Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/208

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Interim Director Community Operations (Interim) (CMDE4).

The Access to Headington project is focused on improving orbital connections in Headington and more specifically, access to the major hospital and employment sites. The project includes a package of transport measures aimed at:    

a.         Improving bus journey times and service reliability by reducing traffic congestion at junctions and on roads leading to the major hospital and employment sites;

b.         Upgrading and linking existing and new signal-controlled junctions to enable greater bus detection and prioritisation across the network;

c.         Providing a higher standard of cycle route provision and, in particular, more legible and continuous design than seen at present; and   

d.         Enhancing pedestrian and cycle routes by providing greater priority at side-roads, and new and improved crossings.

The report sets out responses to the latest consultation.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposals as advertised. 

The Access to Headington project focused on improving on improving orbital connections in Headington and more specifically, access to the major hospital and employment sites. The Cabinet Member for Environment considered responses to the latest consultation on a package of transport measures to support that.

Graham Smith (Cycling UK) pointed out that while cycling groups in Oxfordshire had welcomed LTP4 and OTS they felt those policies were not being carried through in certain aspects of the design and implementation of A2H and weakened the case for cycling.  He welcomed the inclusion of the comments from Cyclox in the report but there were still serious concerns regarding the design of the JRH junction and while some changes to the design went some way to eliminating dangers it remained a matter of concern that there was still no safe way for cyclists to negotiate the junction.  Regarding other areas of the scheme consideration needed to be given to raised elevations to slow drivers and recognition given to the benefits of colour surfacing in slowing drivers as used elsewhere in other schemes. He recognised that blanket covering would be expensive but consideration needed to be given to its provision in certain areas such as the beginning and end of cycle lanes to emphasise their presence. Side road entry treatments were better but there was some ambiguity between the plans which gave cycle lanes more prominence than what would actually be the case on the ground. He added that cycle groups were keen in helping and engaging in this process.

Councillor Roz Smith thanked the officers for their work on the detail of this scheme.  The A2H scheme had been ambitious and was very much a case of retro fitting and so would never be safe from inappropriate driving. She highlighted a number of issues on Headley Way and Woodlands and Falklands Close.  Something was needed to prevent damage to verges and on Eden Drive at the entrance off Headley Way bus route where some keep clear signing or hatching was required to prevent traffic build up.  She agreed the lights at the JR junction caused tailbacks but parking issues at the JR needed to be resolved which would improve that situation and provision of a right turn through the lights into Marston Road would be assisted by an extra green arrow.  She was broadly supportive but there were still problems on Old Road where a continuous cycle way was required.

Mr Rossington advised that the report had been intended to focus on side road entries with CIL funding available from the City Council.  Regarding Old Road he was aware of a missing link in the cycle way and he was hopeful funding would be available for that to be rectified. With regard to the raised side entires as raised by OXTRAG he advised that there was tactile paving to alert people.

Mr Mulvihill advised that prices were being sought for bollards with reflective material and if funding could be found provision of a yellow box at Eden Drive. He would investigate the issues as highlighted at the Marston lights.

The Cabinet Member thanked the attendees for their submissions and points raised. Noting the undertaking by officers to investigate those issues and the reference to CIL funding the Cabinet Member, having regard to the information set out in the report before her and representations made at the meeting confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve the proposals as advertised.

Signed……………………………………

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………….