

Cleaner air, fewer crashes

'Less traffic and lower speeds really do make life safer and healthier - for everyone. The protesters have proved it'

As motorists panic, and oil companies double their profits, for a brief period there is less and slower traffic and it is reported that there are fewer crashes and cleaner air.

We cyclists might have felt pretty smug during the recent fuel panics - until food started disappearing from the shelves. The shortages showed just how dependent many people have become on their cars. Maybe as cyclists we are a bit more in touch with the air and the traffic around us, and more inclined to care about it. A lifestyle that seems pretty straightforward to us is just inconceivable to people whose only mode of transport is the car. I am sure that, like me, you know people who have never been on a bus or a train.

But, whilst being impressed by the effectiveness of the demonstrators, I was rather frightened by it. If this is what a small shortage does, what happens when oil really starts to run out? I think there will be world war, as well as climate change.

'Singin', just singin', in the rain'

It was scary how much people said they were prepared to sacrifice for the sake of slightly lower fuel prices. This is despite the fact that, even with recent increases, the overall cost of motoring has not increased in real terms since the 1970s fuel crisis, and is now 30% lower in relation to household incomes than it was in the 1960s. This year car prices have fallen by between 10 and 20 percent. In contrast, since 1974, public transport fares have consistently increased well above inflation - 87% for buses and 53% for rail in real terms.

For part of the crisis period, I was in the United States. While we imported the demonstrations from Europe, the U.S. has been quietly seething too. I lived in the U.S. in 1983-4, when 'gas' was between 90 cents and $1.10 a (U.S.) gallon - about 15p per litre. Until last year, it was still only a few cents more than that. Now it is fluctuating around $1.80 and in some places briefly topped $2.

While the price of petrol is much lower in the U.S. than here, relative increases have been much higher because they are directly exposed to the market price of oil. Maybe that is one reason so many people voted for Bush (as I write this, we do not know who has won the Presidency). Assuming Bush is confirmed, one almost inevitable consequence will be the destruction of northern Alaska and its wildlife to sustain the American lifestyle and make the U.S. less vulnerable to world oil markets.

Here are some interesting behind-the-scenes news snippets that have not made the headlines:

The price of petrol really does make a difference to how people drive, contrary to the protesters' propaganda. Government statistics show that a 10% rise in petrol prices results in a 7% reduction in consumption and 3% fewer miles travelled.

Oil companies have ruthlessly exploited the oil markets while all this has been going on. In November, BP boasted of 'record performance', announcing a near doubling of profits, and Shell increased its profits by about 80%.

How timely of the floods to highlight the link between climate change and fuel consumption! The media ignored this fact in the summer. They almost universally talked to hysterical motorists, and ignored the environmental lobby. We have had it fairly easy here - though several mornings I did have to cycle through six inches of water on my way to work.

But as cyclists, the most telling data came from Leeds and Lancashire. While cycle sales soared by 75%, air quality improved dramatically and roads became safer.

In Lancashire, fatal and serious road casualties fell by 58%, and all collisions by 45%, although traffic-reduction was only 15% in town centres and 23% in rural areas. The disproportionate reduction in crashes was attributed to people driving more slowly to conserve fuel.

In Leeds, there was a 21% reduction in crashes. Air quality improved by up to 40%. Councillor Elizabeth Minkin of Leeds City Council said, 'We are all pleased that the crisis didn't last any longer than it did. Nevertheless the week provided us with an invaluable opportunity to see what happens when fewer people use their cars. Many people successfully found ways to cope without their cars. The resulting improvements in air quality and the reduction in traffic accidents were very noticeable. For people who had to use cars, there was a significant decrease in congestion.'

Less traffic and lower speeds really do make life safer and healthier - for everyone. The protesters have proved it.

David Earl

Cutting cycle theft in Cambridge

'Parkside Police auction around 800 bicycles per year'

In September I started my new job as Cycle Theft Reduction Project Manager. This is a new post, based at Parkside Police Station, resulting from securing £167,000 in a recent round of Home Office Funding. This funding, called the Targeted Policing Initiative , arises from the Government's aim to be 'tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime'.

The winning bid was put together by members of the Community Safety Partnership which had important input from Cambridge Cycling Campaign via its Cycle Parking Subgroup. In fact, the bid that was put together came top out of all the bids across the country because of several factors: it identified a particular problem and proposed a solution, it tackled a high-volume crime, it had local community involvement and it set realistic targets for crime reduction.

A lot of research went into the bid. There is no shortage of data: over 3000 bicycles are reported stolen each year in Cambridge and it is thought that only around 33% of thefts in the city are reported. Crime statistics over the past three years identify several hot spots. Some of the worst are the Grafton Centre, Drummer Street, the Railway Station and Addenbrooke's Hospital. However, cycle theft occurs all over the city, and bikes are stolen whether they are locked to objects or not.

The Targeted Policing Initiative funding will support the Cycle Theft Reduction Project for two years, and the money will be spent on the following:

• Installing 100 new secure cycle parking spaces for the city.
• Developing a secure cycle parking area at Park Street car park (with space for 400 bikes).
• Developing and extending the University-wide cycle registration scheme.
• Researching cycle crime in Cambridge.
• Promoting responsible cycle ownership.
• Two police constables to target cycle thieves.

