This article was published in 2021, in Magazine 153.
Three years after we successfully campaigned for a protected junction at Gilbert Road as part of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Histon Road scheme, it officially opened and we were able to give it a try!
The design, known as a CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction, was first developed in Greater Manchester and the Histon Road example is the first outside that area and just the fourth in the UK. It includes a protected cycle lane which encircles the junction, keeping cyclists separate from both motor traffic and pedestrians. People cycling can make a signal-free left turn at any point or use the dedicated cycle buttons to access the green ‘active travel’ phase of traffic signals, allowing them to make a right turn or travel straight on without having to mix with motor vehicles. Pedestrians cross at the same time as cyclists, but on a separate ring of paths in the middle of the junction. Zebra crossings on each side provide safe places to cross the cycle lane.
We’re pleased with the design and believe that, together with the protected roundabout at Fendon Road, the county now has two good options that can be implemented to improve safety at every new or renovated junction in the county. Where would you like to see one installed next?
