Cyclist death "accidental"

The inquest into the death on the Busway of cyclist Steve Moir has concluded that his death was "accidental". As reported in a post at the time Mr Moir died in a head-on collision with a bus on the section of the Busway near to Long Road on 13 September. According to media reports from the inquest, which finished yesterday (3 May), he clipped the kerb whilst overtaking pedestrians, and fell onto the Busway in front of an oncoming bus. The bus was travelling within the speed limit (which has since been reduced) and the driver was found to have acted "appropriately" when he saw what was unfolding.

There have been calls from Mr Moir's family either for greater separation of the busway from the parallel bridleway (used extensively in this area by both cyclists and pedestrians).or for separation of those cyclists and pedestrians from each other.

The Health and Safety Executive is still investigating the incident.

More information is available on the BBC Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire Live websites.

More speed restrictions (and even slower journey times)?

Following the recent sad death of cyclist Steve Moir, local Trumpington councillor Katie Thornburrow has called for a formal consultation process to begin on reducing speeds on the Busway. It's not clear from the report in the Cambridge Independent just who should be consulted, and there's no indication that consultation should await the Health and Safety Executive's investigation into that most recent incident. It's also unclear whether she is proposing that speed reductions should apply solely to that stretch of the Busway between Hills Road and the Addenbrooke's turn-off.

Currently, unless otherwise designated, the maximum permitted speed along the Busway is 56mph (ie the imperial equivalent of 90km per hour). But there's a general maximum of 30mph on the single track section and on approaches to guided sections, a maximum of 40mph on "burst throughs", and an obligation on drivers to observe any specific limits imposed, through the use of signage, at other points along the Busway (eg Girton/Histon footpath crossing, Fen Drayton Lakes, Hills Road bridge - this isn't intended to be a complete list, just those I can call to mind immediately).

Apparently, safety measures including installing warning signs, lower fencing and extra road markings have already been agreed for the Long Road stretch, with the final works expected to be completed in October.

Busway accident - one dead

There are reports of an accident on the stretch of the Busway close to Long Road in Cambridge at around 16.45 this afternoon (13 September). The latest news from the BBC is that one male has died. From these initial reports it appears to have been a collision between a bus and a pedestrian, but this has not been confirmed. [Edited at 19.50 - Cambridgeshire Live, quoting the Police, is reporting that the dead person was a cyclist. The cyclist's gender has not yet been confirmed.]

Doubtless there will be much more in the media on this incident in due course. Right now (19.40) here are the stories as prepared by Cambridgeshire Live (rolling updates) and BBC News.

Separating buses from cyclists and pedestrians

At a meeting of the Cambridge South Area Committee on 4 June, Councillor Katie Thornburrow proposed the erection of fencing along the stretch between Trumpington Park & Ride and Addenbrooke's Hospital to help keep cyclists and pedestrians separate from buses.

A brief report of the relevant part of that meeting has appeared in the Cambridge Independent.

UPDATE 0940 on 11 June: Less than an hour after I posted the above, the Cambridge News is reporting some sort of collision involving a pedestrian and a guided bus, close to Long Road. Inevitably the details are somewhat sketchy at this point.