I started my new job by meeting all the parties involved, which meant walking all over the city meeting college porters and security managers, and visiting the various CCTV operations. At St John's College we ran a modified version of the bicycle-marking scheme for freshers. This involved taking digital photographs of their bicycles which we will email to them so that, in the event of their bicycle going missing, they will easily be able to give a description to the police.

At the moment, the focus is on setting up a trial of various cycle parking stands. The variety of possible stands is quite amazing, and even though we know that cyclists seem to prefer Sheffield stands, we shall be trying out some designs that look more appealing yet still offer security and stability for a parked bicycle. Most of the stands will be tested in public locations, such as outside the Guildhall. We are still taking suggestions for sites, and would particularly welcome suggestions for sites at places of employment.

A major part of the project will be developing a secure Cycle Park in the lower ground floor of Park Street car park. This area could potentially house 400 bicycles, but it is not yet clear how well it would be used. Access and ease of use will be crucial factors, and it must offer a distinctly greater level of security than can achieved by parking on the street. Before work starts, we will conduct a survey of people who would be likely to use the Cycle Park to get their views on what is needed. Key issues will be the type of stand, the need for lockers and how much they think is a reasonable charge (if any).

Tips for cycle security

Bicycles in Cambridge go missing for all sorts of reasons. Some are 'borrowed' at night to provide a ride home. Some are stolen during the day and sold within the city to fund a hard drug habit. They are stolen by gangs in vans and taken to London markets. Leave your good bike unlocked for a couple of minutes while you help someone bump-start their car and you might find a cheeky blighter has swapped it for their wreck.

Thieves know which are the weakest locks. Thin cable locks are among the worst. Cheap combination locks can sometimes be pulled apart simply by drunken brute force. Some padlocks spring open when hit with a hammer. D-locks can be car-jacked apart or, on the weaker models, the cylinder barrels can be broken. In general, the resistance of a lock to attack increases with the amount it costs. See http://www.soldsecure.com for recommendations.

In one incident in which a number of bicycles went missing from a college, the thieves left behind those that were registered. Of course, this may only indicate that owners who had bothered to register their bicycles were the most concerned about security and had locked their bicycle properly in the first place. Nevertheless, there does appear to be other evidence that a marked bike is more secure.

Parkside Police have to auction around 800 bicycles per year because bicycles can't be returned to their owners. I think that many of these are 'donated' to the city by students or visitors who simply leave them at the railway station on their last day here.

Rather than just providing more facilities, I think that getting people to improve the way they treat their bicycles will have the biggest effect on the crime figures. It is a similar relaxed attitude towards road traffic law which is partially responsible for giving cyclists such a tarnished reputation in Cambridge, despite the enormous economic and other benefits bicycles bring.

Being so involved with bicycles as a campaigning interest and as a job can be a bit much at times but, so far, I am enjoying the opportunity!

Simon Nuttall

Regent Terrace update

We are very pleased to tell you that the County and City Councils have agreed to change the parking times on Regent Terrace back to what they used to be. While superficially the changes were small, they extended parking in some areas into both rush hour periods. Councillors agreed with us that conditions for cyclists, at the start of Cambridge's premier cycle route, had deteriorated since the changes were made. So, parking restrictions once again include the peak hours.

After resurfacing, this is the second very welcome improvement on Regent Terrace in recent weeks.

However, these aren't the only problems on Regent Terrace. Parking along the whole street causes congestion, especially with delivery vehicles. Sometimes it isn't possible to get past at all. Illegal parking across the cycle track entrance near Gonville Place is still common, as we highlighted in the last newsletter.

We were also promised that the bollards that funnel pedestrians and cyclists into the same small space by the Pizza Hut would be removed, but this hasn't happened yet.

David Earl

Cycle Parking update

Regular users are so unhappy with the design of these cycle parking 'parasols' that they have organised a petition against them. They are at West Road's Divinity faculty.	If you don't like the parasols, there are plenty more of this type of rack on the other side of the Divinity building.

Enough places at proper Sheffield stands for the refurbished Sainsbury. It's a shame, though, that the new store entrance is much further away from the cycle parking than the old entrance was. It makes life harder for cyclists with limited mobility, small children or heavy shopping.

At this new retail development on Newmarket Road only 30 cycle parking places have been provided in a vast car park. Most of these spaces are also far from the entrances to the shops, but at least they are covered. City planning standards say nothing about locating cycle parking near shop entrances. Even if this omission can be remedied in the next review of the Cambridge Local Plan, many new shops may first be built with good cycle parking but too far from where it is needed.

The new Waitrose in Trumpington has two reasonably sized areas of racks, both under cover, and both within a short distance of the entrance. Well done, Waitrose!

Cycle Friendly Employers

Welcome to the first of the new regular Cycle Friendly Employers (CFE) column. Some of you may already know what we do, what we don't do, and some of you don't know anything about us at all. By way of an introduction, let me use this first opportunity to tell you what we're about. Over the coming months, I will keep you updated with what's going on in the various CFE projects currently running.

CFE exists to encourage and support cycling to, from and for work. I'm sure there isn't any need to go into the 'why's' of the benefits of cycling but, just in case... the main benefits we emphasise are to people's health, the environment, and to a decrease in traffic, which all lead to a far healthier and a more attractive city. We operate as a network of employers in Cambridge who have introduced cycle friendly schemes.

