Survey Looks at the State of Roads in Truro and Cornwall

Like it or lump it, Truro is the capitol city of Cornwall and as such, we have the busiest roads.  Combine with that some above average snowfall in the town and the tarmacced surfaces (although not quite the potholed tracks from a 60’s western) are constantly under repair.  It is a grumble we hear a lot at Truropeople, and one supported by findings from a recent AA survey. 

2010 Optimism

We reported (perhaps optimistically) last summer that Cornwall Council could be set to receive extra funding for road maintenance, with a new ethos of ‘not rewarding councils’ who have failed to keep up with necessary yearly repairs with extra cash.  Instead, the money would go to councils with a relatively good track record – like CC. 

However, this was before the full weight of wider budget cuts was revealed.  And before the snow.

AA Survey

With a broad representative response of over 1900 people, the survey looked at not just potholes, but litter, ‘repaired areas’ and quality of road signs as well.

Broadly

As is so often the case with surveys of this type (such as the crime or energy use surveys we discussed in the past), Cornwall achieved ‘middle of the road’ status.  Once again, we were yellow – indicating our smack-bang in the middle road quality when all the issues were compiled – and once again, our neighbours in Plymouth received an unsightly red.

Details

Although for potholes, uneven footpaths and blocked drains we rank just above average,  there are some downsides.  Notably, we were below average for other key assessment areas, such as ‘patched repairs’, roadwork disruption and poorly displayed road signs/markings.

Questions

Although the survey is a good indicator, it is not without its flaws – notably in the level of detail.  Regions and counties are the point of comparison, rather than individual towns or postcodes.  That said, much of the ‘Cornwall’ data seems accurate for Truro – roadworks and poor road layout being the major problems, rather than potholes. 

Yet, we imagine our friends in Falmouth or St Austell, who must wear a neck brace when travelling to work, would contest that last part.

Have your say.

Where are the worst potholes in Truro?  How do you think we compare with other cities around the country, or with towns/villages in Cornwall?