A review could be launched just three years after the junction was redesigned
Cambridge residents have called for a safety review of a “dangerous” junction they say has seen a number of “near misses”. The junction of Barton Road and Grantchester Street has been a longstanding concern for Newnham residents and, despite a 2023 redesign, they fear it is still unsafe.
Peter Singleton, chair of Old Newnham Residents Association, said there are a number of “design flaws” with the current junction creating confusion for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. These include having cyclists and pedestrians go at the same time and removing the beeping noise which indicates it is safe to cross.
The 73-year-old said this poses a particular danger to cyclists and pedestrians and has led to accidents and a number of near misses.
He said: “You’re never going to come up with something that’s going to satisfy everyone, but if we can make it safer then that’s better. Accidents certainly happen there and, if you like, you could call it a case of more accidents waiting to happen. Particularly in Newnham Croft, there are quite a lot of elderly people who are not so agile.”
He launched a petition at the start of July which has been signed by more than 200 residents, enough to be debated by Cambridgeshire County Council.
Mr Singleton said: “It was done a little bit in haste – but the sooner we get something on this, the sooner it can be in the next budget. Any delay could lead to an extra year or two. I think for what we’ve done, we’ve done pretty well.”
A safety audit was completed before the redesign three years ago, but he said this focused mainly on the safety of drivers rather than pedestrians.
He said: “The county council redesigned it as part of the Barton Road Greenway without discussing with the local residents whether this would improve things or make it worse.”
He said residents have “always had safety concerns” and their input must be taken aboard to prevent a serious accident on the crossing.
He said: “There’s four phases to the traffic lights and in only one are pedestrians and cyclists permitted to go, and they all go at the same time. I think the lack of auditory feedback is a big one – there’s no beeping at all, so a lot of cyclists approaching see cars stopped and think it’s safe to go and dash across.”
Cllr Dr Peter Rees, county councillor for Newnham, said the existing safety audit is “insufficient” and “does not reflect the lived experience of people using the junction daily”.
The Green councillor said: “We support residents in calling for a new, comprehensive safety audit that fully considers collision risk, visibility issues and the needs of vulnerable road users. We have been working with residents to bring the issue forward, helping gather evidence, raise concerns with council officers, and ensure the petition is heard.
“The junction has been a persistent source of complaints, and residents have repeatedly felt ignored. I really hope that the members of the highways committee will recognise the serious concerns that have been raised and ask for a further safety audit to consider how they can be addressed”.
The petition will be debated by the county council’s highways and transport committee on Tuesday, September 1.
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