We approach employers in addition to them approaching us. We encourage them to join our scheme and help them write a Company Cycle Plan or Green Travel Plan which they can use to explain to their employees why they want to reduce car-use, how they plan to do it and when. Ways to encourage people to cycle can be as simple as providing good cycle parking or a cycle mileage allowance, through to providing interest-free loans for cycle purchase and a pool of bikes. The scale is very broad. Interestingly enough, the cycle mileage allowance went up from 12p to 20p in the Government's pre-budget statement on Wednesday 8 November. Once on-board, we encourage companies to stay in touch and invite them to Network Support Meetings. All support and advice is free.

CFE was set up in 1996 and was initially supported by the Activity and Health Forum, Cambridge City Council, Cambridge Cycling Campaign, Cambridgeshire County Council and the University of Cambridge. It is still supported by the above organisations but now also includes South Cambridgeshire District Council, Addenbrooke's NHS Trust and the Government Office for the East of England. They offer support in monetary terms and advice through a Steering Committee.

In the next issue of this newsletter, I will tell you about the projects currently running and what we hope to achieve in the future. The current Cycle Friendly Employers are listed below, so you know who we've recruited so far. If you know of any companies who you think would or could be interested, you know who to contact! In the meantime, if you would like to talk about any of the above, don't hesitate to contact me (01223) 712455 or sarah@cfe.org.uk. Many thanks.

Sarah Goretzki

ARM
Institute of Astronomy
Addenbrooke's NHS Trust
Cambridge University Press
Domino UK
Netherhall School
XAAR Technology
Brady plc
Estates Management and Building Services, University of Cambridge
Cambridge City Council
University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate
Lanterpacht Research Centre for International Law
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
Department of Physics, University of Cambridge
Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge
Anglia Polytechnic University
Cambridge Consultants
Woodhead Publishing
Scientific Generics
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Cambridgeshire County Council
South Cambridgeshire District Council

AGM Report

Clare Macrae, Co-ordinator 501050 (home) 336024 (work)	David Earl, Membership Secretary and Liaison Officer 690718
Simon Nuttall, Treasurer 500902	Mark Irving, Newsletter Editor 882378
Paul Tonks, Stall Officer 313237	Martyn Smith 882710
Jim Chisholm 841954	Richard Taylor 740989
Lisa Woodburn 245566	Wookey 504881

The fifth Cambridge Cycling Campaign AGM took place on 7 November 2000, and was well attended. Our guest speaker, David Howarth, the Leader of Cambridge City Council, spoke succinctly for 20 minutes on topics including:

• the recent inclusion of environmental sustainability in the City Council's corporate objectives
• the importance of ordinary roads for cycling
• quality of provision being more important than quantity
• the need to reduce speed and volume of motor traffic to improve conditions for cyclists
• the importance of bus services in reducing motor traffic volumes

Campaign members asked questions on a variety of subjects, such as:

• the continued disastrous installations of buildouts and width restrictions, such as recently on Queen's Road
• the poor level of local traffic law enforcement (Why can't the CCTV cameras be used to help enforce car parking restrictions?)
• whether Cambridge might ever get a pedicab (trishaw) service again
• the poor design on many traffic calming installations

Interestingly, John Richards (the County Council's Cycling Officer), was sent along to observe this first part of the proceedings.

Elected officers

Four new posts were created, to increase the number of 'Officers Without Portfolio' to five. This will give us greater continuity as people come and go from the committee, and will broaden the range of experience we can turn to. Unfortunately, the Press Officer post remains vacant. We hope that the increase in committee strength will give us more time to publicise the work that we do and issues that are raised.

The meeting expressed heart-felt thanks to Nigel Deakin, who became our first 'Officer Without Portfolio' in 1997, and to Sarah Elsegood who has run the stall very ably since 1998. Both will be sorely missed, and we wish them each well in their new roles.

Clare Macrae

Cyclists Conference

Despite the rain and the trains I battled my way to Manchester on Guy Fawkes weekend for the most recent national cycling campaigning conference, hosted by the Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign and Cycling Project for the North West.

One of AVD's pedicabs on display in Manchester Town Hall

With a strange irony, the old Atomic Energy Authority has metamorphosed into a consultancy business. It has now won a Government contract to beef up the profile of the National Cycling Strategy and its accompanying National Cycle Forum. Marcus Jones from AEA Technology discussed this two-year project and how it relates to the Strategy.

The main target of the campaign is the infrastructure providers, rather than the general public. The aim is to persuade these people, local authorities, health authorities, developers, and so on, that doing more for cycling is in their interest, and that they should do it well (as there are lots of useless schemes out there). A first fruit of the project is the NCS website at http://www.nationalcyclingstrategy.org.uk, and a news group. There will be a series of regional seminars starting soon. The organisation plans an 'image bank' - resources for people like us to help cycling promotion.

The fuel crisis was a hot topic at the Conference and I've written a separate article about that. More prosaically, we were told that the Government had backed away from its promise to consult on traffic law penalties so some lobbying is needed. We will be writing a letter. Talking of penalties, you will remember that fixed penalties were brought in for some cycling offences in the summer. So far 600 tickets have been issued nationally: Suffolk tops the guilty league!

Cambridge did rather well in previous National Cycling Awards. This year it was Nottingham's turn, they took two first prizes. One was for their Hospital's green transport initiatives and the other for Nottingham Pedal's cycle guide. The Devon Bike Bus and CTC Cymru had honourable mentions.

