3 October 2013
62 Boxworth End
Swavesey
Cambs CB24 4RA
scr27@cam.ac.uk
01223 748434
Dear Sirs/Madam,
Response to Highways Agency A14 consultation October 2013
and request to become formal consultees
A14NMU is a campaign group set up by Swavesey Bridleways, Cyclists Touring Club (Cambridge),
Cambridge Cycle Campaign, Ramblers Association (Cambridge) and Sustrans (Cambridge) to
ensure that Non-Motorised User (NMU) provision is included in the A14 Improvement Plans, in
order to help create a positive legacy that enhances the reputation and attractiveness of
Cambridgeshire.
We request to join the consultation process as formal consultees please and we look forward to
working with the Highways Authority, consultees and other local authorities over the coming
months and years to progress this.
Our website is: http://www.a14nmu.co.uk
We welcome other NMU groups and interested parties to join our campaign.
Below is our briefing document, which forms our response to the current Highways Agency A14
consultation process. We are circulating it widely in order to inform and accommodate our
campaign progress.
Other recipients of our briefing document are invited to use our document’s contents when
facilitating their own responses throughout the consultation process too.
Yours faithfully,
Sue Rogers on behalf of A14NMU team:
Jim Chisholm (Cambridge Cycle Campaign), jc235@cam.ac.uk
Rupert Goode (Cyclists Touring Club Cambridge), rg-ctc@ecotel.demon.co.uk
Robin Heydon (Cambridge Cycle Campaign), robin@heydon.org
Avril Monmont (British Horse Society Cambridge), avril_monmont@uk.ibm.com
Sue Rogers (Swavesey Bridleways), scr27@cam.ac.uk, 01223 748434
Rohan Wilson (Sustrans Cambridge), rohan.wilson@sustrans.org.uk
Lisa Woodburn (Ramblers Association Cambridge), lisa@woodburn.org.uk
(Responses/queries can be sent to all of us, or just to Sue who will circulate to all team members).
A14NMU: October 2013
1 of 5
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR NMU
PROVISIONAS PART OF THE A14
IMPROVEMENT SCHEME (Sept 2013)
Introduction
The network of footpaths, bridleways, byways and other Rights of Way (RoW) is one of the most treasured
features of Britain. These routes are well used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders - collectively known as
“Non-Motorised Users” (NMUs).
Inevitably, major road developments have to cut across existing RoW and historically many of the cut
routes have either been effectively extinguished or subject to long diversions. The existing A14 is a typical
example, where only a minority of these routes were fully preserved with a desire-line crossing via bridges
or underpasses. And as traffic volumes have increased, the disruption to RoWs has increased as the road
crossing points have also become difficult to use safely.
Our aim is to help the A14 improvement scheme to avoid repeating this historic disregard for the needs of
NMUs. This is good for our health, good for the environment and good economics. And it is far more cost
effective to include good quality NMU facilities as part of the original design.
We will be working with the Highways Authority through the consultation and design process to ensure
that high quality, segregated NMU routes both parallel to the A14 and permeating across it safely are
included in the design. This means preserving all existing RoW, restoring lost RoW and creating new
attractive and safe NMU routes.
We will be pressing the Highways Agency to deliver all of these NMU routes in order to fully achieve their
positive statements in the A14/2013 consultation brochure:
[page 8] The scheme will improve connections between people and communities and create a
safer road network. It will also provide a positive legacy for the region.
[page 9] connecting communities by keeping heavy through-traffic out of villages, by reducing
community severance, and by de-trunking the former A14 through Huntingdon to prioritise
local needs.
[page 9] creating a positive legacy that enhances the reputation and attractiveness of
Cambridgeshire and which establishes a distinctive gateway to a region known for excellence in
science and learning.
A14NMU: October 2013
2 of 5
A14NMU: October 2013
3 of 5
NMU General Principles
This document sets out four general “NMU principles” that should apply to all
elements of this development. All of these NMU principles are needed.
NMU PRINCIPLE 1: CREATE SEGREGATED MULTI-USE PATHS ALONGSIDE ALL NEW ROADS
High quality segregated NMU paths to be provided alongside all the new local roads and alongside
the detrunked sections of the A14. The expected standard is a segregated wide path suitable for
all NMUs (i.e. walkers, cyclists and horse riders) on one or both sides of the roadway of
comparable quality to the busway bridleway.
The suggested layout should have both a tarmac portion and an adjacent grass strip for equestrian
use and with the whole path separated from the main carriageway with a wide verge that includes
a hedge (or other barrier) to mitigate night time dazzle. An example layout is shown below.
The full NMU path (both grass and tarmac sections) should be formally designated as a public
bridleway and added to the definitive map to establish a permanent RoW along these routes. 4m
tarmac (cycles and pedestrian)3m grass (horses & pedestrian)Carriagewaygrass verge with hedge
or fence3m grass verge (3 cuts/year)4m tarmac (similar to busway)sound and light barrier(as wide
as possible)
Examples of this principle:
Example 1: The three new local access roads (Girton Interchange to Dry Drayton on SW side) (Dry
Drayton to Bar Hill on NE side) AND (Bar Hill to Fen Drayton on NE side) should be designed to
incorporate high quality NMU provision (as above) on at least one side. In other words we can
accept unidirectional paths on both sides or a bidirectional path on one side if the quality is good
enough.
