Mill Road 4 People welcomes Cambridgeshire County Council’s decision to put forward a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to expedite traffic restrictions on Mill Road Bridge. The new TRO is concise, and we hope worded in such a way as to ensure the support of and immediate implementation by the County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee, following the statutory consultation period.
The statement of reasons accompanying the TRO clearly align with our continued campaign for traffic restrictions on Mill Road – to make it a safer and more accessible place for all users of Mill Road, including the many thousands who use the road on foot, cycle or wheeled mobility vehicle.
We concur with the council statement that
Mill Road has a range of issues that impact on health and safety for the people who live and work in the area: these include pavements that the Council considers are too narrow to accommodate the amount of footfall to shops, restaurants and businesses and a high volume of motor and cycle traffic sharing a carriageway of restricted width. Mill Road suffers from high levels of through traffic, which combined with local traffic and the high number of pedestrians and cyclists, causes significant congestion, particularly at peak times, and an unpleasant environment. Air pollution and a poor road safety record are directly related to these issues.
We note and welcome the Council’s in-depth work with disability groups, emergency services and other stakeholders. We know that, following its 2022 public consultation, the County Council has recognised the overwhelming support of local people for these measures.
It has been a source of great disappointment and unease that the implementation of a modal filter has been delayed for so long in what was becoming an endless judicial process. It saddens us that the Council has been forced to incur significant unnecessary costs that could otherwise have been spent on the many necessary improvements to Mill Road.
We have consistently been pushing for the Council to begin implementing safety and environmental measures along the length of Mill Road, and we are now hopeful and pleased that finally by the introduction of a new TRO the council will be able to deliver on these.
Mill Road needs to be a safer and better place to shop, to eat and to live. We urge all county councillors to back this new TRO.