ANNEX 3

Marsh Lane, Toucan Crossing

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
1.		Clays Close Resident (letter)	Yes	Supports the proposals.

Rather than the pedestrian crossing, would it be possible instead to have a traffic light system to allow us to get in and out of Horseman Close easier and safer even by car?

There is insufficient flow from Horseman Close throughout the day to warrant traffic signals.	
2.		Clays Close Resident (letter)	?	Having studied the plan of the suggested site, we feel that a crossing point of a similar distance but the city side of the junction with Horseman Close would be an improvement.  A crossing between Horseman Close and Elms Drive would be of use to even more people, including pupils of New Marston First School.  The lollipop lady has long vanished.  It would seem unlikely that many people would go out of their way to use the proposed crossing.  

Our suggestion would have two other benefits:
1.	Traffic would be slowed within the present speed limit area.
2.	It would be less costly – as new paths would not be needed.
	Surveys have indicated that more pedestrians and cyclists cross in the vicinity of the proposed crossing.

Due to its proximity to the change in speed limit the crossing will have speed detection equipment.  This provides a slightly longer time between the red signal to traffic and the green signal to cyclists and pedestrians.

	

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
3.		Elms Drive Resident (letter)	?	Because the speed of vehicles coming from the by-pass, there have been accidents at the entrance of Ox Rad with one death I would have thought it would have been better and safer to have it the other side of Horeseman Close.
	Additional speed detection is included as part of the crossing provision.

A Toucan crossing should be located 20m from the nearest junction.  It could only be located outside 68/70 Marsh Lane if we banned the right turn movement from Horseman Close, which is not considered viable and consideration was given to locating the crossing south of Horseman Close.  This would effect the residential properties and the decision was taken therefore to locate the crossing north of Horseman Close where there are no properties.
	
4.		Elms Drive Resident (letter)	?	Could you please explain the logic of a crossing between two fields?  Surely a crossing is for the use of the pedestrians living in the vicinity.  We live in Elms Drive and find it increasingly difficult to cross the very busy Marsh Lane, but to expect us to walk up past Horseman Close to the crossing just to cross the road and walk back down again seems ridiculous!

Cars coming over the bridge off the By-pass are going to have to stop with only very little warning, thereby causing a potentially dangerous hazard.	Surveys have indicated that more pedestrians and cyclists cross the road in the vicinity of the proposed crossing.

There is a change in the speed limit approximately 100 metres before the crossing.  The crossing will include speed detection equipment. This provides a slightly longer time between the red signal to traffic and the green signal to cyclists and pedestrians
	
5.		Elms Drive Resident (letter).	?	As a rate payer to Old Marston Parish Council, we have been promised a crossing in Marsh Lane to enable us to cross the road safely.  The position suggested will not help at all, it seems to be a cycle route crossing, not as promised a crossing for the inhabitants of Marsh Lane, Elms Drive, Horseman Close and Ashlong Road.
The crossing in this diagram is at least a ¼ mile too far away from a sensible crossing that would benefit of the above listed streets. 	A survey of pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road indicated that most cross in the vicinity of the proposed crossing.	

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
6.	

	Horseman Close Resident (letter)

	?	I believe the crossing is to be sited in the wrong position and should be sited nearer to Elms Drive.  My reasons for this are as follows.
1.	It is actually sited away from the residential area. 
2.	Very few people using the footpath from the  Northway would use it- they would be going to the shops in Cherwell Drive or to the school gate opposite Elms Drive. 
3.	People from Horseman close above if waiting to cross the road would also be going to the shops or school
4.	People going to Oxpans or Oxford City Football stadium Drive in by car  
5.	Adults and children going to the school gates off Elms Drive will not walk away from their route to cross the road.
To sum up I think the crossing, if sited in the position shown on the plan, would be a very expensive folly.  Sitting it nearer to Elms Drive would also be a cheaper option as there should be no need for extra lighting or more footpaths.
	Surveys indicate that more pedestrian and cyclists cross Marsh Lane at the position of the proposed crossing.	
7.		Horseman Close Resident (letter)	?	Cyclist and pedestrians always use the shortest route and will not go out of their way to use the Toucan.  
(Attached drawing, showing cyclist and children’s route on junction of Marsh Lane and Horseman Close).	Surveys have indicated that more pedestrians and cyclists cross the road in the vicinity of the proposed crossing.  The crossing has been positioned as close to Horseman Close as possible.

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
8.	

	Horseman Close Resident (email)

	?	1.	It has been custom and practice over many years to cross outside 68/70 Marsh Lane.  Why not keep it there? 

2.	Will not pedestrians resist to walk away from their existing crossing point, crossing and then walk back, in effect ignoring the crossing?

