Welcome to the beautiful land of... Snowconia
ANTI-PARKING measures installed along a popular Snowdonia route have been condemned as a hazard to motorists and pedestrians.
Hundreds of traffic cones were put in place on either side of the A5 in the Ogwen Valley as a response to the parking chaos which enveloped the area last summer.
Some people have since nicknamed the national park “Snowconia” and bemoaned the visual blight of so much orange and white plastic.
The biggest gripe has been about the narrowing of the carriageway by cones lining each side of the road, forcing vehicles towards the centre.
Pedestrians and cyclists have complained about the need to dodge cones too.
The issue has been highlighted by Snowdonia Mountain Community, a Facebook platform for promoting the national park’s mountains and coastline.
“These measures are on the verge of being dangerous,” it said.
“They push the flow of traffic over to the centre of the road, giving vehicles or bikes less space to react. The cones may stop vehicles parking but they are causing an obstruction to pedestrians, some of whom have to step into the road.”
Parking has long been a problem in the Ogwen Valley, especially in peak season. There are designated parking laybys but these fill rapidly.
Matters came to a head last summer with the easing of the first lockdown when hundreds of motorists were fined for parking illegally along the stretch of road.
Traffic Wales then began deploying the cones at busy times, with the latest batch put out before Easter.
A part-time, temporary speed restriction was also introduced in a bid to improve safety for all road users, not just motorists.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Following discussions with
North Wales Police, traffic cones were placed at specific locations along the A5 at Llyn Ogwen prior to the Easter holidays to prevent obstructive and dangerous parking where a double white line system is present.”
Later today Traffic Wales is expected to issue a joint statement with Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) warning Bank Holiday visitors to park responsibly and, where possible, use park-andride facilities.
The traffic cones are seen as a short-term solution to the area’s parking woes. More permanent measures are being investigated as SNPA looks to improve the national park’s sustainability credentials.
However, some Facebook contributors insist the cones are “less dangerous” than having to navigate around parked cars and cyclists.
Others have called for all parking in Ogwen Valley to be banned except for motorists who have booked tickets at the visitor centre.
A few want to see the current solid white line on the Capel Curig-bound carriageway – which discourages parking – replaced by double yellow
lines, which prohibit parking.
“As it stands, for years people have been parking there & getting tickets or towed & up in arms, as it’s never been clear,” wrote one Facebook user. “Double yellows would make it clear for everyone.”
Snowdonia Mountain Community suggested the A5 through the Ogwen Valley could even become a “red route”, while retaining designated parking areas.
Originally introduced in 1929 in London, parking restrictions on red routes are generally tougher and more rigorously enforced.