Traffic!

Or should I say Triffic !?





I'm really quite disappointed that the traffic system in Totnes is being reversed again.
In its current format I believe the town benefits from increased footfall.
People can walk more safely in the main street, so are more inclined to do so and spend time there.
The nature of the shops in the town is that they are for ambling past and browsing in and out of.
(especially for visitors)
There has been noticeably less traffic and it has been lovely to spend some time in town.
If I feel that then surely visitors do too.

Allowing the traffic all the way up once again invites visitors to just drive up the town - they may well not stop - just drive through and gawp.
If they drive up and want to stop there is nowhere for them to stop - all the on street parking seems to be always occupied.
The car parks are so badly signposted - and still to be built on at some point in the town plan?

Anyone who thinks it might alleviate the congestion along station road and the Brutus bridge is deluded.
Inviting a proportion of that traffic to drive through your Mediaeval / Elizabethan town centre at the expense of paying visitors on foot? Nonsense.
It causes vibration and physical risk to the old buildings and exhaust pollution.
Was it that long ago that there were signs in the Narrows inviting the queues of stationary traffic to turn their engines off while waiting?
There are some basic problems not being addressed.

• Coach visitors to town do not have a designated drop off / pick up point at either end of town.
• Car parks are badly signposted. If you visit the town and do park in a car park is there any information there to show you where you are and what you could go and see? No.
• Visiting from the steam train is the same - poor signage and no clear idea what routes they might take  - circular or otherwise.
• The traffic flow through Totnes along station road - constantly stopping due to the pedestrian crossings - the one by the fire station seems to have no built in delay between presses. It can go red twice in a minute! It IS possible to coordinate lights along a stretch to allow a bolus of traffic to flow right through.
• The pavements in the town - still too narrow for buggies to be pushed along. Make the road narrower and the pavement wider - -I'm not sure about removing the pavements entirely and going for a shared space scheme. Sounds too risky.

So - I am not celebrating the reversal of the traffic decision.
If it had been permanent then some work at the junction by the King Bill would have been needed; and by the Stars - but it was working fine. Plenty of people in town walking about. And what will we now get?-Plenty of people in their cars - driving through. NOT what we need.