However, the engineering award was not made this year, pending further consideration of the nominated schemes. One of these was presented at some length in the afternoon. It has some relevance to us, as it was a method of taming and negotiating a very large roundabout. It had some similarities with Chesterton Road (see Newsletter 30), and it also, perhaps, offers some lessons for Mitcham's Corner.

Another subject dear to our hearts was looked at in a national context. Road narrowings and pinch points are causing cyclists across the country immense problems. We are already working on this issue locally, as are other groups. Some interaction on the subject is likely.

The trials and tribulations of converting railway lines to cycle tracks was another afternoon topic. A very impressive route has been established in eastern Manchester as part of Sustrans' trans-Pennine route, but south of the City, campaigners are struggling against Sainsbury's insatiable appetite for supermarkets.

Bob Dixon from the Altrincham based company AVD (http://www.a-v-d.com) brought a beautiful yellow pedicab for us to look at. He explained how 95% of his company's human-powered taxis are exported. We know from experience in Cambridge that local authorities are extremely hostile to the introduction of pedicabs - Stratford upon Avon balked at the idea as well. Only in Soho are they operating effectively in Britain. Contrast this with Bob's experience in Italy, where the mayor of Turin flew some cabs and people to Turin and welcomed them onto the streets as ideal for local transport and job creation. What a reflection on this country!

David Earl

New cycle map - mixed feelings

'Do you think including poor-quality cycle routes makes the map better - or worse?'

This autumn sees the publication of the second edition of the Cambridge Cycle Route map published by Cambridgeshire County Council. As with the first edition, most of the cycle route information, and most of the text on the back, was provided by Cambridge Cycling Campaign, and we're proud that the County Council has continued to work with us as a partner in this new edition.

Perhaps the most noticeable change in the new edition is that it does not contain any advertisements - apart from one for Cambridge Cycling Campaign. This has made it possible to include information about cycle training and some suggestions for country cycle rides that we did not have space to include in the first edition.

The cycle route map itself is essentially the same as the previous edition, but with a number of small corrections. Perhaps the most significant change is that the shared-use pavements on Madingley Road and Long Road are now shown as 'suggested cycle routes'.

Long Road shared-use pavement. We don't suggest this route, but the County Council does

Some poor routes added

When the map subgroup compiled the map for the first edition, we deliberately omitted the majority (but not all) shared-use pavement 'routes' from the cycle map because we did not think they were of good enough quality to warrant recommending as a cycle route. We were worried, for example, that showing Madingley Road as a cycle route would be very misleading to cyclists. There are no special cycle facilities on Madingley Road. All the council has done is make it legal to ride on the pavement. The resulting cycle 'route' is one of the poorest shared-use paths in the city: narrow, overgrown, blocked by parked cars, and of course with absolutely no provision to help cyclists cross side roads.

In the second edition of the map the County Council has chosen to show Madingley Road and Long Road as being 'suggested' cycle routes. We asked the council to omit them, but they disagreed. The council felt that they were not too bad, and that cyclists should be given a 'choice'.

A large number of other shared-use pavements continue to be omitted. The County Council appears to accept our general point that some routes are so bad that they should not be shown.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign is proud of the new cycle map and especially of the fact that most of the cycle routes shown were contributed by campaign members. However we are disappointed that it now contains a small number of cycle routes that we cannot recommend you use. It is your choice, but we hope cyclists don't see them on their map and unwittingly include them in their route when they would have preferred the alternatives.

What do you think? Do you think that including poor-quality cycle routes such as these makes the map better - or worse? Let us know.

20,000 copies of the new map have been printed. Thousands of copies have been distributed directly to students, to libraries and tourist information centres. For a copy of the map - which is free - call Cambridgeshire County Council (01223) 717385.

Nigel Deakin

Letters

Hazards and safety

With reference to Ms Tokens' letter in Newsletter 32, I contest most of her observations as lacking experience of current UK highway culture. From these misguided 'observations' I recommend some enlightenment:

1 Read, learn, and implement the latest version of the Highway Code.

2 Consider the real hazards on the road, and the real causes.

3 Target the guilty (road planners) not the innocent (cyclists fleeing intimidating motorists and road layouts).

4 Consider the majority of cyclists. For every 'Lycra lout' you find, there will be at least ten mothers with children struggling through hazardous, piecemeal cycle-transport implementation.

5 Surely, even the worst of cyclists is better than having another motor vehicle on the road?

6 Just because there are a few rotten apples, don't chuck out the whole barrel.

I reckon, in all probability, like most UK motorists, Ms Tokens doesn't notice the 'good' cyclist at all.

Matt Polaine

Milton Tesco parking

Tesco at Milton does have cycle stands now but only enough space for six bikes and it's quite a squeeze, as it is a 'comb-style' cycle rack, very close to the front wall of the store. Often people have to leave the bikes chained to the signs and other street furniture.

I frequently stop at Tesco to pick up some shopping, on my bike as it is between my work and my house. I think it's quite hazardous for cyclists. The roundabout before the main access road to Tesco does not have any signs to indicate that a cycle route is on the other side and it's badly lit. Most of all, I have noticed that the roundabout forms a 'cross-roads': Milton High Street is on the left and right hand sides, the entry road (a cul-de-sac) to an industrial estate and Milton Country Park is at the 'top' and the 'bottom' is Tesco. The cycle route from the A14 interchange into Milton crosses the entrance into the industrial estate but to get access into Tesco or to The Rowans housing estate, you need to use that roundabout.

