People who use Oxford’s busy Woodstock Road (A4144) are invited to share their views on proposals designed to improve public transport and make walking, cycling and mobility-aided access safer.
From today (8 May) until Wednesday 5 June, Oxfordshire County Council is asking for people’s views on the Woodstock Road Sustainable Travel Improvements Scheme.
The council is proposing changing the travel direction of an existing bus lane, as well as a number of active travel improvements to help improve bus journey reliability and make the road safer for everyone using it.
The feedback gathered will help inform a county council cabinet decision on whether to approve the work.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “I encourage people to look at the proposals and help us understand the impact they’ll have. There is a clear link between active travel and improved physical and mental health. Children who walk or cycle to school will be healthier, have a more active social life, do better in the classroom and live longer. Sitting in a traffic jam harms everyone, inside and outside the car.
“Woodstock Road is used by many people travelling by bus, bike and on foot or with mobility aids, both from within Oxford and travelling to and from other areas. By investing now and providing space and facilities for making journeys other than travelling by car, we can better manage traffic in the coming years with planned growth and housing.”
The proposals cover the area between St Giles in Oxford city centre and the Wolvercote Roundabout (A40). The proposals are designed to work with other measures to improve and encourage journeys made by walking or wheeling, cycling and public transport.
The project has two phases. Phase one involves a bus lane change, which proposes to remove part of the 24-hour southbound bus lane between Wolvercote (A40) and Squitchey Lane and replace it with a like-for-like northbound bus lane on the other side.
Phase two is focused on the southern end of the Woodstock Road and covers a series of active travel (cycling, walking and wheeling) priority measures for the Woodstock Road including:
- New and improved side road crossings.
- An extension of the shared use, off-road cycle path on the western side of Woodstock Road.
- The installation of solar studs along cycle lanes throughout Woodstock Road to improve visibility.
- A new zebra crossing on Woodstock Road between Observatory Street and Bevington Road.
- Localised sections of improvements to the condition of footway/off-road segregated cycle lanes.
- Various road marking amendments.
- A new full time bus stop clearway on the east side of the Woodstock Road.
- The relocation of a marked parking bay outside Belsyre Court.
People can take part in an online survey on the county council’s digital engagement and consultation platform, Let’s Talk Oxfordshire. The consultation closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 June 2024.
Subject to approval by the council’s cabinet, the proposed works could start this summer.
The project is funded through the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal.
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