Queen Street cycle lane plans scrapped

By Ollie Heptinstall, Local Democracy Reporter.

Plans previously agreed to make the one-way layout of Exeter’s Queen Street permanent are being scaled back due to “significant increases” in costs.

In January, councillors agreed to spend £250,000 constructing a layout similar to the current ‘pop-up’ one, which was installed early in 2021 to help with social distancing and to encourage more walking and cycling.

As part of the agreed scheme, approved by the Exeter highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC), the southern pavement opposite the Royal Albert Memorial Museum will be widened with two cycle lanes added either side of a single lane for motor vehicles.

The road will also remain one-way eastbound between Paul Street and Northernhay Street, while the Iron Bridge will become permanently one-way westbound from Paul Street to south of Dinham Road.

But Devon County Council now says, “significant increases in the cost of materials and engineering work over the past year means that the layout of the scheme needs to be revised to remain in budget.”

This includes scrapping the new cycle lanes planned for Queen Street.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We’re committed to making the temporary restrictions on Queen Street permanent as they have made a number of positive changes – collisions on Queen Street have reduced, cycling numbers have increased and air quality has improved.

They explained that due to the higher costs involved, “an alternative layout is now being considered using the existing signalised junction of Paul Street and Queen Street, instead of the shuttle signal arrangement in place for the temporary scheme.

“This will reduce the time buses, taxis and cycles heading west towards the Clock Tower will have to wait for a green light.

“While the traffic flow remains the same as the pilot scheme with bicycles, buses and taxis only allowed to travel westbound, the revised layout doesn’t include cycle lanes on Queen Street,” the spokesperson said.

When the temporary measures were first introduced, Devon County Council described them as ‘temporary,’ but a four-week consultation on whether to keep them subsequently took place last year, following a recommendation from HATOC.

Of around 600 public responses received, they were broadly spilt 50-50, though improving the area for pedestrians was broadly welcomed and the majority of local organisations were in favour, including Exeter College.

However, nearby St David’s Primary School was against the changes, while the public consultation found the majority of properties on Queen Street, Dinham Road and St David’s Hill wanted the temporary measures scrapped altogether.

Will Pratt, the council’s lead for transport, strategy and infrastructure delivery said traffic volumes had reduced by 25 per cent on Queen Street and 35 per cent on the Iron Bridge since the changes were introduced, while the number of people cycling on Queen Street and Iron Bridge has gone up.

Local residents and traders are now being asked for their feedback on the amended proposals.