Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

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craigbroadbent
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by craigbroadbent »

National Infrastructure Report for Oxbridge Arc is now published.
https://www.nic.org.uk/news/adonis-new-infrastructure-can-bring-first-new-towns-half-century-billions-national-economy/
I don't like the,' the forecast impact of planned growth will be to increase total travel times in the morning peak
by 54%.' for Milton Keynes. We have the lowest cycling and pedestrian combined usage in the arc, so some opportunity to improve, just need the strategies to achieve them.
MK2050, which is the planning strategy for MK is in draft format at the moment and doesn't really have the answers IMO.
Toffee
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Toffee »

craigbroadbent wrote:National Infrastructure Report for Oxbridge Arc is now published.
https://www.nic.org.uk/news/adonis-new-infrastructure-can-bring-first-new-towns-half-century-billions-national-economy/
I don't like the,' the forecast impact of planned growth will be to increase total travel times in the morning peak
by 54%.' for Milton Keynes. We have the lowest cycling and pedestrian combined usage in the arc, so some opportunity to improve, just need the strategies to achieve them.
MK2050, which is the planning strategy for MK is in draft format at the moment and doesn't really have the answers IMO.


It's a load of waffle really. What Milton Keynes does not need is more cars, on the existing road or even a new one.

The queue to get in on a morning is already a few miles long.
atlas_shrugged
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by atlas_shrugged »

Seems no appetite to build a cycle super-highway. This is a wasted opportunity given how much tourist business this could bring to the UK.

Gilligan definitely hinted that the humble cycle was going to be part of the solution to expansion problems. Have I missed some suggested cycling improvements in the latest 17-Nov-17 report to either city?

I can not see how building an expressway between Oxford and Cambridge is going to help either city with motor vehicle congestion. Both of these cities are already at rush-hour breaking point.
pga
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by pga »

More of the usual 'don't upset the motorist'. When are we going to address the problems heaped on society by motor vehicles, whether diesel, petrol or electric ? Here in MK even minor Redway improvements, such as closing short missing links, are ignored while multi million pound funded schemes promote trials of driverless vehicles. Much of which will, of course, be on the Redway, rather than on the grid roads where they should be.

We are still waiting for a date when the Bedford - Oxford/Aylesbury railway will be reinstated. Many of us doubt if we shall see it in our lifetimes.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

atlas_shrugged wrote:Gilligan definitely hinted that the humble cycle was going to be part of the solution to expansion problems. Have I missed some suggested cycling improvements in the latest 17-Nov-17 report to either city?


The cycling report is due to be a separate one. Andrew Gilligan said he wanted to publish it before the Budget... but there's not a lot of time left for that!

mjr wrote:Another new road? I thought the plan was to update the current, former and future A421. They've not long finished from MK to the Black Cat and I understand a St Neots bypass bypass is basically approved, then it's already an underused dual carriageway to Cambridge (the old A45).


My vague understanding is that the most likely plan is to build a new road from the A34 near Oxford over towards the rough Buckingham-MK area, and then use the A421 from there to Cambridge. This diagram seems to summarise it. But I agree that the last thing we need is another new road - this will be the third east-west dual carriageway for the South Midlands that I can remember (after the A14 and A43), and yet we still don't have a reopened Oxford-Cambridge rail line...
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atlas_shrugged
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by atlas_shrugged »

Does anyone have any more info on when the cycling report hinted at in the below link will appear:

https://www.nic.org.uk/1440-2/

This especially after the Adonis resignation.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Bonefishblues »

We're on the proposed rail link route and got notification of the public consultation just before Christmas. It'll be a great deal more useful than HS2 which will also pass close by.
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craigbroadbent
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by craigbroadbent »

Milton Keynes's transport strategy is open for consultation see link.
https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/highways-and-transport-hub/policy-and-strategy-hub/transport-policy
There is a questionaire attached.
Please make feedback see appendix A.
See Q5 regrding cycle hire scheme.
Studies suggest that this is a good way to get people into cycling and reinvigorate those that have lapsed. MK's scheme had a great start but then a high level of vandalism, and now is nearly dead. The council withdrew the bikes for a few months and I only see a handful now. So this needs support/investment.
Q7 Redway upgrade /extension.
Q7 Cycle parking. Older building especially in central have a good set of parking spaces. Newer places have few/none. I note draft London PLan has a few pages explaining how many places should be provided depending on the type of business or residential.
Q10 Active modes= cycling and walking
Q17 current provision/quality
Q27 Open question
I would like to encourage the council to re-establish linked redways that pass over or under the road grid. Recent developments have seen redways stop for the road traffic, giving us a reduced priority in transit. This affects pedestrian traffic too.
The network is generally good but in the centre of Milton Keynes the redways turn into pedestrian only, and cyclists have to share the delivery roads with the cars, which is unsafe/unsatisfactory. If the cycling is to increase it's share then some dedicated cycle routes are required especially in the busy areas. Adding driveless pods to the shared redways is also unhelpful especially in the busy central district. A more cycling commuter friendly infrastructure is required to achieve ambitions of modal share.
pga
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by pga »

Thanks Craig for alerting me to yet another MK Council consultation. I have just commented on the Plan Mk. So many consultations over the years but with little to show for the effort.

