Dryden Road discussed again
The future of the safe cycling route on Dryden Road was discussed again at the Exeter Highways Committee on 13 July.
We want to thank everyone who responded to the consultation and who spoke or attended to speak up for safe streets. That included Dryden Road residents, a hospital consultant and cycle commuters.
After very long debate, the Committee…
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voted to advertise a Traffic Regulation Order that will remove the filter and enable two way traffic and 20 MPH on the full extent of Dryden Road
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voted to consider traffic calming measures on Dryden Road, but with no timescale, commitment or budget.
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rejected all previous options for Dryden Road
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rejected installing any pedestrian crossings on any of the local streets.
We know from elsewhere that road safety is an important legal consideration in whether a Traffic Regulation proceeds.
We also know that the national expert body, Active Travel England, told the Committee in October 2025 that removal of the existing filter would introduce a critical safety issue.
A critical safety issue is defined by Active Travel England as a street layout that is associated with an increased risk of collisions.
The critical issue they identified was the risk of collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists, where cyclists are not protected from motor traffic . The particular risk is of ‘shunt’ or ‘clip’ collisions, where motor vehicles come into conflict with cyclists from behind or from alongside respectively. Lane width and the uphill slope were the key considerations they identified and which remain unaddressed in the decision made by the Committee.
We shall have to see how Devon County Council plan to address this critical safety issue and we shall be watching very closely.