Most drivers treat the roundabout as a T-junction and do not allow for vehicles coming out of the industrial estate or cyclists who have to leave the cycle route to get to Tesco, or to enter the village on the correct side of the road. In many cases they are simply not looking, and frequently they fail to indicate, making it even harder for a cyclist to negotiate the roundabout.

The reason I feel so strongly is that I have had two 'incidents' there last winter and although neither I nor my bike was hurt, I did feel quite shaken. I know that other friends in the village have also been struck or carved up. Incidentally, when I went to the exhibition for the new Milton cycle bridge I saw a map detailing road traffic accidents in the area involving cyclists. There have been five accidents at that roundabout in recent years and none at the A14 interchange following the route of the proposed bridge. So, as far as I can see, neither the proposed cycle bridge, nor the current traffic calming measures in Milton will resolve any of the problems at the site where accidents are most likely to happen.

Incidentally, my colleague who catches the bus from Waterbeach has precisely the same problem getting into Tesco on foot, as the bus drops her on the far side of an increasingly busy road.

Barbara Smith

Horrid railings in underpass

I'd like to follow up Colin Stewart's letter about safer routes in Newsletter 32. I agree with him almost entirely on his alternative route except for using the underpasses at the Elizabeth Way-Newmarket Road roundabout. I loathe these because the horrid metal railings force either a dismount or a precarious wobble through two 90-degree bends at each entrance or exit from the underpass. In addition the ramps often have broken glass scattered on them. There is no way I would go through the underpass late at night, having to dismount twice in a less than savoury area.

With a bit of practice I've got used to just using the lane system and cycling around the roundabout with the cars. Changing into the straight-on and right turn lane on Elizabeth Way bridge can be a bit hairy occasionally but a bit of care and patience accomplishes it every time. Does the Campaign know what the justification is for the railings in the underpass, as they are the single big deterrent for me using the cycle facilities at this roundabout?

Rachel Coleman

Are narrow cycle lanes better than no cycle lanes at all?

The presence of an extraordinarily narrow cycle lane on Shelford Road raised some strong and opposing feelings about its usefulness and safety recently. So we asked the question, are narrow cycle lanes better than no cycle lanes at all? What do you think?

Yes

says Jim Chisholm, who wonders, are we pragmatists or zealots?

I've been cycling into Cambridge for some 15 years. Most of these journeys are in 'the peak', typically arriving in the city centre at 8.45 am and departing at 5.30 pm. Unlike some, I support the use of 'substandard' width cycle lanes, and I hope the reasons I set out below will convince many that the use of such narrow lanes is justified by the advantages they give.

A significant part of my normal commuting trip is alongside stationary or slow moving traffic. In such situations some motorists consider 'undertaking' by cyclists unreasonable (we don't pay any road tax, do we?) and will deliberately move close to the kerb. A more typical response is to remain central in the lane with cars leaving less than a metre, and lorries less than 700 mm between themselves and the kerb. There is some doubt about the legality of 'undertaking' in such conditions, although paragraph 139 of the Highway Code states

'stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are you may pass on the left'.

In such congested conditions cars often turn left, or worse still turn right through the queue without checking for the presence of cyclists.

In these conditions, the existence of a cycle lane gives a clear right for cyclists to proceed at a speed greater than that of stationary traffic, a clear indication that cyclists will exist, and a clear obligation on motorists to observe the rights of users of this cycle lane.

There is no question that when the space and conditions exist a full width mandatory lane is the best solution. If there is insufficient width, or a need to allow some vehicle to stop, what do we do? I maintain that under these conditions, lanes of less than the recommended minimum of 1.2 metres serve a useful purpose. In areas where existing traffic lanes are around 4 metres, a 1 metre cycle lane is likely to provide a 'car free space' of around 1.5 metres with a car central in its lane. Advisory lanes may have to be used when motor vehicles occasionally need to enter these lanes.

There are other locations where cyclists feel vulnerable and resort to illegal pavement cycling. Once again, narrow lanes would help them. These should only be used where the provision of 1.2 m wide lanes would reduce the remaining lane to significantly under 3 m and traffic speeds are restricted. If the provision gives greater confidence to less experienced cyclists and allows an otherwise discontinuous route to be 'joined up,' its provision should have significant 'net' benefits to the community.

I try to take a pragmatic view over cycling provision: we should aim to achieve high standards, but there will be occasions when routes cannot be 'joined up' without vast expense unless we compromise. I have used the Cambridge Road bridge in Shelford that Myra mentions for about 5,000 trips, i.e. every day in the ten years since the lane existed, and this is one place where I have never had a serious conflict.

No

says Myra VanInwegen, who argues that narrow cycle lanes encourage unwarranted complacency.

Many cyclists think that bike lanes are wonderful. They give you your own space on the road and allow you to bypass queues of traffic during the rush hour.

However, there are plenty of drawbacks. One of the worst situations occurs when the cycle lanes are too narrow. The bike lane painted on the bridge over the old railway line heading into Great Shelford is a prime example. The white line here is just over two feet from the kerb, and the 'car lane' also is quite narrow. In addition, visibility is very limited by the hump of the bridge.

