Give us your views on cycle schemes for Oxford
Oxford’s cyclists and rental e-scooter riders can look forward to a safer, purpose-built series of new rapid cycle routes across Oxford known as quickways as part of the next phase of the county’s investment in its active travel infrastructure.
The proposals for the schemes for Oxford result from a major funding award from the government’s Active Travel Fund to upgrade infrastructure to increase levels of walking, cycling and use of rented e-scooters.
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking views from local residents, businesses, and groups who regularly use the roads where the cycle routes will be installed, whether you are based in the city itself or you travel along the roads for work or visits.
Quickways form a part of Oxfordshire County Council’s cycle network and its overall active travel programme, which aims to increase cycling, walking and sustainable travel with next generation infrastructure. It is all part of a commitment to reduce carbon emissions, support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic and make Oxfordshire a healthy place to live and visit.
Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This is great news for cyclists in Oxford. The funding from the Department for Transport recognises the ambition of our Active Travel plans. It enables us to build on our existing commitment to accelerate bold plans for transforming how people travel and how communities are connected. Upgrading our cycling infrastructure is vital so we can minimise emissions and motorised vehicle journeys and help to sustain healthy, active communities.”
“Active travel and climate action are at the heart of our plans. We have put forward schemes which will have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit.”
Quickway cycle routes provide a much more continuous route for cyclists with minimal delay, diversions or need to stop, allowing a consistent riding speed of 20mph where possible. The features of each quickway (where deliverable in the road scheme) are:
• Minimum 1.5m cycle lane width or on-road cycle symbols;
• Advanced stop lines at each traffic light junction and pedestrian crossing;
• Removal of on-street parking spaces where required; and
• Removal of centre lines where feasible.
Most of the quickway routes will be installed on busy commuter routes in east Oxford including Cowley Road/Oxford Road, Iffley Road/Henley Avenue/Rose Hill, St Clement’s Street, Donnington Bridge Road and Marston Road.
Further routes are planned for Morrell Avenue, Banbury Road/St Giles and Parks Road. Parks Road is proposed as a quietway that provides a link into the Banbury Road/St Giles quickway. Quietways are well-connected cycle routes, with similar principles as quickways but following routes with lower traffic activity and are less direct.
The quickways consultation opens on 20 September and closes at 23.59 on 10 October.
You can learn more about the quickway schemes for Oxford on the county council’s website, and you can have your say, view the plans and examine some frequently asked questions on Let’s Talk Oxfordshire.
If you, or anyone else you know, needs a paper copy the feedback survey or information in a different format or language, please email quickways@Oxforshire.gov.uk or call the council’s customer service team on 01865 792 422.
Please note our customer service team is unable to answer detailed questions about the quickway proposals.