Cycle parking - I agree with the comments. Cycle parking standards exist from MKDC days, setting out clear requirements on all new developments. Sadly, although MKC adopted these, there has been a big failure to ensure that these were adhered to. There are examples all round of this. No excuses - MKC needs to get its act together.

Grid/road crossings - these were always grade separated but recent developments have been grade crossings, sometimes with lights sometimes not. Of course, the motorist always has the right of way at these crossings. I have long argued that the popular perception by non cyclists, sadly many women, that subways are dangerous feeds into the argument that underpasses (and bridges) are not needed.

Driverless pods - already we see some of the iconic yellow bollards removed, presumably to make life easier for the pods. These have two valuable functions - one, to tell cyclists (and other Redway users) where the Redway is and two, to warn motorists of Redway crossings. This,of course, without any consultation with Redway users.

Consultation - there is a general unwillingness of MKC officers to engage in any real dialogue with Milton Keynes. There was a Cycle Forum but this was dominated by the sporting side and paid only lip service to real issues and I eventually gave up attending. I submitted a short list of current cycling issues to MKC in October. I still await a response. There may be reasons for this - lack of resources obviously - but things could be better.

There are other issues affecting MK. The Cambridge-MK-Oxford Arc wishes to concentrate major growth in MK with both ends protected by green belts. This too without taking in account local opinion. We are already seeing signs of too much unplanned growth. More motor vehicles that we struggle to cope with. Try cycling through the city centre. Yet most MKC plans seek to preserve the status quo and not upset the motorists, with no real efforts to combat global warming and air pollution by seeking alternative ways of getting around by promoting cycling, walking and public transport (preferably all electric).

Sorry to be negative. Happy and safe cycling in 2018, especially in MK.
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craigbroadbent
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by craigbroadbent »

Thanks PGA for filling in some history.

The MKDC is missed by many here. I think the NIC (original OP) was suggesting something similar. The separation of the Parks trust doesn't really help.

It does seem to me that there are many cycling advocacy groups. I guess mainly resourced with volunteers and subject to personal bias and poor organisation. For me the focus would be to get the modal share up, for all, not really the sports cyclist who will use the roads. I suspect we need to have a local group.

I have generated a group in cyclescape, but at the moment I am just trying to find concerned citizens.

I guess the steps are:
1/ Have a mission statement we can all agree on.
2/ Decide the best way to in getting there.
3/ Organise ourselves to implement the plan
Vorpal
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Vorpal »

As someone who has cycled a couple times to & from Cambridge and Milton kenes (Newport Pagnell), I think that a decent route is needed. Currently, it's a choice between bad and worse. The first time, I opted for B roads, but many were narrow and busy. I didn't figure A roads would be much worse, and I'd save some miles for taking them. I opted for A roads on subsequent journeys, but it was far from the most pleasant of journeys I've taken by bike.

There are some 'quiet' road alternatives, and some cycleways, even a section of NCN 12 (with gates and all!) but they are slower, require some walking (footpath sections between residential roads & cycleways) and they still still require some sections on busy A or B roads. Otherwise, it's *miles* out of the way for a route that is both quiet, and without barriers and gravel tracks or footpaths.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Best just to *unbeeching* (reinstate) the railway double track plus cycleway

No need for more roads
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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

Vorpal wrote:There are some 'quiet' road alternatives, and some cycleways, even a section of NCN 12 (with gates and all!) but they are slower, require some walking (footpath sections between residential roads & cycleways) and they still still require some sections on busy A or B roads. Otherwise, it's *miles* out of the way for a route that is both quiet, and without barriers and gravel tracks or footpaths.


Yes, it's not great. I rode Cambridge-Barrington-Wimpole-Gamlingay-Blunham-Bedford last time, largely following the National Byway then NCN 12 into Bedford. That was fine - very nice in several sections. But Bedford-MK is just full of rat-running traffic wherever you go, and next time I think I'd be tempted to take the train for that section.

If the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway ever gets built, maybe that will offer a decent towpath route...
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craigbroadbent
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by craigbroadbent »

Last chance to take the Milton Keynes Mobility Strategy Survey.

https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=151177906668
Bonefishblues
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Re: Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge

Post by Bonefishblues »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Best just to *unbeeching* (reinstate) the railway double track plus cycleway

No need for more roads

Aren't large sections being reused for their original purpose on the e-W train route?
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