Achi news desk-
Southampton City Council’s project in Glen Eyre Road, Bassett, aims to reduce traffic speeds and encourage active travel.
The £850,000 project included building a shoulder on one side of the road to narrow the road, replacing a small roundabout with a raised table and a new pedestrian crossing.
The route provides a connection between the University of Southampton campus and its largest halls of residence, as well as a link to Chilworth Park and Chandler’s Ford.
A ward councilor said they couldn’t find anyone who liked the changes to Glen Eyre Street, while a senior Conservative described the new infrastructure as “widespread hatred”.
Cabinet member for environment and transport, chairman Eamonn Keogh, said the plan was safe and that it had his backing.
The Labor member told councilors the changes had seen traffic speeds drop from closer to 30km/h to closer to 20km/h.
According to him, the feedback the council received, including from the university, was very supportive.
Cllr Keogh said: “It’s important to understand that what we do across the city supports our local transport plan about creating a more successful Southampton network, about creating a system for everyone and a better way to travel.”
Liberal Democrat ward councilor Richard Blackman said he had yet to come across anyone who had a positive word to say about the scheme.
He said members of the Southampton Cycle Campaign felt that Glen Eyre Road was now a less attractive route for cyclists.
Cllr Keogh said a safety audit had been carried out and no concerns had been identified.
The cabinet member said the road used to be used as a rat run but the new infrastructure has made it a less attractive option for motorists.
Conservative councilor Jeremy Moulton said: “All the feedback I’ve had is that this new scheme is widely hated by residents and cyclists alike, not least because it forces cyclists into the middle of the road into oncoming traffic.”
The structures were “strange” and made the route more difficult for cyclists, Premier Moulton said.
Cllr Keogh said: “What we need to do is change the way we all behave.
“We share road space, whether you walk, cycle or drive, and what matters and what the construction does is encourage you to give up.
“Now the difficulty we’re always going to have is people complying with the highway code and what are our expectations about how this program works.
“Over time, what we’re seeing now is the traffic speeds that were closer to 30 are now closer to 20 and that’s important because it means it’s safe and it’s also attractive (for cyclists).”
The 1.1km Glen Eyre Peace Scheme, completed in January, was funded through the Government’s Urban Transformation Program and forms part of Southampton’s Cycle Network.
At the full council meeting in March, a resident, who regularly rides Glen Eyre Road on an electric scooter as part of his commute, asked why potholes in the road were not filled while the scheme was being installed.
Cllr Keogh said resurfacing was now on the highways team’s work plan.
