Local Highway Improvements (LHI)’s are delivered by the County Council on a joint funded basis and applicants can apply for funding of up to either £25,000 for complex projects or £10,000 for non-complex projects, as a contribution to their scheme. The applicant is expected to provide a minimum contribution of 10% towards the total scheme cost.
This is when changes to an existing area can be reviewed and actioned to reduce or remove an issue. An example of a cause for a change could be: vehicles cutting through residential areas to reach their destination, rather than using main roads.
Closing the road to through traffic , or turning the road into a one-way street are two very effective ways to prevent this issue. However, general traffic calming treatments to slow traffic can also be a good deterrent.
School Streets (Non-complex)
A school street creates a temporary pedestrian and cycle zone around a school entrance at the start and end of a school day. This measure enables safer walking and cycling journeys to school. They promote parking further away from the school entrance. Please see the School Streets webpage for more information. School street requests can come through the LHI process or as direct requests to the School Streets team. Any request will be assessed against the school street criteria for suitability before it can be progressed.
Effectiveness
School street zones have been shown to increase the number of people walking and cycling to school. They create a safe environment around the school entrance and encourage healthy behaviours from a young age.
Advantages of weight limits
- Reduces vehicle movements around a school entrance.
- Encourages healthy journeys to school.
- Creates safer routes to school.
Disadvantages of weight limits
- Requires volunteers to operate the temporary barriers.
Restrictions
- Schools will need to be assessed for suitability for a school street scheme.
- School management will need to support the scheme.
- A volunteer team will be needed to set up and marshal the restriction points every day.
Cost of installation
- £10,000
The cost is based on the installation of an 18-month ETRO to trial how will the school street works. Signage, temporary barriers and resources for volunteers including training and insurance will be provided.
Options report
Options Reports are a detailed assessment carried out by highway officers. The scope of the report could be to review a broad or specific local area, and would explore strategic possibilities for reducing or preventing a cause of an issue identified by the applicant, for example: reducing traffic speeds along a particular road or village.
Obtaining an Options Report could assist a local community to make informed decisions about their area, and choose the most feasible route to achieving an aim or long term ambition.
Examples of outcomes could be:
- Improving the highway to increase active travel uptake in an area.
- Identifying potential cures to an existing highway problem.
- Affecting traffic speeds or behaviours in an area.
Cost of report
- Subject to breadth of area and assessments required. Please enquire for Options report via the privately funding Highway Improvements webpage, or by contacting the team directly at local.projects@cambridgeshire.gov.uk .
The Options report cost is based on officers time allowance to undertake investigation in full, obtaining necessary traffic survey data, and producing accompanying indicative overview or concept design plans and collate all into the report document.
Modal filter (Complex)
Closing the road to through vehicle traffic usually refers to building an obstruction such as bollards, trees or flower beds in the carriageway. A well designed scheme maintains through access for cycles and mobility scooters whilst restricting access to motor vehicles.
Effectiveness
Closing the road to through traffic with an obstruction will greatly reduce the number of vehicles using the road.
It is extremely likely a reduction in vehicle traffic will increase safety. However, this depends on the length of the road as less traffic can encourage higher speeds and lower attention levels by drivers. The obstruction may also reduce vehicle speeds.
Less vehicles with lower speed will create a safer route for cyclists and other non-motorised users. This can help to shift shorter journeys away from car use.
Advantages to closing roads to through traffic
- Removes all vehicle through traffic reducing problems due to 'rat running' through residential streets
- Relatively cheap way to reduce traffic volume
- The road obstruction could contribute to the character of the area, e.g. with trees or artwork - however this would increase costs
- Can be designed to allow access for cyclists and create safer cycling routes
- Can help to shift vehicle journeys to more active modes
- Creates a healthier street environment for pedestrians and residents
Disadvantages to closing roads to through traffic
- Could cause delay to emergency services
- May cause longer vehicle journeys for local residents
- Traffic can be displaced and problems due to 'rat running' through other residential streets may arise
Restrictions
- Highways engineers must carry out checks to determine if other roads in the area will be suitable to carry the extra traffic.
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This scheme requires a Traffic Regulation Order and a Road Safety Audit.
Cost of installation
- £14,000
The modal filter cost based on 6m wide carriageway using standard kerbs and Cambridge bollards, installed under a road closure.
One way street (Non-complex)
A one way street only allows vehicles to move in one direction down the road. ‘No-entry’ signs are used to prevent vehicles travelling the wrong way along the road, and sometimes road junctions are redesigned to make it difficult to turn against the flow of traffic. For traffic travelling in the correct direction, arrow signs are used to show it is a one way street.
Effectiveness
If a road is currently a narrow two way street where motor vehicles need to slow down to pass each other, changing the road to a one way street will increase vehicle speeds. Vehicle drivers may also be tempted to drive faster because they do not expect any oncoming vehicles.
If motor vehicles speeds increase, this will reduce how safe the road is.
Advantages of a one way street
- Can prevent vehicles using the road as a short cut
- Can create more road space for car and cycle parking
- Can create more space for widening footways/cycleways
- Can help traffic to move more freely
Disadvantages of a one way street
- Likely to increase vehicle speeds
- Motor vehicles and emergency vehicles may need to travel greater distance to get to their destination
One way exceptions
Many one way streets in Cambridge have an exception for bicycles, this is also known as a cycle contraflow. This keeps the city accessible to cyclists, who may find journeys longer and more difficult with an increasing number of one way streets.
Restrictions
- Only usually used on local residential roads, where an alternative major route is available.
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For some roads, they will be too important to the Cambridge’s transport network to allow them to become a one way street.
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This scheme requires a Traffic Regulation Order and a Road Safety Audit
Cost of installation
- £15,000
The one-way street cost is based on two new illuminated signs plus the electrical connections, installed under two-way lights.
Weight limit (Complex)
A weight limit allows the Highway Authorities, like Cambridgeshire, to prohibit and restrict the movement of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
HGV movements can have a detrimental impact on local communities in terms of environmental intrusion and the perception of road safety. However, consideration must be given to the status and design of the existing route and whether HGVs can be re-routed without impacts on other settlements. If a weight limit is likely to divert trips to a lower status route, these roads could be less capable of heaver traffic, poorer geometry and have a less robust road structure therefore making them unsuitable to take diverted vehicles.
Effectiveness
It is difficult to restrict the movement of HGVs as they are permitted to use any classification of road for access and deliveries even if there is a weight restriction.
Advantages of weight limits
- Reduces congestion in town centres
- Fewer HGVs use villages as shortcuts
- Improves air quality
Disadvantages of weight limits
- Exemptions for emergency services, highways maintenances vehicles, agricultural vehicles and buses
- In rare cases, high costs can come from the need for a public enquiry if there are objections during the formal consultation process
- Access and deliveries are still permitted
- Current police resources and operational commitments may not allow for routine or targeted enforcement
Restrictions
- Must be in accordance with the advisory freight map available on our heavy loads webpage
- Be developed using the strategy assessment process - you can find out more about the weight limit strategy assessment process in our Heavy Goods Vehicle Policy
- Have considered all other options with formal restrictions being the last resort
- All weight limits must have full support from the Police
- Weight limits require a Traffic Regulation Order and a Road Safety Audit
Cost of installation
- £28,000
The weight limit cost is based on four terminal signs and provision of 4 advisory signs including electrical connections, installed under two-way lights.
Please note: some alterations to the Advisory Freight Network could cost substantially more than the above value. Please refer to Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Policy website pages for additional information.