Example 2: The detrunked section of the A14 will provide ample width for NMU provision.
Preferably, one of the two carriageways should be converted to NMU use with similar or better
standard as above. The other carriageway could then be a normal A road, with 2 lanes.
Alternatively, if a dual carriageway road is retained a significant portion of each carriageway
should be converted into a wide segregated high quality NMU path (as above).
A14NMU: October 2013
4 of 5
NMU PRINCIPLE 2: IMPROVE AND RESTORE RoW AND NMU PERMEABILITY ACROSS THE OLD
A14 ROUTE
All RoW crossings of the existing A14 to be restored and improved. Specifically, any RoW routes
that were closed or have been rendered unusable by traffic barriers and/or traffic volumes should
be restored. General NMU permeability should be also be improved by providing high quality
segregated routes and crossings alongside the side roads wherever NMU use is impractical
because traffic speeds and/or volumes are too high.
Better use can be made of existing accommodation structures to improve RoW for NMUs.
Examples of this principle:
Example 1: The Swavesey to Boxworth connection should be improved with new segregated
facilities that connect into the planned cyclepath between Swavesey and Buckingway Business
Park. New segregated paths should be added to extend this segregated route over the new A14
crossing and continue onwards towards Boxworth with the path ending well beyond the
Cambridge services (which will likely become larger and busier). It should also provide good
connections into the NMU routes along the new local roads (i.e. link to the NMU routes described
in Principle 1).
Example 2: The Bar Hill junction should be designed to have fully connected NMU routes: we
assume this can use a new NMU bridge across the A14 that is shown on the indicative plans. It
should connect into the planned cyclepath to Longstanton (alongside the B.1050) to the north and
also provide good segregated connections into all parts of Bar Hill. It should also provide good
connections into the NMU routes along the new local roads (i.e. link to the NMU routes described
in Principle 1).
NMU PRINCIPLE 3 NO DETRIMENT TO NMU ROUTES ACROSS AND ADJACENT TO THE NEW A14
SOUTHERN BYPASS
The new Southern A14 bypass to not cause any detriment to existing NMU routes and RoW either
directly or indirectly. Specifically the new road must not break or divert any existing RoW that
cross the road: all existing RoW should have direct desire line crossing points of the new road
either as bridges or underpasses: at-grade NMU crossings are completely unacceptable as this will
be a major road. Equally, the expected increased traffic volumes on adjacent main roads will
require additional NMU measures on these roads to maintain safe routes and safe crossing points
for NMUs.
Examples of this principle:
Example 1: A new segregated NMU route and crossings must be added alongside the A1198 to
main the NMU road connection between Hilton and Graveley. The A1198 will see much increased
traffic volumes due to the new junction with the Southern bypass and the work must include
additional NMU provision to mitigate this impact of the new bypass.
A14NMU: October 2013
5 of 5
Example 2: A new safe crossing of the A428 will be needed to allow NMUs to continue to use the
N-S road crossing at Croxton between Graveley and Abbotsley to mitigate the expected increase in
traffic levels resulting from the new roads.
NMU PRINCIPLE 4 CREATE IMPROVED NMU PERMEABILITY AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF NEW
JUNCTION DESIGNS
The new or modified junctions that will be built as part of the A14 improvements must include
fully segregated NMU routes. At-grade NMU crossings of fast slip roads on the approach to
roundabouts are unacceptable even if signal controlled crossings are fitted. Segregated NMU
routes are needed to provide safe NMU permeability across these junctions and these NMU
routes must form part of the initial design and construction. These routes should also be fully
integrated into the wider NMU networks, including the new paths resulting from Principle 1.
Examples of this principle:
Example 1: The permeability of the Girton interchange should be radically improved for NMUs
with new separate segregated NMU routes included as part of the redesign of this junction.
Specifically NMU routes should be created to connect from Huntingdon Rd and Girton across the
middle of this interchange to the local roads to Dry Drayton and Madingley. Effectively, the design
should incorporate a segregated NMU interchange for all these routes that can be used by all
NMUs. Due to the high traffic speeds and volumes, there must be no at-grade crossings of the
M11, the A14 or the A428 roads: all crossings should be via underpasses or bridges. Existing
accommodation bridges over the A428 and under the M11 could be used to provide some of these
NMU connections.
The indicative plans show a new NMU route via an accommodation bridge near to Girton
that connects via a new cyclepath to the road between Oakington and Dry Drayton. This is
welcome and this must be built as a high quality surface routed as described in Principle 1.
However, this route only provides a small part of the needed connectivity. There should also
be alternative desire-line NMU connections alongside the A1307 into Huntingdon Road on
both sides. Equally important the NMU connectivity needs to be expanded to provide desireline connections north into Girton and desire-line connections south to Madingley and Dry
Drayton as part of the wider NMU interchange detailed above.
Example 2: The permeability of the new A14 roundabouts and junctions in Huntingdon (where the
ends of the detrunked A14 terminate) should be designed to include new segregated NMU routes to
provide NMU connections into Huntingdon, to the railway station and to Godmanchester.
Segregated routes are needed at these junctions because traffic speeds and volumes will be too high
for safe traversal by NMUs.
A14NMU: October 2013
6 of 5