Cyclists saddle up for festive Royston bike ride as campaign for safe A505 crossing to Melbourn pushes on
The A10 Corridor Cycle Campaign group dressed up for their second annual Santa Cycle Ride. - Credit: Archant
Members of the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign geared up on Saturday for their second annual Royston Santa Cycle Ride.
County councillors Fiona Hill, Susan van de Ven and Tony Hunter with South Cambs district councillor Aidan Van de Weyer. - Credit: Archant
The campaign group works to highlight cycle routes around the town and the need for safe crossing at the A505/A10 junction to Melbourn. It is chaired by County Councillor Susan van de Ven, who said it went ‘extremely well’.
Royston’s Terry Adams took his children along for the ride.
“My five-year-old son and budding cyclist Dexter and I joined the ride with my daughter on my bike’s child seat,” he said.
“This was his first organised bike ride where he’s ridden completely on his own and it was only possible for him to do this due to the various cycle paths and routes now provided here.
Councillors Tony Hunter, Aidan Van de Weyer, Susan van de Ven, partnership chief executive Neil Darwin and Councillor Fiona Hill. - Credit: Archant
“He very much enjoyed himself and lead the group briefly along some of the quieter cycle paths. We currently use the A10 cyclepath north of Melbourn but currently can only get to it via the train thus we’re very much hoping that a usable cycle link between Royston and Melbourn can be funded and built to allow us to continue our exploration safely – hopefully by the time my daughter can cycle on her own too!”
The campaign group’s secretary is Tina Filby.
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“Merry band of festively-clad supporters, including three families, joined our Santa ride on Saturday and attracted many smiles and waves from passing pedestrians,” she said,
“County Councillors, Fiona Hill and Tony Hunter waved us off from the station and everyone enjoyed the mainly traffic-free cycle route, leading past the BMX track, through the underpass, across the A10 and behind the Twigden estate.
“From here, a bridge across the A505 and surfaced pathway down to Melbourn would enable people living in Royston to confidently cycle the few miles to work or college in nearby South Cambs villages or conversely village residents working for one of the large Royston employers could safely commute south, without joining the increasingly long queue of A10 traffic. Reduced congestion, pollution and a healthier workforce – what’s not to like?”
Councillor van de Ven is working with Herts councillors Fiona Hill and Tony Hunter, plus South Cambs District Council’s Aidan Van de Weyer on an appeal to public bodies for funding the Melbourn-Royston link, which would include a bridge over the A505.
Last week they visited the offices of the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership and met chief executive Neil Darwin which is the public body for this project, as Royston’s close proximity to Cambs puts it into the Cambridgeshire economic zone.
For more on the campaign to go a10corridorcycle.com.
