Frequently Asked Questions

The Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan has been developed by Oxfordshire County Council as part of its countywide Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP).

The LTCP, approved by council in July 2022, sets a clear vision to deliver a net-zero transport system that enables Oxfordshire to thrive, protects the environment and makes the county a better place to live for all residents.

As part of the LTCP a series of area, corridor and other transport plans are in development.

The COTP is the first area travel plan to be developed.

The plan area covers the urban area of Oxford, the immediate movement and connectivity corridors to and from the city, as well as the main villages that lie on these corridors (Kidlington, Eynsham, Botley, Cumnor, Kennington and Wheatley).

The draft Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan sets out our vision to develop a world-leading, innovative, inclusive and carbon neutral transport system with a focus on how people move quickly and safely around the area.

We are proposing a set of 22 actions to help achieve a sustainable and reliable transport system across the Central Oxfordshire area, including three major transport proposals for Oxford City: traffic filters, a workplace parking levy and zero emission zone.

The three key projects will be consulted on in more detail and separately to the area travel plan.

The targets for Central Oxfordshire are the same as those of the council’s agreed Local Transport and Connectivity Plan for the county:

By 2030 our target is to:  

• Replace or remove 1 out of every 4 current car trips in Oxfordshire 
• Increase the number of cycle trips in Oxfordshire from 600,000 to 1 million cycle trips per week.  
• Reduce road fatalities or life changing injuries by 50%. 

By 2040 our targets are to: 

• Deliver a net-zero transport network.
• Replace or remove an additional 1 out of 3 car trips in Oxfordshire. 

By 2050 our targets are to: 

• Deliver a transport network that contributes to a climate positive future.  
• Have zero, or as close as possible, road fatalities or life-changing injuries.

The Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan seeks to create:

• A flagship comprehensive zero emission bus network, able to travel at the speed limit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week  
• A comprehensive, safe cycle network, to rival the best in Europe. 
• Beautifully designed streets and public spaces, with clean air. 
• A reduced impact of private vehicles where roads are congestion-free for residents, visitors, and businesses to make essential journeys in zero emission vehicles. 
• Carbon neutral transport for a carbon neutral city. Prioritising measures and approaches that utilise minimal resources. 
• A transport hierarchy prioritising sustainable travel and promoting 20-minute neighbourhoods where everything people need for their daily lives can be found within a 20-minute walk.
• Improved safety realised through a Vision Zero approach to transport safety across the area
• An inclusive transport network that improves accessibility for all of our residents.

A clear long-term ambition for transport in the county is set out in the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, which the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan seeks to replicate as part of the travel plan for Oxford, Kidlington, Eynsham, Botley, Cumnor, Kennington and Wheatley. The vision is:

“Our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan vision is for an inclusive and safe net-zero Oxfordshire transport system that enables all parts of the county to thrive.

It will tackle inequality, be better for health, wellbeing and social inclusivity and have zero road fatalities or life-changing injuries. It will also enhance our natural and historic environment and enable the county to be one of the world’s leading innovation economies.

Our plan sets out to achieve this by reducing the need to travel and private car use through making walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice."

Funding for proposals in the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan (COTP) can come from a range of sources including the Department for Transport and other national and local bidding opportunities; council resources including parking income; Community Infrastructure Levy and s106 developer funding contributions and more. It’s important to note that much of this funding is ring-fenced for specific transport uses only.

As part of the draft COTP, we are proposing a Workplace Parking Levy to cover businesses with 11 or more staff parking spaces inside the Oxford ring road.

As well as the potential to reduce car trips, by law, the funds generated by a Workplace Parling Levy must be used to improve transport in and around the city.

Transport planning in Oxfordshire is determined by a transport hierarchy as approved by council in the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan. The hierarchy seeks to reduce the need to travel, by creating greater choice for all that discourages individual private vehicle journeys and makes walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice.

In order to improve road safety for all we have adopted a vision zero approach as part of our county-wide transport plan. The aim of vision zero is to have zero road fatalities or life-changing injuries on Oxfordshire’s transport system by 2050.

A place where there is a range of different shared and public transport modes. They also include additional facilities and information features to both attract and benefit transport users. For example, a transport hub may combine shared bikes (including electric bike or motorcycle), shared cars, parcel delivery lockers and bus stops in one location. Oxfordshire’s existing park and ride sites are already versions of the transport hub concept.

The creation of compact and connected neighbourhoods where everyday facilities and amenities are within a short walk or cycle trip from home; ideally a 20-minute return walking trip.

The draft plan seeks to set out the overarching direction of travel for the approach to managing transport in Central Oxfordshire. Specific schemes will be consulted on, as appropriate, as they are developed. There are three core schemes (traffic filters, a Workplace Parking Levy and expanded Zero Emission Zone) that form part of the draft plan which we will consult on separately.

A set of key performance indicators have been identified, including monitoring the percentage of residents walking/cycling; bus journey times, bus passenger numbers, transport emissions, number of car trips, years of healthy life lost due to air pollution, number of park and ride passenger journeys, car ownership, percentage of adults / children meeting physical activity recommendations and road/footway and cycle path maintenance.

Email: Centraloxontravelplan@oxfordshire.gov.uk if you have further questions or issues.