{"id":455851,"date":"2026-03-03T20:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/455851\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T20:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:12:10","slug":"cycling-only-road-closed-to-drivers-since-the-pandemic-faces-pressure-to-reopen-but-council-hopeful-safe-accessible-and-attractive-cycling-routes-still-possible-cycling-news-bike-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/455851\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Cycling only’ road closed to drivers since the pandemic faces pressure to reopen, but council hopeful “safe, accessible and attractive cycling routes” still possible – Cycling News | Bike Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lengthy discussion about a road closure in Exeter, which has seen a route made \u2018cycle only\u2019 since the Covid pandemic, has resulted in the council approving a consultation on it being potentially reopened.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dryden Road was made a \u2018cycles only\u2019 route during the pandemic, the council opting to install bollards to prevent other traffic accessing the route and \u201chelping to create a safer environment for people cycling\u201d.<\/p>\n

The closure was made permanent in 2022, Devon County Council stating the move aimed to maintain lower traffic levels in the area and improve the safety and environment for people cycling.<\/p>\n

However, sections of the community have vocally opposed the closure with protests and online discussion, a petition<\/a> urging the reopening of Dryden Road attracting around 2,500 signatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe there exists an opportunity to provide safe alternative options to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,\u201d the petition\u2019s creator Helen Montgomery said.<\/p>\n

\"546927624_1307280187592972_1247548906654274715_n\"\/Exeter road closure (Image Credit: Ian Frankum\/Facebook)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current restrictions have led to displaced traffic on nearby residential roads most of which are narrower than Dryden Road and onto already busy and congested bus routes. Local residents believe this has created unsafe and unhealthy walking routes especially to nearby schools and nurseries.\u201d<\/p>\n

The council accepted \u201cconcerns were raised about the impact of diverted traffic on nearby roads\u201d and implemented a review, something which has now led to a consultation.<\/p>\n

Giving residents three options, the council says any change will look to deliver on \u201csupporting safe, accessible and attractive walking and cycling routes along Dryden Road, Bovemoors Lane and the E9 corridor\u201d.<\/p>\n

It also must, the council said, \u201crespond to local concerns by reviewing traffic impacts and exploring balanced solutions\u201d. To that context the local authority has launched a consultation<\/a> until 12pm on 5 April 2026.<\/p>\n

The first proposed option would install a bus gate and allow access to \u201cauthorised vehicles\u201d such as taxis, waste collection and the emergency services. The closure to other motorists would be ANPR camera enforced and the speed limit would be reduced to 20mph.<\/p>\n

> \u201cWe can\u2019t wait for some horrible accident outside the school before we do anything\u201d: No funding for safety schemes at Exeter school where driver hit child on bike, as council vows to \u201cdeal with fallout\u201d from scrapping of controversial LTN<\/a><\/p>\n

The second proposed option would involve the same lower speed limit, one-way traffic allowed, and a contraflow cycleway installed.<\/p>\n

The third option, most popular with those who have campaigned for the route to be reopened, involves two-way traffic being restored and two-way painted cycle lanes being installed.<\/p>\n

Devon County Council noted that option one would be the cheapest, while the cost of option three would be \u201chigh\u201d (expected to be somewhere between \u00a3200,000 and \u00a31m).<\/p>\n

In a further option, titled 3b, the council suggested reopening the road and keeping on-street parking. In other words, reopening the road without the proposed cycling infrastructure, something the council admitted would mean \u201cpoor\u201d access for those on bikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cProvision suitable for few people and will exclude most potential users and\/or have safety concerns,\u201d the local authority admitted.<\/p>\n

Local campaigner Ian Frankum, who has called for the reopening of Dryden Road for several years, called the consultation \u201cthe culmination of a lot of hard work\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have said all along there is room for all on this wide arterial road, and only Option Three provides that,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The Exeter Cycling Campaign told Devon Live<\/a> it encouraged people to make their voices heard during the consultation period but stressed it would \u201csee the details of the consultation\u201d before sharing a campaign view.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus will be on safety and connection, solving issues raised by stakeholders and good value for money for hard-won active travel funding,\u201d the campaign said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lengthy discussion about a road closure in Exeter, which has seen a route made \u2018cycle only\u2019 since the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-455851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}