3.	Pedestrians arrive in Horseman Close on the footpath that they will use through the Close.  The planed crossing forces them to arrive at Horseman Close on the ‘wrong’ side (where there is no existing or planned footpath).  The mouth of this junction is very busy during the morning hours, thus presenting a hazard where not existed before.

4.	If the crossing were to be on the south side of Horseman Close it would save a lot of money.

5.	The planned crossing is much closer to the 30mph restriction sign, than the existing unofficial crossing.  Cars routinely travel at or over 40mph for some distance along Marsh Lane before slowing.  Traffic heading north along Marsh Lane is speeding up as it approaches the 40mph sign.  In my view something extra will have to be done to reduce speeds at this point whatever happens.  
	1.	A Toucan crossing should be located 20m from the nearest junction.  It could only be located outside 68/70 Marsh Lane if we canned the right turn movement from Horseman Close, which is not considered viable and consideration was given to locating the crossing south of Horseman Close.  This would effect the residential properties and the decision was taken therefore to locate the crossing north of Horseman Close where there are no properties.

2.	This is a possibility.  However the crossing will be providing a safer point to cross and make crossing the road easier.

3.	The proposal includes for new footway areas on both sides of Marsh Lane.

4.	There would still be a need to provide the additional footway areas to access the crossing and there would not therefore be a saving in construction costs.

5.	Additional speed detection is included as part of the crossing provision.  This provides a slightly longer time between the red signal to traffic and the green signal to cyclists and pedestrians

	
No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
8.
	Horseman Close Resident (email)
		6.	The planned position of the crossing is better for traffic turning right out of Horseman Close.

	
9.		Marsh Lane Resident (letter)	?	Could there be a rumble strip or gentle road hump on approach to the crossing (on both sides), to warn/slow traffic on approach to the crossing as cars travel so fast on this road.

The amount of room on the left side of the road indicated on the drawing is not present-is the drawing to scale?  

Are you proposing to narrow the road at this point, or take land from the field on this side of Marsh Lane?	It is not considered appropriate to raise the crossing.  However, the crossing includes speed detection equipment to provide for higher vehicle speeds.

The area shown on the drawing, on the left of the crossing, exists as a grass verge.  New construction is required for the footway.

No narrowing of the road is proposed or ‘land take’ from the field.
	
10.		Marsh Lane Resident (letter)	Yes	Supports the proposal.  I believe the position of the proposed crossing is probably the most suitable that could have been chosen.

Could you consider extending this footway past the crossing to join up with this existing foot/cycle-path from the Elsfield Road entrance to Old Marston village, which currently ends abruptly opposite the Court Place Farm recreation Area.

This is included in the proposed programme for 2007/08.	
11.		Marsh Lane Resident (telephone)	Yes	Supports the proposal.

Supports the existing lamp column outside No 70 Marsh Lane to be relocated closer to the crossing.

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
12.		Old Marston Residents’ Association (email)	Yes	Support the proposal.  The Old Marston Traffic Safety Group held a meeting, where from the 86 people attending 68 completed a questionnaire which clearly showed huge local support for such a crossing.

The detail issue is where to locate this crossing.  
My requests are:
1.	Place the actual crossing immediately opposite the bridleway
2.	Combine, if possible with full traffic light control for Horseman Close.	

1.	It is not possible to locate the crossing any closer to Horseman Close without considering banning a turning movement from it.  This is not considered to be viable.
2.	The overall flow from Horseman Close is insufficient to warrant traffic signals.
	
13.		CTS Right to Ride Representative, Oxford (email)	Yes	Supports the proposal.

There appears to be no mention of shared/segregated footway/cycle way at each end of the crossing.	

There will be a short section of cycleway either side of the crossing linking to the bridleway and Horseman Close.
	
14.		OxPA	Yes	I inspected the Marsh Lane site today and have no doubt that a pedestrian crossing is badly needed, the volume and speed of vehicles along this stretch of road making crossing a hazardous and intimidating experience.  The proposed crossing seems removed from the desire line for many potential users.  It should be located as close to Horseman Close as possible.
	The proposed crossing is located as close as practicable to Horseman Close.	

No	Recipient	Support Proposals	Comments	Officer Comments	
15.		Access Officer (email)	Yes	Supports the proposal.

Could you confirm that there will be both an audible alert and a rotating cone device to tell people with sensory impairments when it is safe to cross. 

Will this crossing have an illuminated green man on the far side of the crossing rather on the push button control box as this is the preferable option for our vulnerable road users.  

Is there an absolute minimum clear width of 1000mm where there is an obstacle on the footway?	

Yes

The proposed crossing is a Toucan crossing, and therefore it has a green man on the far side of the crossing and not on the push button. 

There are no obstructions for those who may be in a wheelchair.