Thornton Road improvements for pedestrian safety

Safety improvements have been made on Thornton Road in Cambridge to allow pedestrians a safer environment to wait before crossing to the shops, playground, and bowling club.

New road markings, two centre pedestrian refuges and kerb crossing points have been added to the road to reduce the distance of road pedestrians must cross. Planter boxes have been placed in the no-parking area leading into each crossing space. These features also provide better visibility and help change driver perception of the environment, slowing vehicle speeds.

Rubber speed-cushions will also be added to the road in the coming weeks to help lower vehicle speeds on this section of the road.

Transport manager Bryan Hudson said Thornton Road has been identified as having a range of vulnerable road users sharing the space with vehicles on a road that isn’t geared towards lower and therefore safer speeds.

“We need to ensure that all road users in this area are safe, whether they’re walking, driving, cycling or using mobility scooters.”

“The route is included in our long-term walking and cycling strategy, connecting with the CBD. At this stage, that project is still 5-10 years away. In the meantime, we have looked at cost effective ways to change the environment to make it safer for all road users.”

The old road markings have been painted out as a temporary measure.

“We appreciate that the road markings may show up in some conditions. This is a temporary step, pending the development of more significant cycling infrastructure in the coming (5-10) years.”