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Barton & Churchill, East Oxford, Headington & Marston
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ITEM CA7
CABINET
– 15 NOVEMBER 2005
OXFORD:
ST CLEMENTS, HEADINGTON ROAD AND LONDON ROAD STUDY
Report by
Head of Transport
Introduction
- This report outlines
progress on the St Clements, Headington Road and London Road Corridor
Study, developed by the County Council in association with the Council’s
Transport Planning Term Consultants, Halcrow. The report reviews the
policy context, study objectives and process, and includes a review
of the consultation carried out for this study to date. Proposals for
taking forward the study in the context of the next Local Transport
Plan are then given.
Study
area
- The study focuses
on the A420 road corridor in Oxford between the Plain Roundabout and
the Headington/ Green Road Roundabout. It covers St Clements, Headington
Road and London Road. The road corridor is shown in Annex 1 (download
as .pdf file).
Policy
context
- The transport
policy context for the London Road study is contained in the Local Transport
Plan, 2001 to 2006 and the provisional Local Transport Plan, 2006 to
2011, the period within which measures on the London Road would be introduced.
In particular the following specific policies are relevant:
- The Headington
and Marston Area Transport Strategy (HAMATS): this was endorsed
by the Executive on 12 November 2002 and outlines a transport strategy
for the Headington area, recognising the planned employment growth in
this area over the next few years. The strategy includes a number of
measures to facilitate better bus access to and from the area. Of particular
relevance to the London Road study are:
- Resiting some
bus stops in central Headington and improved bus shelters and information
throughout the area.
- Improvements
to bus priority at signal junctions along the main public transport
corridors.
- Measures to
enable Osler Road to be used for bus services to/from the John Radcliffe
Hospital.
- Premium Routes
strategy: A strategy for development of Premium Routes was outlined
in the Local Transport Plan, 2001- 2006. Premium Routes are those routes
in the County that have been identified as a core network of high frequency
public transport routes on which bus priority measures and bus stop
enhancements are focused. London Road is part of the Premium Route between
Oxford City Centre and Barton and was endorsed for Premium Route improvements
by the Executive on 8 July 2003.
- Provisional
Local Transport Plan, 2006-2011: The provisional LTP for this period
identifies a number of locations at which there are particular transport
problems to address under the shared priority framework. The following
problems are identified for this transport corridor:
- Congestion:
London Road has one of the worst congestion problems in Oxfordshire.
- Road Safety:
London Road between Lime Walk and Stile Road, and St Clements are
identified as having particular road safety problems.
- Air Quality:
St Clements, west of the public car park, is identified within the
Air Quality Management Area for the city.
- Delivering accessibility:
Improvement of access to Education and Healthcare sites in the Headington
area is recognised as important.
- Improving Streetscape:
Headington shopping centre is recognised as having poor streetscape.
Study
objectives
- The objectives
of the study were as follows:
- Develop measures
for London Road that will improve public transport journey time, reliability
and operation, hence improving the desirability and attractiveness
of bus services which will potentially increase bus patronage;
- Develop measures
that address road safety considerations, specifically at locations
where particular issues have been identified; and
- In appraising
the options, ensuring that the impact on other road users (including
pedestrians) is identified and considered appropriately.
Study
process
- To date, the study
has involved two stages:
- Stage 1:
This involved reviewing the transport problems and issues on the corridor,
including relevant survey work. A number of potential measures to
address these problems and issues were then identified. Design principles
and measures to meet these principles were developed, including those
related to different sections of the study corridor. A Stage 1 Report
was produced.
- Stage 2:
This has involved developing options for the corridor in more detail,
and public consultation on these proposals. A summary of consultation
report was produced.
- The Stage 1 report
and consultation summary are in the Member’s Resource Centre.
Stage
2 development
- Two different
design approaches were developed for the corridor in stage 2 of the
study. These were:
- Approach
1: This was an engineering-based approach, which reviewed what
could be achieved to meet the study objectives, assuming the same
level of traffic was maintained on the corridor as at present. Measures
proposed for the corridor included bus lanes and lay-bys, pedestrian
crossings, and lowering the speed limits in certain sections (detail
for each section is outlined in Annex 2 (download
as .doc file)).
- Approach
2: This was a traffic management based approach, which reviewed
what could be achieved on the corridor, should the level of traffic
be reduced. It proposed restricting access to through traffic in the
Headington central area, and permitting access to buses, taxis and
emergency vehicles only on a similar principle to Oxford High Street.
This would facilitate priority for these vehicles without needing
such heavy engineering measures, as required in Approach 1.
Consultation
Consultation
process
- Consultation on
the study was carried out in June and July 2005. This comprised:
- A briefing on
the study proposals to local County and City Councillors on 14 June.
- Three public
exhibitions on the study proposals in Barton on 28 June, Oxford City
Centre on 30 June, and St Andrew’s School, Headington on 2 July.
- An internet
site with exhibition material and feedback form available from 27
June to 31 July.
- The public transport
and road safety measures outlined under Approach 1 were summarised on
a section by section basis along the corridor, labelled from B to F
(Plan A showed proposals for the whole corridor). From west to east,
the sections shown were: St Clements (B), Oxford Brookes to Headley
Way (C), Headley Way to Lime Walk (D), Lime Walk to St Andrews School
(E), and St Andrews School to Headington/Green Road Roundabout (F).
