Totnes crossing plans move ahead after 'long standing' safety concerns
Councillors have approved up to £322,000 for a new signal-controlled crossing on Totnes' busy A385 Bridgetown Hill
A new pedestrian crossing has been approved for a busy road in Totnes after residents raised concerns about the difficulty of crossing it.
Devon county councillors have agreed to spend up to £322,000 on a signal-controlled crossing on the A385 Bridgetown Hill, just west of Blackpost Lane.
The decision follows a petition from local people and concerns about the volume and speed of traffic using the road.
A traffic survey in May recorded more than 16,000 vehicles travelling along Bridgetown Hill between 7am and 7pm.
The road has a 30mph speed limit, while a separate survey in 2023 found that 15 per cent of drivers were travelling at more than 34mph.
A new crossing will have pedestrian signals and push buttons, along with paving designed to help people with visual impairments.
Two nearby bus stops will also be moved a short distance west.
Double yellow lines are proposed around the crossing to help keep drivers' views clear and allow buses to pull into the stops.
Several possible locations were considered, but the steepness and bends on Bridgetown Hill limited the options.
A zebra crossing was also ruled out because of the volume and speed of traffic.
The crossing is intended to make it easier for people to reach bus services on both sides of the road, including routes serving Paignton, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Stoke Gabriel and Torbay Hospital.
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, chair of the South Hams Highways and Traffic Orders Committee, said: “This is a busy road and we know how difficult it can be for people to get across it, so I’m really pleased we can now move ahead with this crossing.”
She said the decision followed concerns raised by local people over a number of years and would help residents in Bridgetown, including those trying to reach the bus stops.
Formal notices for the crossing and changes to parking restrictions will now be advertised, with nearby residents notified of the proposals.
The plans prompted a mixed response on Facebook after they were reported by The Moorlander last week, with some questioning the £322,000 cost and whether a crossing was the best way to improve safety.
Others welcomed the decision, pointing to the difficulty of crossing Bridgetown Hill to reach bus stops and the need for young people and other pedestrians to use the route.
One commenter said the crossing would be a “god send” for parents whose children have to cross the road to get to college or work, while another said the volume of traffic, rather than speed alone, was the main problem.
There were also concerns about driver behaviour and whether motorists would be prepared for a crossing on the hill.