Plymouth, Roads and Streets

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ROADS AND STREETS

ONE-WAY STREETS

Updated: 17 April 2011

It appears that Old Town Street was the first stretch of one-way street in Plymouth. This was in operation during 1926 [1]. Presumably this relates to the section of Old Town Street between the junction with Market Avenue and the point where it joined Tavistock Road. It is not yet clear if the part of Tavistock Road between the junction with Old Town Street and the junction with Ebrington Street was also one-way given that the trams were still using it in both directions.

George Street became one-way as from 9am on Monday January 31st 1927. South-bound traffic was officially diverted via Westwell Street and Lockyer Street but as that route was used by slow-moving trams most motorists preferred to use the route through Frankfort Street and Courtenay Street, although this caused congestion at Bank of England Place. [1]

At the Watch Committee meeting of Plymouth City Council on December 13th 1933, it was:

'Resolved and ordered in pursuance of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, that the following routes be observed by all carts, carriages, and horses in the following streets; viz. :-

George Street, Plymouth
From Bank of England Place to Bedford Street, excluding exit from Hick's Lane;

Old Town Street
From Old Town Avenue to Tavistock Road;

Saltash Street
From Old Town Street to Duke Street;

Tavistock Road
From Park Stret to Ebrington Street;

Hyde Park Corner
By-pass road from Mutley Plain to Hyde Park Road;

Bath Street
From Millbay Road to Union Street;

King Street, Morice Square (West and North sides)
From Fore Street to Marlborough Street;

Marlborough Street
From Marlborough Row to Fore Street;

Ferry Road
From west end of Labour Exchange to Ferry Entrance;

Pottery Road
From Ferry Entrance to John Street;

Athenaeum Place
From Lockyer Street to George Street;

Manor Street
From King Street to Alice Street.

A request that York Street should be made one-way was passed to the Traffic Sub-Committee for consideration.

Sources:

[1] "Another One-Way Street: Solving Traffic Problems", Western Morning News, Plymouth, February 1st 1927.