Members of the public were asked whether they supported the overall
approach for the corridor, and their views on the particular measures
proposed for each section of the corridor.
- The traffic management
measures outlined under Approach 2 were summarised for the whole corridor,
with members of the public asked whether they supported further work
on developing this overall approach, which would better inform what
the impact of this approach would be across the wider area.
- The consultation
material, including plans, is in the Member’s Resource Centre.
Consultation
responses
- The consultation
responses are summarised in the ‘St Clements, Headington Road and London
Road Corridor Study Consultation Report, 2005’ (in the Member’s Resource
Centre).. The main points from the consultation are as follows:
- Approximately
400 responses to the consultation were received via the feedback forms
provided.
- Of the respondents
who gave their postcode, the majority (85%) came from the OX3 postcode,
the area of Oxford within which most of the study corridor is located.
- Of those respondents
who gave their overall opinion on Approach 1, 59% strongly or generally
supported this approach, and 35% did not support it, with the remainder
not expressing a view. Comments were also made on particular aspects
of the proposed scheme, and the main points from this are summarised
in Annex 3.
- Of those respondents
who gave their overall opinion on Approach 2, 26% strongly or generally
supported further work being carried out on this approach, and 70%
did not support further work being carried out on it, with the remainder
not expressing a view on this.
Proposed
further development of study measures
- Results from the
consultation indicated general overall support for the measures outlined
in Approach 1, subject to concerns regarding particular issues (summarised
in Annex 3 (download as .doc file).
However, there was only limited support for carrying out further work
on developing Approach 2. It is therefore considered that Approach 1
should form the basis for further development of measures along the
study corridor, with no further work undertaken on Approach 2.
- Due to the cost
and resource required to develop detailed schemes on the corridor, it
is considered that further design work should be developed on a section
by section basis. Importantly, this work would include ensuring enhancements
to streetscape are achieved, especially in the Headington shopping area.
Signage and the impact of engineering measures would be minimised through
careful design, including taking account of the needs of those who are
visually or mobility impaired. Appropriate consultation would
be carried out on the detail for each section. The exact timescale for
further design, consultation and implementation is subject to final
decisions on inclusion in the Local Transport Plan capital programme,
2006 -11.
Other
related issues
Osler
Road bus link
- The study also
included reviewing the junction of Osler Road and London Road for use
of buses planned to operate via Osler Road to the John Radcliffe.
- A bus route via
Osler Road would allow direct bus access between the centre of Headington
and the John Radcliffe hospital, cutting journey times by up to 4 minutes
in the off-peak period and 8 minutes in the peak period to a consistent
5-6 mins. In the first instance, this would allow the orbital 10 route
to operate more efficiently and promote public transport use from the
Cowley area to the John Radcliffe hospital. In the longer-term, this
route could also be used by other bus services, such as those operating
to/from Park and Ride sites to the John Radcliffe.
- In the short-term,
it was concluded that, taking into account the traffic flows on London
Road and Osler Road, this junction would operate satisfactorily with
the introduction of a yellow box on London Road at this location. The
proposed pre-signal arrangement on London Road would be the favoured
longer-term option, to help buses to turn in and out of Osler Road.
Other
related measures
- There are a number
of related measures either currently being developed or provisionally
programmed for the period of the next Local Transport Plan. These are
considered critical in complementing the measures to be developed under
Approach 1. They are:
- Controlled
Parking Zones (CPZs): Development of CPZs helps to reduce the
level of commuter traffic on the corridor travelling to the employment
sites, especially at peak times, as well as protecting residential
areas.
- Travel Plan
development at the main employment sites in the area: Particularly
important are on-site parking controls and measures to encourage
public transport usage.
- Development
of Park and Ride: Enhancements to facilities and potentially capacity
at Park and Ride sites around Oxford.
- Development
of public transport information: This includes information at
bus stops, and the real time information system, on route and
at employment sites.
- Related pedestrian
and cycle route network development.
Financial
and Staff Implications
- Current outline
estimates suggest that the capital costs for the development of all
measures under Approach 1 would cost approximately £3 million. At this
time we do not have a reliable estimate of the additional costs that
would arise from altering utility services along the route. Accurate
cost appraisal will be a priority for the next stage of the scheme development,
to feed into a decision on the Local Transport Plan Capital Programme.
Staff resources would be met from existing County resources and appropriate
use of consultants.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to:
- approve
in principle the further development of measures proposed under
Approach 1 (as detailed in Annex 2 to the report) (download
as .doc file);
- agree
not to progress Approach 2 of the study;
- note
the further development of complementary measures within the
control of the County Council, subject to their inclusion within
the Local Transport Plan 2006 -11 programme;
- ask
officers to review the timing and funding for future schemes
outlined in Approach 1 for inclusion within the Local Transport
Plan 2006-11 programme; and
- approve
the implementation of measures that are necessary in the 2006/2007
financial year to ensure effective operation of the Osler Road/London
Road junction when bus services operate via Osler Road to the
John Radcliffe (subject to their inclusion within the capital
programme).
STEVE
HOWELL
Head of Transport
Background
Papers:
(i) London Road Corridor Study Stage 1 Report, June 2005
(ii) St Clements, Headington Road and London Road Corridor Study Consultation
Report, October 2005
(iii) St Clements, Headington Road and London Road Corridor Study Consultation
Material, June 2005.
Contact
Officer: James Gagg, Tel: (01865) 815655
November
2005
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