In April 1994 approx. 30 residents of Camden met in the Methodist Church Hall, Claremont to discuss the problems caused by the increasing traffic along Camden Rd. The volume of traffic in Camden became particularly noticeable during the strengthening works to Cleveland Bridge when it was reduced to a single lane. Motorists avoiding queues into Bath became rat runners through Camden often speeding to make up for lost time. The meeting decided to form a residents association which would hold a public meeting and produce specific proposals for dealing with the traffic problem.
In 1994 the Council considered Camden Road to be a strategically important route through the north east of Bath. The Association has worked since then to change the emphasis away from the needs of traffic and place stress on the environmental needs of the residents. The campaign acronym was CALM, Camden Against Lunatic Motorists.
It took 4 years of many, many meetings and appeals to get the message across and then one day in 1998 contractors came and the work began. The first phase, suggested by the CRA from the outset, was the creation of chicanes by adding extra parking bays all along the road. This was popular with residents but caused major upsets with commuters who still saw the road as a quick alternative to London Rd. There were several accidents caused by excessive speed but the basis of a more comprehensive scheme had been laid.
In early 2003 the first speed cushions were put down and the scheme's remaining pieces fell into place over the next several months. There was a period of bedding down when design flaws became evident and necessary adjustments were made; the scheme was finalised by the installation of the pedestrian crossing at Claremont.
Traffic speeds between 1994 and 1998 were recorded as high as 50 mph at the top of Bennett Lane and the average speed was over 30 mph. Since then the traffic has been well and truly calmed with average speeds today down by around 10mph. Camden is a safer place to live.
It was thought by the committee that once the traffic scheme was finished, the need for a Residents Association would disappear. But there are other problems in Camden. One is not one of moving cars but stationary cars. Where and how do we park them? This and other questions have an increasing urgency about them and the Association is working hard on the answer.
Patrick Anketell-Jones - Secretary