New front opens in Exeter traffic wars

A new front is about to open up in the long-running Exeter transport war.

County Hall will be the setting on Thursday morning (January 29) for the latest stage in the battle over priorities in some of Exeter’s busiest streets.
A proposed change to traffic in Barnfield Road is shaping up as the next battleground.
A meeting of the city’s highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) will first hear about the latest developments in the saga of Dryden Road, where a public consultation is about to begin.
Cyclists and some other users want the road kept as it is – a car-free route in and out of the town centre. Opponents want cars allowed back in, saying the problems of congestion and pollution have simply been shifted to neighbouring roads since the closure came in during the Covid pandemic.
Councillors are expected to rubber-stamp the consultation with a number of options including allowing cars back into Dryden Road with purpose-built cycle paths as part of the mix.
The Exeter Cycling Campaign says it is good news for its Keep Dryden Road Safe campaign that four possible options are being explored, and simply going back to the previous traffic-heavy Dryden Road layout is not among them.
And cyclists have also welcomed news that the HATOC is looking at changes in Barnfield Road which are designed to provide widened footways, improved cycle lanes and better crossings.
The key feature is making Barnfield Road one-way, westbound towards Princesshay.
Public consultation found 51 per cent of people who responded to be in favour of the project, with 43 per cent against and five per cent unsure.
Cycle Campaign supporters gathered in August 2021 for a vigil to mark the ‘tragic and entirely avoidable death’ of a trainee nurse travelling to work on a bike at the Barnfield Gateway.
A spokesperson said: “Councillors will be considering the first phase of a scheme to make the Barnfield Road gateway safe and attractive for people on foot, wheels and bike.The plans look positive.
“We will be there to ask councillors to hold in their heads Maria’s tragic death and the safety of the 2,500 people on bikes, wheels and foot who use the road every day as they vote for what happens next.”
On the other side, nearly 1,300 people have signed an online petition which labels the Barnfield Road idea ‘crazy’.
The petition statement says: “It’s already often gridlock after the last crass idea of making it the access route to the two Princesshay car parks.
“Already one occupier has cited this proposal as one reason they are closing their Southernhay office after decades and leaving the city centre.
“Commercially this will ‘kill off’ one of the last thriving areas. Are they trying to shut Exeter?”
A report to the meeting says vulnerable road users find the busy road ‘unpleasant and unsafe’. It goes on: “The recommendations of this report seek to improve the area as an attractive gateway into the city centre for the high numbers of people walking, wheeling or cycling on this route. Proposals have been designed to make Barnfield Road more accessible, attractive and safe for all, supporting a vibrant city centre, and making people feel welcome and relaxed when visiting the city centre via Barnfield Road.”
The HATOC meeting will also hear a call for action at the Stoke Arms roundabout.
The Exeter Cycling Campaign spokesperson said: “We know this is a big issue for people walking to Stoke Hill schools, wheeling to the football at St James’ Park and cycling to the university and hospital
“It is a collision hotspot. We will be asking for a commitment to action and a timescale.”