Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/189

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704/Naomi Barnes, Project Manager Tel: 07824 528681

Report by Assistant Director Growth & Place, Communities (CMDE5).

The report outlines responses received to a consultation for the statutory and legal measures required to proceed with the Bicester active travel scheme. These measures include a 20mph speed limit, toucan crossings and legal conversion to shared use footway/cycle tracks. The Bicester active travel scheme in its entirety will be reported separately to the Director of Growth and Economy, under delegated authority, on 26 February for implementation decision subject to the public consultation and available funding.

The Cabinet Member for Environment is RECOMMENDED:

a)        to approve the proposed 20mph speed limit, toucan crossings and shared use footway/cycle tracks as advertised and as permanent measures;

b)        to approve the introduction of an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order including the following provisions:

i)          Waiting restrictions at Loddon Close and Villiers Road;

ii)        Width limit, loading restrictions and a contra flow cycle lane on Causeway.

Approved

Approved subject to deferral of the contra flow cycle lane proposals on the Causeway.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE5) responses received to a consultation for the statutory and legal measures required to proceed with the Bicester active travel scheme and which included a 20mph speed limit, toucan crossings and legal conversion to shared use footway/cycle tracks. The Bicester active travel scheme would in its entirety be reported separately to the Director of Growth and Economy, under delegated authority, on 26 February for implementation decision subject to the public consultation and available funding.

Chris Brennan (Sustrans) asked why closure of the Causeway as a through route had been ruled out of consideration and suggested that a trial closure at minimal expense should be considered. The Summary of Assessment for the Bicester Active Travel Scheme stated its purpose as the promotion of active travel for short journeys as opposed to carbon intensive modes and contributing to Oxfordshire County Council’s ambition of reducing carbon emissions with the aim of this second tranche of DfT funding being to support active travel interventions that would aid the reopening of the economy and social distancing; reallocate road space for cyclists and develop both cycling and walking as an attractive alternative mode of travel for short journeys.  However, a full closure to motor vehicles on Causeway had been suggested by a number of stakeholders but had not been taken forward to consultation due to a number of factors including timescales for delivery and a lack of political support. The 2020 survey of Bicester residents had included questions on how they travelled to the town centre with walking and cycling combined representing a greater proportion than car travel. The survey included questions on levels of traffic management that the local population would accept with generally a lot of support for change.  Closure of the Causeway would be beneficial and asked for a trial closure to through traffic scheduled for October 2021 to coincide with the Women’s Tour of Britain cycle race on Monday 4 October to show that Bicester really was serious about cycling and the Active Travel Scheme.

Paul Troop - Bicester Bike Users’ Group broadly support the proposals and were looking for solutions that would work for all road users including shared spaces which, while not perfect would be unavoidable where space was limited, but needed to be as wide as possible. With regard to the Causeway he asked the Cabinet Member to defer approval until the county officers had shared their plans as the current thinking seemed unworkable and dangerous.  The Causeway was a beautiful, old and characterful street that was the only real connection for pedestrians and cyclists between the town centre, Bicester Village, the historical quarter of Bicester and south and west Bicester and connecting these areas had crucial economic, health, air quality, touristic and safety importance. But it had been much neglected with provision for pedestrians poor and for cyclists non-existent in one direction, leading to widespread lawbreaking.  The optimal solution would be to close Causeway to motor vehicles as accommodating one-way motor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40