It is simply not safe for a driver to overtake a cyclist without crossing the white line in the middle of the road, but the presence of the cycle lane encourages just such behaviour. It encourages cyclists to ride far closer to the kerb than they should. If you cycle in the middle of the lane, it would only take a rock or gust of wind to drive you into the kerb and off your bike. It encourages drivers who see a cyclist hugging the kerb to overtake while remaining in their lane, leaving an excessively narrow gap.

I ride outside the cycle lane whenever I go over that bridge. Motorists may get annoyed, but they do wait behind me until they can see over the brow of the bridge, and then, if it is safe, they cross the line to overtake me.

The presence of the cycle lane there does absolutely no good; it does only harm. If a cyclist rides within the lane she is encouraging drivers to perform unsafe overtaking manoeuvres; if she rides outside the lane she risks irritating motorists by ignoring a 'cycle facility' put there at taxpayers' expense.

This cycle lane should be removed immediately.

Jim says that narrow cycle lanes can help cyclists bypass queued cars. This is true. This is, in my opinion, the main benefit of cycle lanes in general. Note that this is a benefit for convenience, not safety. However, the cycle lane that sparked this discussion is well out of town, and there will almost never be queues of cars here. Thus there is no convenience benefit, only increased risk.

Jim also says that narrow lanes help to reduce illegal pavement cycling. These cyclists tend to be the least skilled of all and are far more likely to be caught out by the hazards of cycle lanes. The main danger is getting caught by left-turning cars: an inexperienced cyclist feeling safe and protected will fail to look out for cars, or more dangerously, lorries, signalling left. A narrower cycle lane exacerbates the problem. A wide cycle lane moves the cars well away from the kerb, and this reminds drivers to look out for cyclists. Where there is a narrow cycle lane they are driving at their normal distance from the kerb, so may forget its existence.

Another common danger is that of passengers thoughtlessly opening doors. Narrow cycle lanes make this more likely to result in injury to the cyclists. Again, the narrower the cycle lane, the easier it is for people in the car to forget about them. In addition an open car door is more likely to block the entire path, leaving an approaching cyclist no space. Beginners are particularly vulnerable.

Thus the provision of a cycle lane, especially a narrow one, will have a more negative impact on an inexperienced user than an experienced one.

Letter from York

Having spent the last five years in Cambridge, moving to York this summer has brought a few changes to my travelling habits - new routes, new topography, a new cycling campaign, not to mention a new car! Probably the most difficult of these to get used to has been the hill. People in York claim that the reason so many cycle here is that it is a flat city. This isn't quite true compared to Cambridge, and my route to work has what must be the steepest hill within the city boundaries: a climb about twice as steep as Castle Hill onto the University campus. As my department is right at the bottom on the other side, I have to repeat the climb on the way home. But my legs are gradually getting used to the change.

York's cycle facilities were studied by Cambridge Cycling Campaign members on a fact finding mission here a couple of years ago (see Newsletter 21, December 1998). The first thing that struck me as different when I arrived was the cycle lanes being green rather than Cambridge's red. My impression so far is that there isn't the same concentration of cyclists as Cambridge. Nevertheless, there are still a lot, especially in the city centre and during rush hour. Cycle lanes are quite plentiful, as are cycle racks, and advanced stop lines were apparently invented here. But things aren't perfect . On one part of my daily route, I use some cycle lanes which are very narrow, have a broken rather than a solid line, and which traverse kerbsides that seem to accumulate more than their fair share of puddles, even before the floods hit us. So top marks to the planners here for combining three problems in one!

One of the most interesting bits of cycle infrastructure I have ever seen is a set of experimental cycle lanes on a roundabout just near where I live. Dotted lanes guide the cyclist right around the roundabout, with separate lanes feeding you off to the left or straight ahead—a bit like the lanes on a motorway roundabout. I find myself torn between thinking it may help less confident cyclists stand their ground, and worrying that motorists might now expect us to stay within the boundaries of the lane. One could imagine a legal test case if a cyclist were hit on the roundabout.

I have, of course, joined York Cycle Campaign, and realise just how privileged Cambridge is to have so many cyclists keen to be active campaigners. York's campaign membership can be counted in tens rather than hundreds, and consequently has a much less visible profile and less varied activities than Cambridge. That said, the current incarnation of the campaign was launched at the instigation of the City Council's Cycling Officer, which means that its voice is listened to seriously by the planners. I have always appreciated the way that Cambridge Cycling Campaign provides the opportunity to keep involved without attending meetings. (I lost my tolerance for meetings through belonging to too many campaigns a few years ago.) In Cambridge, you can deliver newsletters or staff the stall without setting foot in the Friends' Meeting House. That said, while the York campaign remains so much smaller, a monthly meeting with half a dozen others in a quiet pub back room isn't such a bad experience.

Paul Rosen

Making life easier... (10) Saddle up?

Correct saddle height is the most important adjustment you can make to your bike. Many cyclists don't realise their saddle is too low. This short article points out the signs of poor saddle height adjustment and tell you how to work out your ideal saddle height.

Your leg should have a slight bend when you pedal with the ball of the foot

Signs of a low saddle

Can you quite easily touch the ground without getting off the saddle when you stop at junctions? Is pedalling hard work? Do the backs of your legs ache after you've been riding? Do you pedal with your heel or instep? If you can answer 'yes' to any of the these questions, your saddle probably needs raising. It's quite a common problem: children learn to ride with lowered saddles and sometimes saddles aren't raised as frequently as they should be. Being able to touch the ground while seated can then become second nature.

