Truro Quiet Lanes Trial

We regularly walk our dog along these routes and the quiet lane scheme has not deterred the majority of users. Today there was traffic queuing at the ford at the bottom of Treworder hill.
As things stand how can you evaluate a scheme when nothing has changed.
As someone who walks these routes daily a more serious issue is the speed that some irresponsible people drive at. Maybe an enforced speed limit would be an all round result.

On Monday my spouse started to haemorrhage heavily. There was a telephone queue for an ambulance and a 20 minute queue for 111. I broke the law and took him to A&E via the quiet lanes rather than sit in the 5pm traffic through Truro. Thank goodness these lanes exist or the outcome may have been so much worse. Yes there was opposing traffic which we had to negotiate but it was not a problem. What more can I say other than these lanes are a literally a lifeline across the valley for all.

The traffic in Truro has become extremely congested with all traffic now having to go through Truro rather than allowing some to go across the valley via the "Truro Quiet Lanes". Using the bypass and the Sainsbury's roundabout at peak times has become very frustrating with traffic queued for long periods of time. My average journey time has increased by 15 minutes, if this is the case for most road users then this has to be bad for the environment and, in particular, the residents, walkers, and cyclists of Truro using or living along these now very congested roads. Traffic congestion increases vehicle emissions and degrades ambient air quality, and studies have shown excess morbidity and mortality for individuals living near major roadways and those using them. There is no doubt this scheme has increased overall emissions from commuters now being stationary on the main roads through Truro. These increased emissions are now highly concentrated on the many, living on the now major congested roads, for the benefit of the few residents who don't like cars on "their" roads. I pay council tax in Cornwall and pay road tax, and I am struggling to understand how roads can just be closed and kept for the exclusive use of certain minority of the community. I would like to understand:
1) Why do the residents of country houses / homes in the "Truro Quiet Lanes" area now have priory over what are public assets, these roads were paid for and are maintained by everyone that pays council tax in Cornwall?
2) Why was this implemented with no prior consultation or the collection and publication of hard data? I think in reality we would all prefer not to have traffic on the streets where we live, however, this is not reality of modern life in what is a rural county.
3) Why was this implemented without thinking about the knock on effect and schemes to alleviate traffic increases elsewhere?
4) If there is an issue with speed on these lanes, then why not introduce speed humps or speed cameras?

This scheme is ill thought through, and has a very detrimental impact on the many for the benefit of the few.

Dr Cooper

These closures are pushing traffic on to already extremely busy roads; traffic calming measures in the lanes would be more appropriate. Kenwyn road has seen a noticeable increase in traffic, much of it travelling in excess of the speed limit. Average speed check cameras are urgently needed on this road as this is a walking route to and from St Mary's Primary and to all the Secondary Schools for children that live in the area. Children are walking sometime only a foot away from cars, lorries, vans and tractors where the road narrows and some even mount the pavement to pass oncoming vehicles. Moreover, cars often ignore the zebra crossing further up the hill. The quiet lane proposal must be accompanied by appropriate safety measures on the other roads in to town that are seeing more traffic. Surely we should be encouraging more walking and cycling in to town/to school to reduce congestion and pollution, not making it more dangerous?

Regarding the quiet lanes project between threemilestone and shortlanesend I'll be very curious to know what do you mean when you say you are using data.

Any data collected about cyclist and walkers will be poor quality with small subjective samples whereas any car data will have the benefit of road traffic counting boxes along  with signs discouraging and banning motorists.  Even without the trial I can tell you traffic will decrease as you've put up signs!!


Being a cyclist, motorcyclist, walker and car driver using these routes I noted Councillor Roden correctly points out: “It’s all well and good leaving these lanes for bikes and walkers but unless you’re a Tour De France cyclist you’re not going to be able to make it up New Mills Lane.

Current cyclists like myself use these places anyway and know the traffic risks just like many miles of other roads in Cornwall.
New  brigade of cyclists will not make it up these hills anyway unless on e bikes.

What is your plan to gather data? Please don't tell me a survey!! You are not convincingly going to argue walking and cycling have increased unless you have people 'spotting' over miles and miles of lanes, counting each walker and cyclist, I guess that's not happening!

I despair at how you are effectively condemning people of Shortlanesend to misery to the north at the A30 dualling works or misery into Truro via Kenwyn.
I question the real reason, perhaps to appease developers around Langarth? After all what is better than telling them the lanes around their development have been closed to a lot of locals!

I’m another who lives on and often walks in the quiet lanes, and have seen little or no reduction in traffic.

Object. Is this exercise actually legal ?The ETRO sealed document has a glaring mistake within it that has not been picked up on by the authors or the legal department of the council

If this becomes permanent, we will have a choice of 1. Moving house
2. Changing schools 3. Subjecting the children to an hour long journey in traffic every morning. ALL OF WHICH AFFECT THE CHILDREN BADLY!
There are alternatives.
The area in question is almost totally devoid of any footpaths, that could easily be added, in many areas, on the safe side of the hedge. Signage could request that drivers drive below 20 mph and give right of way to cyclists and pedestrians. More passing places could be made.
And to claim it helps the environment to cause 200 cars a longer journey every single day, in preference for 3 dog wallers on a sunny day is beyond insanity. Have they not heard of climate change?
The current situation is ridiculous! The idea should be scrapped.

I have used the back lanes for almost 2 years as I work at the hospital. The closure has added 35 mins on average to my daily commute due to the traffic. I fail to see how spending that kind of time in traffic protects the environment. I live in Bodmin and using the back lanes I got home at 17:45 I now walk through the door at 18:20. The cost to my time and that added cost to my fuel bill is so much that I see little choice but to begin looking for alternative employment if the closure becomes permanent. It is a terrible thing that someone feels that they must look for another job because of a decision the council has made.

