FAQs

A quickway is a cycle route on a main urban road that is designed to provide a direct route for cyclists by offering:

• a continuous cycle route with minimum 1.5m width where space permits
• on-road symbols in most instances, and advanced stop lines for junctions and crossings
• a 20 mph continuous cycle speed where possible
• some segregation from motorised vehicle traffic

Quietways are well-connected cycle routes, with similar principles as quickways but following highway routes with lower traffic activity and are less direct. Quietways are primarily parts of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) proposals. They generally consist of cycle symbols on the carriageway to guide cycles along the route.  Parks Road is included in this consultation as a proposed quietway because it provides a link into the Banbury Road/St Giles quickway and the proposed works consist of more than just cycle symbols.

The proposals are being funded from Tranche 2 of the government’s Active Travel Fund approved in November 2021 and are designed to upgrade Oxfordshire’s infrastructure to increase rates of walking, cycling and use of rented e-scooters.

The proposed quickways will form part of the comprehensive cycle network outlined in the Council’s Oxford Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) which contains a range of policies to increase walking and cycling. This includes specific targets to increase cycling by 50% across Oxford, particularly in deprived areas where cycling levels are low.

As part of the LCWIP development the Oxfordshire Cycle Survey was undertaken in 2019 and found that cyclists welcomed the quickest most direct journeys possible when cycling in Oxford even if that meant sharing a road with traffic. This survey outcome led to the development of the quickways that are being presented for public consultation. Feedback to the Quickways consultation will help us prioritise the schemes.

The routes are:

• Cowley Road/Oxford Road
• Iffley Road/Henley Avenue/Rose Hill
• St Clement’s Street
• Donnington Bridge Road
• Marston Road
• Morrell Avenue/Warneford Lane
• Between Towns Road/Church Cowley Road
• St Giles/Banbury Road
• Parks Road (quietway)

Quickways offer faster, direct cycle routes in and out of the city centre with little or no diversion. They link to routes called quietways which use lower trafficked roads through local mainly residential streets.

Oxfordshire County Council is implementing many cycle schemes and other sustainable transport improvements across the county.

Funding has been secured through the Oxfordshire Growth Deal to deliver corridor improvements to Woodstock Road and Banbury Road in North Oxford between St Giles and the A40.

£12.5m of funding has been secured to deliver improvements to the Woodstock Road project, with construction planned to be completed in 2023.  Public consultation on the Woodstock Road proposals is expected to take place from September 30, 2021.  Growth deal funding has also been secured to complete design work on the parallel Banbury Road corridor.  Public consultation on proposals for the Banbury Road is scheduled to take place in winter 2021.

The proposals on these routes provide low-cost measures now, that will be enhanced by future projects. 

Oxfordshire County Council aims to increase the levels of walking and cycling by providing a connected network of cycling and walking infrastructure.  An enhanced network will provide options for regular cyclists, the potential cyclists and all pedestrians. Oxfordshire is proud of its comprehensive network of cycle routes, cycle paths and pedestrian facilities and will continue to strive to expand and enhance this network to connect our residents and visitors with their places to live, work and enjoy. Quickways and quietways have a key role to play in this process. 

The public highway is not exclusively for the use of motorised vehicles and needs to provide an efficient and cleaner travel option for all users. Oxfordshire County Council’s active travel programme aims to increase cycling, walking and sustainable travel by providing infrastructure such as quickways and quietways.  It is all part of a commitment to reduce carbon emissions, support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic and make Oxfordshire a healthy place to live, work and visit for us all.

No bus stops are being removed but a few stops will be moved slightly or adjusted to allow pedestrian crossings to be included or to allow changes to the highway to accommodate cycle lanes. 

In order to facilitate safe routes for cyclists it will be necessary to remove a mixture of permit parking, time restricted parking bays and unrestricted parking along most sections of these proposed routes. We have estimated the number of vehicle spaces likely to be lost along each route as detailed below:

Table 1: Estimated parking spaces lost

We do not expect to need to lose any parking spaces on St Giles/Banbury Road or Parks Road under the proposals, due to existing available space and street arrangement. An overview plan of the parking plan is available online

The average length for a parking bay is normally calculated as 5 metres. This allows for different vehicle lengths and allows space for vehicles to manoeuvre. Site visits were carried out to determine the available parking spaces including resident parking bays, restricted parking bays and unrestricted areas. Single yellow line restrictions were not included in the calculations.

While resident permit holder bays will be lost on most of the quickway routes you will still be able to park in the side roads either as a permit holder in Controlled Parking Zones or where there are unrestricted parking spaces.

Where residential permit holder parking bays have been removed, those with visitor parking permits will be able to park on side roads with their existing permits in Controlled Parking Zones or where there are unrestricted parking spaces.

If your business has a parking permit you will still be able to park on the side roads or in Controlled Parking Zones or where there are unrestricted parking spaces. You can also take advantage of the numerous park and rides and car park options in Oxford.

Where residential permit holder parking bays have been removed, those with visitor parking permits will be able to park on side roads with their existing permits in Controlled Parking Zones or where there are unrestricted parking spaces.