The right height

The simple fact is that pedalling is most efficient (and most comfortable) when the pedal is under the BALL of the foot (that's about 1/3 of the way back from your toes), and not the heel or the instep. This means that your legs are almost - but not completely - fully extended at the bottom of each stroke, ensuring that leg muscles are fully used without being over-stretched. This also lets you use your ankles too. All this means that, when you come to a halt, you need to slip forward off the saddle to get your feet on the ground. Simply hop up onto the saddle as you push off!

Where the pedal should be for efficient pedalling!	The pedal shouldn't be under the instep	The pedal shouldn't be under the heel

A correctly adjusted saddle lets you completely straighten your leg while your HEEL is on the pedal (when the pedal is furthest away from the saddle). Incidentally, having your saddle at this height naturally deters you from pedalling with your heels or insteps on the pedals. In the 60s, researchers at Loughborough found that optimal saddle height (from top of saddle to top of pedal in its furthest position) was 109% of a cyclist's inside-leg measurement. Use both of these guidelines to work out your ideal saddle height.

Correct saddle height test: make sure that you can completely straighten your leg with the heel on the pedal

Adjusting saddle height

If you need to radically change your saddle height, make the adjustments gradually so that your body has time to adapt! To move the saddle, start by loosening the seat post, which is secured with either a binder-bolt or with a quick-release clamp. Then, while you twist the saddle to and fro, move it to the correct height, partially re-tighten and re-check the height. Make sure that the nose of saddle ends up pointing exactly to the front. If you find your seat post very difficult to turn, try letting some lubricant spray (like WD-40) penetrate between the seat post and the frame tube, then try again.

When you are satisfied with your saddle height, tighten the binder-bolt or quick-release clamp tight enough that the saddle cannot be twisted by hand. With a quick-release system, start with the lever 'open' (perpendicular to the frame), tighten the clamp nut finger tight then close the lever in towards the frame. If you can still twist the saddle in the closed position, you need to tighten the clamp nut even more.

If you can see this safety mark, your saddle is extended too far	Quick release seat clamp-bolt
Hexagonal (Allen) seat clamp-bolt	Traditional seat clamp-bolt

If you cannot get your saddle high enough without the seat post safety-limit mark becoming visible, you need a longer seat post. Lightly smearing a seat post with grease before fitting into the frame helps prevent it 'freezing' into one position.

Now, time to try out your new saddle height. It usually feels a bit strange at first but persevere: you'll soon notice how much easier riding has become!

Brand new Hills Road cycle lanes dug up already

What a shame that only weeks after Cambridgeshire County Council spent many thousands on resurfacing Hills Road's cycle lanes, Cable and Wireless have dug up three stretches of it again

Milton Cycle Scheme

Southern end of scheme looking north from Tesco's roundabout

Pinch point with raised pavement at northern end of scheme. Off road shared use path heads south into Milton; on road path heads north. The on road path is meant to by pass the pinch point via the pavement in the foreground, but for some reason they've not narrowed the road so you can continue on the road - so why did they put the pavement in?	Off road shared use path into Milton from the north

Traffic calming north of Dillons. (The sign says 'humps, 20 yards'. It lies.) Because the designers could find no sensible way of taking the cycle paths past Dillons they put in this traffic calming to the north and a zebra crossing on a raised pavement to the south. There have already had complaints about the noise from trucks going over the raised cushions here and there are claims that it's dangerous for motorcyclists

Off road shared use path crosses Coles Road on raised pavement

Your streets this month

Please help us by sending comments to the person named at the end of each item, as well as to us.

Good News

U-turn in Regent Terrace: Cambridgeshire County Council has decided to reintroduce a ban on peak-hour parking in Regent Terrace, the narrow road without a pavement that runs along the side of Parker's Piece. This reverses the decision that was made earlier this year to allow peak-hour parking. See article in this issue. Comments to Richard Preston.

The new layout at the Coldham's Lane-Cromwell Road junction includes traffic signals, cycle lanes, advanced stop lines, and a double set of cattle grids at the entrance to Coldham's Common. See article in this issue. Comments to Bob Menzies

News

Grange Road

Construction of a major traffic-calming scheme in Grange Road continues. See feature in Newsletter 32. Although the scheme has not yet been completed, we have already received several complaints about the extreme narrowness of the cycle lanes. Comments to John Isherwood.

Consultation on a bus priority scheme for Trumpington Road is beginning. The most likely proposal is a southbound bus lane between Brooklands Avenue and Long Road. Comments to Richard Preston.

The cycle crossing on Fen Causeway has been temporarily removed because of bridge repair work. A new pelican crossing has been constructed west of the bridge and cyclists are expected to wheel their bikes along a short length of pavement on the northern side of the road. There is a new section of cycle path on Lammas Land. Works are expected to continue until February 2001, when the original crossing will be reinstated. Comments to Gareth Guest.

Not so Good News

The newly completed road layout in Trumpington High Street has brought mixed reactions from cyclists and local councillors. The removal of the right-turn lane has made it more difficult for cyclists to turn right into Church Lane, and a new pinch point immediately north of the Shelford Road junction is an extra hazard.

