https://data.cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk/…/mill-road-closu… Following the closure of Mill Road bridge you would have heard a lot of views as to what has happened to traffic. So the questions are has car traffic been dispaced onto other roads, has footfall fallen on Mill Road, has it encouraged increased cycling in Mill Road or in Cambridge?

The sensors were placed on Mill Road and on alternative through routes to Mill Road. The map below shows the location of the censors.
The data was collected for a month prior to the Mill Road bridge closure & then so far to the 21st of July. So the first graph shows you what has happened to the number of car journeys past 3 points on Mill Rd. One at Romsey end & 2 at Petersfield end of the road. Car movements in Romsey have dropped 50%. In Petersfield traffic past Tennyson Road is unchanged & at the other data point it has dropped around 35%.

Major concern for local traders would be what has happened to footfall. In Petersfield the footfall has remained largely unchanged, but there has been a noticeable increase in pedestrians in Romsey where the reduction in car traffic has been greatest. The Romsey Parklet looks well placed on this data and it will be interesting to see over the summer if footfall further increases with more activities.

Cam cycle campaign will have real reasons to be pleased with the data both on cycling on Mill Road and the increase in cycling across Cambridge. Again in Mill Road there is a greater increase in cycle journeys in Romsey than at the town end of Mill Road.

On cycling if you take all the data points cycling has increased by up to 25% across this area of the city. This will translate into a really significant benefit to the health & air quality of the city.

Finally has the lower car traffic levels in Mill Road just pushed cars onto other roads.  There is a very marginal increase in traffic on Hills Road & Coldhams lane, but a greater increase in Cherry Hinton Road which matches anecdotal evidence from people commenting on traffic flows.

Overall traffic flows across the monitored sites increased in the week prior to the closure of the bridge & have remained at this higher level through the bridge closure which makes it more difficult to access whether the bridge closure has really had a negative impact on Cherry Hinton Road traffic.

Across all the evidence the fears of displaced traffic doesn’t seem to have materialised to the extent forecast. Cycling & walking seem to have increased across the area & in Mill Road. Romsey seems to have benefited most in terms of reduction of traffic & increase in footfall & cycling. The longer impact of the gasworks in Petersfield & the use by taxi’s of shortcuts from the station prior to the H. Gee fire may be significant in this. Over the next months further data will be collected and we should look forward with interest how we adapt to the closure of the Bridge.  Overmillroadbridge Mill Road Summer Camcycle – Cambridge Cycling Campaign should be proud of their efforts to emphasise the positive outcomes from the closure of Mill Road bridge. Let us keep Mill Road Open.