Comments on: Cottenham Road down to The Green

By: Cook

Cook — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:09:28 +0000

I wonder if others who have commented here live on the B1049 and have first hand experience of the fear involved with having to endure the 40mph speed limit along this stretch of the B1049?
I too live on the B1049 (actually on this particular stretch of it) and cannot see any reason at all why a 30mph should not be used? why should it remain at 40mph and be a hazard to even a small number of people living along it? I can see absolutely no benefit for it to be 40mph, why are people so against it being reduced?? I just can’t see their logic, other than that they personally wish to drive quicker or are not directly affected by the route!?
Reducing the speed is safer for pedestrians, children (its a route to school for some of them), cyclists, animals, car drivers, house owners etc etc. Lorries at 40mph are indeed noisy and extremely dangerous and absolutely thunder down this road.
Also, noone is suggesting removing commuters nor lorries from the B1049 as of course they will need access to their destinations, this campaign is simply trying to make it a safer journey for all.
Speed bumps maybe unnecessary, but at least reduce the speed to respect the people that live on that road and all they have to endure.
Please also note, that we are talking about a particular section of the B1049 on this comments board. There are NO traffic lights from the Green to Cottenham, and everyday I see a great number of people heading north (who have been frustrated by the previous number of traffic lights prior to the Green) unable to resist speeding along this particular stretch, eager to make up the time and get to their destination. Of course whether the speed limit is 30mph or 40mph there will always be the fools that speed, however 30mph for the whole stretch of the B1049 will make it a much nicer experience for all.

By: Ross Galvin

Ross Galvin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:54:13 +0000

Can I just point out that having personal experience of living on a busy road with speed bumps will make Rawlings’s house shake even more as lorries apply the brakes, hit the bump then speed up again, we had one right outside our house in Birmingham and it was awful!

By: Bryan Smith

Bryan Smith — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:19:51 +0000

I think the Glebe Road/ Cottenham Road junction width is a feature rather than a problem; indeed, the ability to merge onto the main road at a slightly higher speed is much safer, as traffic on the main road is starting to speed up after crawling through Histon and is largely unsighted for the junction.
There is no need to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph; the current speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum. The number of traffic lights on the stretch means that it is unusual to reach the maximum speed anyway at peak traffic times, and I don’t believe the police have found many victims when they have surveyed speeds on the stretch.
I for one DON’T want speed bumps – they damage and wear out the car suspension, which leads to safety issues when travelling on higher speed roads. By all means apply for a weight restriction on the road if you wish to curtail HGVs, but bear in mind that there are businesses along the road that need deliveries.
Finally, commuters are not ‘rats’, they are people trying to get to and from their destinations and go about their business. They have every right to be on the road and are not to be discouraged.

By: Rawlings

Rawlings — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:14:11 +0000

I have many opinions on the B1049, none of them good. I have seen many accidents due to excessive speed, and even my house has been damaged due to careless drivers and speeding.
I fear the danger of pulling out onto the B1049 from my driveway and also the fear of having a lorry plunging into my house. Every day my house shakes because of the weight and speed of lorries. So my first main issue is that the speed limit should be reduced to 30mph from entering the village from Cottenham all the way through to bridge road where the football ground is. Perhaps speed bumps installed as well, rather like every other entry route into the village except this one!
Secondly, try to do something as part of a bigger picture that takes traffic from this route onto others designed for the job (ie. upgrading of the A14 or the A10).