Huge thanks to the 12 Campaign volunteers (and a dog) who spent 12 hours on 19 June doing a 7AM to 7PM count of everyone on foot, bike and wheels using the new crossings, segregated paths and side-road crossings at Rifford Road.

What did we find?

After just three months of being fully open the survey revealed:

• a total of 1,190 daily journeys by foot, wheels and bike

• 404 of those were using bikes, a 50% increase over Devon County Council pre-scheme counts

• 317 (a whooping 27% of the total) of the journeys were by children showing how they are one of the the key user groups for these schemes and yet they have little or no voice in consultations

• 126 of the users were of older age or using mobility scooters and wheelchairs

• 5% were identifiable as NHS key workers making journeys to and from the hospital

We estimate that is over half a million miles of journeys on bikes, scooters, wheelchairs and mobility scooters made safer and easier every year.

The survey found a huge diversity of people using the improved route, including mobility scooter users, cargo bikes doing the school run, nurses and doctors walking to the hospital and children scooting to the park.

What was the highlight?

James Diamond- our Chair- was really happy to see a young woman leave on the  primary school run from the social housing flats on Rifford Road with her daughter at about 0815 AM.  She was on a kick-scooter and her daughter on a bike.  They could step out on to a safe path right in front of their home and take a safe, easy and cheap journey to school.  That was simply impossible a few months ago.

In this area of Exeter, almost 40% of households have no access to a car, so journeys on foot, wheels and bike are key to getting around.

I have read on Facebook that it cost a lot and everyone still cycles on the road?

Using Government figures we estimate that the journeys made safer and easier by the improvements are saving the public purse about £120,000 per year in reduced congestion, improved health benefits and reduced air pollution  – bringing immediate benefits as well as year-on-year savings.

Of the 404 people on bikes, we recorded just 16 (that is just 4% of all the bikes) using the road in 12 hours.  Pre-scheme, Devon County Council recorded 256 people on bikes using the road in a 12 hour count, so in reality people on bikes on the road have almost disappeared thanks to the improvements.  That is better for people on bikes and better for people driving too.

How was it before?

Travel on Rifford Road was a bit of a mess. Previously we had a pot-holed road whose design encouraged speed and risk-taking; no safe road crossings for children, visually impaired and older people, and children cycling to school faced with the choice of mixing with buses and lorries on the road or with pedestrians and mobility scooters on the uneven, neglected pavement.

It is no surprise that over the past 10 years emergency services were called to a collision each year on Rifford Road, costing hundreds of thousands pounds, causing delays, and breaking bones and ruining lives.

The Rifford Road improvements are a win-win for people using all types of transport

Could it be even better?

Yes!

Some of the design features, such as the side-road crossings and bus stop  designs, are relatively new to Exeter. The Campaign is pleased that Devon County Council have used the latest design standards, continues to carefully monitor how they are settling in, and have implemented careful safety audits.  As experience grows and monitoring continues the Campaign hopes the Council will implement any further improvements needed to make the street design even more inclusive for all.  

The Campaign are raring to go for the next pieces in the jigsaw: improvements to the Honiton Road crossing and better pavements, crossings and paths to Lidl, the Wonford health and leisure centres and pharmacy, and through the roundabouts on Burnthouse Lane, so even more people have the choice of safe, easy and cheap local journeys.

This was a big project for Devon County Council and we congratulate councillors and officers on their vision and on delivering such a high quality design on time and under budget.

You can read more on our Facebook and Bluesky pages.

Please like, comment and share our posts and let your Devon County Councillor know what a great success their investment has been .