Yes, you can park on your own property providing that there is sufficient space, you are not crossing another person’s land to park there, and you have a dropped kerb. To see more about applying for access permissions and a dropped kerb, there are more details on our website. There is a charge for setting up this access. 

Yes, the county council will monitor the impact of the loss of parking along the quickway routes following installation. It is possible that shifting parked vehicles from these routes onto adjacent streets could cause a shortage in parking spaces.  This could be accommodated by an increase in active travel through improved facilities in the area as some residents become less reliant on motorised vehicles.  

Yes, but not within rush hour. The majority of the quickways restrict loading to specific times: in Oxford this is usually between 7.30am – 9.30am and 4pm - 6pm.

Blue badge holders should not park in 24-hour mandatory cycle lanes which are marked using a solid white line. 

Advisory cycle lanes which are marked using a dashed line will be supported by single yellow lines, double yellow lines and in some cases loading restrictions. While it is not recommended that blue badge holders park in cycle lanes, they may park on most single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours, as the terms of the badge and parking area permit. 

Blue badge holders may not park where loading restrictions apply -(indicated by yellow markings on the kerb and upright signs indicating the restriction times). 

One blue badge parking bay will have to be removed from Iffley Road.  

There are approximately 2000 carer cards in operation in Oxford. The carer cards allow the user to park in resident permit holder bays.  Carer cards include the following:

• Residential Carers cards for residents who have regular care
• NHS Permits for NHS staff visiting homes
• Help to Live at Home carers permits for carers of patients discharged from hospital and receiving a care plan 

Those with permits will be able to park on side roads with their existing permits in Controlled Parking Zones or where there are unrestricted parking spaces.

Below are descriptions and images of what you might expect to see along a quickway route.

Advanced Stop Lines

Advanced stop lines or ASLs provide cyclists with a safe place to stop at busy signal junctions and crossings. They allow them to get ahead of other traffic particularly when making right and left turns at junctions; and are planned at all signal junctions and pedestrian crossings along the proposed quickway cycle routes.

Examples of an advanced stop line

Wands and Orcas

Wands can be placed along the edge of a cycle lane to separate cyclists from other road users. They are very visible, flexible thin plastic bollards that clearly indicate the course of a cycle lane.   Orcas provide a small, visible plastic hump which adds to the segregation but can narrow the width of the cycle lane or the highway depending on the location.

Wands can also be used with or without orcas.

Example of cycle wands  

Example of orcas and wands

Elephants’ feet

Elephants’ feet are a row of square road markings on the highway which show cyclists where to cross the carriageway and highlight to drivers where to expect to see a cyclist.  They are not a priority marking or a give-way point but act as a guide when a cycleway crosses a road or junction.

                  Example of elephants' feet

Yellow box marking

Yellow box junctions are indicated by criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road and are a good way to keep a junction clear to reduce traffic congestion and prevent collisions with competing or turning traffic. They can also be used to keep an area of road space or an entrance free to ensure safe passage of emergency vehicles or public transport. A yellow box junction does not require any other signage and is part of the highway code.

 Example of a Yellow Box Markings

Zebra crossing

A Zebra crossing gives priority to pedestrians and ensures that vehicular and cycle road users are required to stop when someone is waiting at the crossing. Zebra crossings have white and black striped road markings, and striped poles with a flashing orange light (Belisha beacon). Some crossings may have a separate cycle lane and are called a Parallel crossing.

Example of a Zebra crossing 

Toucan crossing

A Toucan crossing means pedestrians and cyclists can cross at the same time and that cyclists don’t need to get off their bike to get across. Some crossings may provide a separate cycle lane.

Example of a Toucan Crossing 

20mph Roads

Some sections of the quickway routes will become 20mph roads to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.   This will not include any physical measures other than those implemented for cyclists and enforced through the usual processes.  The map included in the Plans section shows the 20mph routes that are both existing and proposed; and the quickway routes with 20mph limits - these being:

• Marston Road
• Cowley Road (Bartlemas Close to Cumberland Road)
• Iffley Road (Temple Street to Donnington Bridge Road)
• Donnington Bridge Road
• Church Cowley Road / Between Towns Road 

We are consulting with the emergency services, refuse collection services and bus operators as key stakeholders as part of the ongoing consultation processes.  All the key stakeholders are aware of the 20mph proposals, and we will continue to seek their views on this and the quickway cycle routes.

The county council consulted with city and county councillors, emergency services, refuse collectors and key stakeholders such as schools, community groups and health bodies earlier this year. Businesses and residents are now being consulted, the consultation will run between 20 September 2021 – 31 October 2021 and include this online tool, online drop-in sessions and meetings with interest groups which have already started. 

Following the public consultation, the proposals will be reviewed and initial amendments to any proposals that require a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be agreed internally with lead councillors.

A TRO is the legal document that is required to make any restrictions on the highway such as parking restrictions legal and enforceable.

Once these amendments are agreed, a statutory consultation for the TRO will be undertaken in November /December 2021.

The outcome of both consultations will be presented in a report for Cabinet on 24 January 2022, where it will be decided whether or not to proceed with implementation of the Quickways, and if so, which ones to progress.

If approved, works are anticipated to start in March 2022 and delivered across the Spring/Summer.