Agenda item

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.

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 traffic would be challenging. It is very unclear what was being proposed and the concern was that if it was planned to just paint a contraflow cycle lane on the existing carriageway that would not work for either pedestrians or cyclists. Pavements would remain too narrow for pedestrians with a painted line providing no protection for vulnerable cyclists and encouraging higher vehicle speeds and a workable alternative would be for a much wider shared path on one side at a different level from the motor vehicle traffic but if approval was given now, there would be nothing to stop pressing ahead with an ill-thought through plan that would work for nobody. He asked the Cabinet Member to defer a decision on the Causeway portion of the scheme until plans were available.

County Councillor Les Sibleyagreed in general with the Active Travel Proposals as outlined in the report particularly the parking restrictions on Villiers Road and Lodden Close, the 20mph speed limit and quiet Zones, improvements to the Toucan Crossings and the shared use footpaths and cycleways, the new uncontrolled crossing East of Lodden Close, particularly as it involve removing a pair of road humps but could not support the proposals in relation to the Causeway.  He also welcomed the planned upgrade and extension to the footpath from the Middleton Stoney Road to the Kingsmere Shopping area but felt that the funds available would have been better directed to widening widening the existing footpath on the Middleton Stoney Road from Villiers Road to the Howes Lane/Vendee Drive roundabout. Cyclists were not a regular sight on the Middleton Stoney Road and were only likely to be seen on the narrow footpath on the north side of the road, which raised safety issues for both pedestrians and cyclists as they had to go onto the road to pass one another.  Cyclists avoided using the advisory line because the road was prone to flooding with pools of standing water due to the roadway drains in the advisory line being blocked by debris. He considered that there would have been greater value for money from linking up the Middleton Stoney Road with the 6000 Homes on NW Bicester ECO Development, West Bicester, Kingsmere and the Kings End area. He thanked all of those involved for their efforts and hard work over many months in bringing forward the Bicester Active Travel proposals and looked forward to the next round of funds to deliver the Middleton Stoney Road project in its entirety.

Thanking officers for their work on this scheme County Councillor Lawrie Stratford appreciated the need to deliver something within a very tight timescale but nevertheless had some concerns. There was evidence that the proposed 20mph speed limit would reduce speeds it was unlikely to be enforced. The Toucan crossings with appropriate enhanced facilities would aid people with disabilities/mobility issues but requiring a cyclist to dismount to cross a road was not a feature he supported as too many cyclists already cycled to a crossing, continued straight onto the highway, frequently leaving a driver with little time to take appropriate action. Shared footpath/cycleways could certainly be a benefit but each one needed to be assessed. The proposals with regard to the Causeway s especially from the Church down to Market Square needed more thought as the Causeway was far too narrow to facilitate a ‘contra flow’ system for cyclists but would benefit from significant improvements to the pavements which could probably accommodate some widening.  At present walkers meeting someone pushing a pushchair / buggy resulted in one or other having to step into the road. He noted that there were some suggestions that the Causeway should be closed to all motor vehicles but in order to do that alternative routes would need to be available for those dependent on their cars and needing to take a longer trip effectively displacing the environment impact.

County Councillor Michael Waine advised that since the government Active Travel policy had been introduced he had taken the opportunity to consider the walking and cycling needs in Bicester and it was clear to him that Bicester was a town of predominately walkers and joggers, not cyclists which suggested to him that the Bicester Active Travel Budget would be better spent on repairing and upgrading the town’s footpaths in order to meet the needs of most residents. However, he accepted that the money needed to be spent on a scheme which met government criteria and not necessarily value for money. The proposed measures largely achieved this but in common with the other Bicester County Councillors he strongly objected to a contra flow lane in the Causeway which they believed would make life hazardous for pedestrians, parents with buggies and mobility vehicle users. If anything, these very narrow pavements should be widened as part of the scheme to facilitate safer conditions for those on foot. Possibly when future finance was available thought should be given to improving walking and cycling from the north of our town to and from secondary schools or perhaps more especially to and from the growing ‘new’ retail centre of Bicester south of the hamburger roundabout on the A41. He endorsed the earlier comments that the recommendations be agreed except for b) ii insofar as it referred to the contra flow element on the Causeway and that any decisions on that be left to evolve over time and not forced on the town at this point in time.

The Cabinet Member for Environment thanked everyone for their comments which suggested a consensus of approval for the proposals apart from the element proposing a contra flow for the Causeway. Therefore, having regard to the information in the report together with the representations made to her at the meeting she confirmed her decision as follows:

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 provision for waiting restrictions at Loddon Close and Villiers Road and width limit and loading restrictions on the Causeway;

c)         defer proposals for a contra flow cycle lane on Causeway.

Signed………………………………………..

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………………