Addresses for comments

Richard Preston, Team Leader (Cambridge Projects), Mailbox ET1018, Environment and Transport, Cambridgeshire County Council, Castle Court, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP

Bob Menzies, Group Manager for Safety and Signals, Environment and Transport, Cambridgeshire County Council, Castle Court, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP

Gareth Guest, Bridges Maintenance Engineer , Environment and Transport, Cambridgeshire County Council, Castle Court, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP

John Isherwood, Senior Engineer, Cambridge City Council, The Guildhall, Cambridge CB2 3QJ

About the Campaign

If you like what you see in this newsletter, you can add your voice to those of our other 650 members, and join the Campaign.

Membership costs are low: £7.50 individual, £3.50 unwaged, £12 household. For this, you get six newsletters a year, discounts at a large number of bike shops, and optional third-party liability insurance. Please get in touch if you want to hear more.

Cambridge Cycling Campaign was set up in 1995 to voice the concerns of cyclists. We are not a cycling club but an organisation lobbying and campaigning for the rights of cyclists, and promoting cycling in and around Cambridge.

Our regular stall on Saturdays outside the Guildhall is the public face of the campaign; volunteers are always welcome to help. And don't forget our meetings, open to all, on the first Tuesday of each month, 7.30 for 8.00 pm at the Friends' Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge.

Elected Officers

Co-ordinator - Clare Macrae
h 501050 w 336024

Treasurer - Simon Nuttall 500902

Membership Secretary
Liaison Officer - David Earl 690718

Stall Officer - Paul Tonks

Newsletter Editor - Mark Irving 882378

Officers Without Portfolio - Jim Chisholm, Martyn Smith, Richard Taylor, Lisa Woodburn and Wookey

Press Officer - post vacant

Contacting the Campaign

Grant aided by

Cambridge Cycling Campaign
PO Box 204
Cambridge CB4 3FN

Telephone David Earl 690718

Fax 0870 063 3150

http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/camcycle

E-mail contact@camcycle.org.uk

Campaign Subgroups

Telephone number - area code (01223) if omitted fax e-mail address

Chisholm Trail - Promoting a major new cycle route across Cambridge. Jim Chisholm 841954
Jim.Chisholm@ucs.cam.ac.uk

Cycle Enumeration - Analysing cycle journeys in Cambridge. David Earl 690718 david@frankieandshadow.com

Cycle Parking - Working to improve cycle parking provision throughout Cambridge. Oliver Merrington 354600
ojm21@cam.ac.uk

Hills Road Corridor - Studying the route to Addenbrooke's. David Earl 690718 david@frankieandshadow.com

Maps - Maintaining our map for Cambridge cyclists. Nigel Deakin 311073 npd@dial.pipex.com

Millennium Festival of Cycling - planning events for June. Simon Nuttall 500902 simon.nuttall@bigfoot.com

Newsletter - Co-ordinating this, the Campaign's newsletter. Editor, Mark Irving 882378
irving@home.cam.net.uk

Safety on the Road - To look at the many issues affecting cyclists' safety. This new group needs a co-ordinator.

Science Park Access - Contact Clare 336024
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk

Trailer Loan Scheme - Contact Clare 336024
macrae@ccdc.cam.ac.uk

West Cambridge - to respond to Cambridge University's development plans. Contact Richard Taylor 740989
rmt23@eng.cam.ac.uk

Other Organisations

Telephone number (01223) if omitted fax e-mail address

Addenbrooke's Bicycle User Group
Colin Carr, 216726 216862 cc232@hermes.cam.ac.uk

Cambridge City Council 457000
(Direct line for reporting potholes, trenches and similar problems in Cambridge 458260)

Cambridge Area Bus Users' Campaign (CamBUC)
c/o Cambridge Friends of the Earth, 1a Felton Street, Cambridge CB1 2EE
527028 or 245533 527028 cambuc@bigfoot.com

Cambridge Friends of the Earth
1a Felton Street Cambridge, CB1 2EE
517509 camfoe@telinco.co.uk
http://www.telinco.co.uk/camfoe/

Cambridgeshire County Council 717111
(Road Safety 717385; potholes south of Cambridge 833717; potholes north of Cambridge (01353) 667826)

Cycle-Friendly Employers and Travel for Work schemes
David Meiklejohn, 9 Portugal Place, Cambridge CB5 8AF
712429 David@cfe.org.uk
www.cfe.org.uk/

CTC (Cyclists' Touring Club) Cambridge District Association
Sue Taylor, Secretary 563414
www.cam.net.uk/home/irving/ctcinfo.html

The Slower Speeds Initiative
PO Box 746, Norwich NR2 3LJ
http://www.slower-speeds.org.uk/

Sustrans - Nigel Brigham
The Environment & Energy Centre, 33a Westgate, Peterborough PE1 1PZ
(01733) 319981 (01733) 346902 nigelb@sustrans.org.uk

South Cambridgeshire District Council 443000

Team Cambridge
A club for all forms of cycle racing.
Graeme Osler 441920 graeme@teamcambridge.freeserve.co.uk
http://www.team-cambridge.co.uk/

Traffic wardens, Parkside police station 358966

Transport 2000 Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk
Simon Norton, Co-ordinator 312654 S.Norton@dpmms.cam.ac.uk
www.msunion.org/t2000/

Campaign Diary

December 2000

January 2001

February