Disgusted with this proposal!
Our MAIN roads do not cope with the traffic we already have, but for some reason the Council continues to over develop the Truro area without sorting the inadequate road system.
Surely the infrastructure should come before developing over priced housing? But don’t worry because our corrupt Council will destroy yet another beautiful valley and allow 4,000+ more houses at Langarth and a stadium we don’t need! Of course this quiet road scheme has nothing to do with them panicking about the extra traffic from that using the back roads.
The locals are punished with housing they can’t afford and now we are being told we can’t use our local back roads either!
If you have money you can buy land/property or obtain planning permission in these beautiful valleys, then have the cheek to claim them for yourselves, - these are not private drives for the privileged….. Some of us were born in this area, work in the area and pay road tax too.

I think it is a great idea. I have noticed a reduction in cars, but still a lot of people ignoring the signs and using it as a cut through. Some of the cars are driving so fast. I'm hoping that it will become quieter so we can start walking and cycling with the little ones.

I think it’s a good idea in theory so that more can walk down these lanes but in reality it’s made no difference the lanes are just as busy as ever if not busier!

I think it has put car users in an impossible choice of roads to get across the valley. Truro is congested to brimming in the mornings and just getting into the traffic at Highertown is a little like fairground dodgem cars! Taking at least 15 mins extra to get to the hospital or the school. Taking the route on the A30 also adds time on getting to the school or hospital. Often being queued to get onto the A30 and then Chiverton roundabout. I definitely do not agree with closure of the lanes when it is such a good way to get across the valley. Admitted some people do drive a little faster than necessary and maybe that is good to focus on and if possible monitor! Roads are for driving on, not just built for walkers and horse riders and cyclists. I have not heard of any accidents, personally, or injuries of drivers using these back roads. To be honest, our little road is used massively where I live in Shortlanesend, and stepping out onto it is equally as annoying but it’s a road and that is where cars are going to drive! 🤔

This is horrendous, it is pushing more pollution and traffic on to the main road to Truro, enabling possibly more accidents and more traffic through one road. Instead it should be speed limiting like speed bumps or a quiet time like a bus lane rather than restricting completely and pushing people on to one road which gather more pollution and more traffic in one spot. I cannot believe money has been spent on this you would have been better off spending it on Boris bikes than this what a waste of money.

Having lived in the village of Shortlanesend for 20 years I have often walked the back lanes with my children and our dog and I can hand on heart say I have no issues with the volume of traffic that we’re using the lanes . Yes on occasion speed has been an issue but never volume of traffic . A simple speed calming or speed restrictions would suffice rather than the system you are trying to implement now .
There are arguments from both sides and I understand that but at the end of the day we are simply moving the issue into Truro city centre and to do this at the same time as the works on the A30 is just crazy .
Get one job complete before starting another! Our roads couldn’t cope before and have no hope now !
This needs to be stopped and thought through properly and done at a time that the roads aren’t already overloaded.

If these closures are to continue, more needs to be done about the other roads that the traffic is pushed out on to.
Average speed cameras please.
Particularly on Kenwyn Road. It’s notorious for speeding as it’s a hill, and has a lot of residential and community facilities along it.
The safety of other areas affected by this must be addressed, and soon.

I fully support the "romantic" idea of quiet back lanes and that traffic should stick to main roads. However, it is a fact and reality that the local road infrastructure is insufficient for the present day traffic volume. Continued development on the outskirts of Truro have largely been responsible for this and the proposed development at Langarth will exacerbate the problem. The B3284 has become a major feeder road into Truro, with traffic avoiding parts of the A30, A39 and A390. However, in my experience, the majority of the traffic using the back lanes, is local traffic rather than from a wider area, which has little to gain by using the lanes.

I have to say that some of the comments made by certain individuals are preposterous. Yes, some drivers travel too fast along the back lanes, but most are sensible - I very often walk and cycle in the lanes and it is only the odd individual that drives inappropriately, as on all other roads. A lower speed limit would be useless, as without enforcement would not be complied with - the same issue with the "no motor vehicles except for access" signs.

Although I support the ethos behind the proposal, I have to admit that having taken into account all the factors, I reluctantly cannot support the scheme. The main roads will only get more congested and drivers will ignore signs that are not enforced. The issue stems from a lack of forward thinking by Cornwall Council, when continually granting planning permission for developments, without doing anything about the infrastructure.

Finally, the consultation should have taken place before the trial, following a detailed road census, not just counting vehicles. With the money spent on the scheme including permanent looking signs, etc., it gives the impression it is a done deal!

I think this scheme is not a good idea as it puts more vehicles on the other roads. Coming from shortlanesend to go to Truro college, I would have to take the Kenwyn road down in to town. I would go up train station hill up to county hall and we all know this road is a nightmare at the best of times. It's added an extra 20 minutes to the journey which doesn't help with air pollution. The traffic in Truro is getting much worse unfortunately.

I have never used the ‘trial area’ due to living on Treyew Road, but from the day the trial started my commute to work now take 20 minutes longer due to traffic around sainsburys roundabout, this is 100% due to the amount of extra cars now having to use this road daily instead. You’ve made an already busy road, BUSIER!!

the amount of brain dead women speeding through the back lanes was unbelievable 98.4% of them cannot reverse. they have no business being down there. They are a complete danger to other road users.

its a much better place now!!!!!
keep the lanes quiet
all you lazy bums complaining GET OUT OF BED EARLIER!!!!!!!!