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ITEM EX14 - ANNEX 2

EXECUTIVE – 15 OCTOBER 2002

CARTERTON, WITNEY AND OXFORD – TRANSPORT LINKS

Phase 1

              1. Improvements to Wolvercote Roundabout

                2. One of the changes that could be achieved within the short term is the improvement of Wolvercote Roundabout. The consultants have looked at a variety of schemes to enhance both the capacity and safety of the roundabout. They have concluded that significant changes to the roundabout would be very expensive and have major environmental implications. These costs would not be offset by the relatively small benefits that would be gained in terms of reduced traffic congestion, owing to the fact that changes at the roundabout would not solve problems caused by the queuing traffic on the "drowned" exits (e.g. Woodstock Road).

                A lower cost signalisation scheme has been prepared which would control circulation speeds within the roundabout and "meter" queuing lengths on the various approaches to the roundabout. The signal control scheme also includes improved crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Further details of the signalisation scheme are set out in the consultants’ report that has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre. A first stage in the process involving demarcation of the circulation lanes, some kerb realignment and a pedestrian refuge on the Sunderland Avenue arm, could be progressed within the current financial year.

              2. New A40 to A44/A34 highway link

                3. One means of reducing the eastbound queue on the approach to Wolvercote Roundabout would be to build a new link across to the A34 or A44. This would allow 20% of the A40 traffic approaching the Wolvercote Roundabout to avoid the queue. Taking this traffic out of the Wolvercote Roundabout (and the opposite movement from A44 to A40) would reduce congestion at the roundabout and assist the satisfactory working of the signalisation scheme described above.

                The County Council’s engineering consultants, Babtie, have looked at a number of options for the alignment of a highway link between the A40 and A34/A44. In broad terms the choice for the alignments is to leave the A40 west of the A34 overbridge or at some point between the A34 overbridge and Wolvercote Roundabout. None of the options seek to link the A40 to the A34 Pear Tree Interchange directly, not only because this would be difficult in engineering terms but also because such a link would need to be approved by the Highways Agency which would be unlikely in the short or medium term while the A34 multi-modal corridor study is being progressed.

                The plan included in Annex 3 shows the alignments of the 4 options considered by the consultants (in addition to the "do-nothing" option). Three options involve taking a route across from the A40 at various points to the west of the A34 overbridge, and linking to the A44 Loop Farm Roundabout (just north of the Pear Tree interchange). The other option would involve taking a shorter link from the A40 to the A44, east of the A34 overbridge. A brief summary of the assessment of the alignment options is provided in Annex 4 to this report with a much more detailed assessment provided in the consultants’ report which has been placed on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre.

                The consultants have concluded that the Option 5 alignment (coming off the A40 just to the east of the A34 overbridge and joining the A44 opposite the park and ride junction), would offer the greatest benefits in terms of reducing traffic pressures and improving the accessibility of Pear Tree P&R while minimising capital and environmental costs. The consultants’ report provides a detailed description of how the highway link would operate. It could be constructed in advance of, or at the same time as, this section of the GTE route. A brief summary is provided in Annex 5 to this report.

              3. Bus Priority on A40 approach to link road

                4. The data from the roadside interviews along the A40 has demonstrated that many of the people driving along the route are heading for non-city centre destinations particularly in the Headington area. It will be important to provide direct and congestion free bus services to these non-city centre destinations if some people are to be encouraged to transfer to bus. It is therefore suggested that bus priority measures should be incorporated at a number of locations along the route. The first of these would be on the A40 at the junction with the proposed new link road to the A44 (see above). It is proposed that there should be a short stretch of bus lane of approximately 200m, linked to pre-signals so that buses could be given priority on the approach to the link road. The length of the bus lane could be extended in future years dependent on the extent of general traffic queues along the A40.

              4. Cassington Signals

                5. Here, it is proposed that Phase 1 of the Strategy should include a thorough review of the operation of this junction. The objective would be to not only provide priority for both eastbound and westbound buses but also to minimise delays to general traffic.

              5. Eynsham Roundabout

                6. Similarly, it is proposed that Phase 1 should include the design and implementation of short stretches of bus priority on the A40 eastbound and westbound approaches to the Eynsham Roundabout as part of an enhancement for general traffic.

              6. Pear Tree Park and Ride Interchange

                7. The proposed link road together with the improvement to the A44 bus lane (see below) would enhance the attraction of Pear Tree for those travelling from West Oxfordshire. To help to reinforce this it is suggested that the car park should be upgraded so that the interchange facilities will match those being provided at the Water Eaton site.

              7. A44 Bus Lane

                8. Another change that is suggested, to improve bus priority is to extend the existing A44 bus lane closer to the Wolvercote Roundabout. This would require some reconfiguration of the existing A44 traffic lanes and movement of the central reservation near the roundabout.

              8. B4044 Swinford Toll Bridge approaches

One scheme currently being investigated as part of OCC’s Premium Routes Network is the provision of bus priority in the vicinity of the Swinford Toll Bridge, between Eynsham and Oxford, along the alternative B4044 route. This should help to encourage those who have destinations on the west side of Oxford and the city centre to use buses.

Phase 2 – Medium Term

The benefits brought by the Phase 1 measures described above, including the new highway link, changes to Wolvercote Roundabout and the bus priority, would certainly bring improvement to traffic conditions along the A40. In the longer term, however, these would be eroded by growing travel demands including those arising from the expansion of housing and population in West Oxfordshire. One means of responding to growing traffic demands along the A40 would be to extend the short section of A40 bus lane approaching the A40/A44 link (see above). The advantage of the Phase 1 proposals described above is that they can be adapted to be compatible with the County Council’s GTE/guided bus proposal (see Annex 5 and consultants report).

The second phase of the strategy for the A40 can therefore be seen as the integration of the Phase 1 measures with the guided bus link between Pear Tree park and ride and the city centre. This would mean that in around 6 to 7 years from now (subject to the successful implementation of the GTE system), buses arriving from the west would be able to turn off the A40 at the new signal controlled junction to travel in to the central area at high speed along the traffic free guideway.

Witney Area Park and Ride

A site for a park and ride car park is included in the draft West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011, as part of the North Curbridge Development Area on the west side of Witney. It is possible that a park and ride could become operational within a 6 to 7 year timescale that could mean that park and ride services from Witney could link in to the GTE guideway from the edge of Oxford to the city centre.

Phase 3 - Longer Term

A third stage of the strategy, perhaps 10 to 15 years from now, would see the extension of Oxford GTE system from the edge of the city out to Eynsham, Witney and Carterton. It would, as the rail study consultants suggested, be possible to use sections of the old disused railway, as well as modified sections of on-carriageway bus lane where appropriate. A GTE link out to West Oxfordshire would be a major scheme in its own right and would need to funding support from Government with private funding probably playing a role, including appropriate contributions from developers. The phasing of the link is unclear at this stage but it would make sense to provide the section between Witney and Eynsham first (which would not have any bus priority in place beforehand). This would probably be followed by the section between Carterton and Witney and finally the section between Eynsham and Oxford. A schematic plan of the components of the 3-phase strategy is shown in Annex 1.

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