Frequently Asked Questions
- Increase walking/ wheeling trips
- Increase cycle trips
- Improve walking and cycle safety
- To improve public transport journey times
- Enhance placemaking
- Help new residents and employees travel in and out of the city more sustainably
What are the Woodstock Road sustainable travel improvements
Funding has been secured to deliver a package of highway improvement works along Woodstock Road, from the Wolvercote roundabout to St Giles. Objectives of the project are aligned with the councils adopted transport policy (LTCP) and aim to:
Why are the measures needed?
Oxfordshire needs a modern, efficient, reliable, affordable, and, above all, sustainable transport system. Oxfordshire will see significant growth in housing, with approximately 22,000 new homes planned by 2031. Work is needed now so that the transport network can meet the current and future demands.
How have measures been developed?
The consultation proposals have been informed through a series of discussions with a range of stakeholders including user groups and neighbourhood groups.
How much will it cost?
The total available budget for this project is £3.2m. The project is funded through the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal
What if £3.2m isn’t enough to deliver the proposed improvements?
The current proposals must be delivered within the £3.2m allocated budget. Detailed costing reviews will be undertaken at each stage of the design with quotations received before construction begins. If the assessed cost is higher thant the allocated budget, the project team would review the proposed measures.
This could mean that the project may need to be delivered in phases or some upgrades may not be accommodated. This will be determined at the next design stage and feedback from the public will be used alongside other information to create a list of priorities.
What is the timescale of the project?
Public engagement opens: 12pm Wednesday 8 May 2024
Public engagement closes: 11:59pm Wednesday 5 June 2024
Detailed Design and Cabinet Member Decision: July 2024
Construction starts: Summer 2024
Construction ends: Spring 2025
When does construction start and finish?
The main construction work will be phased. It is currently planned to start in summer 2024, with all works to be completed by March 2025. Works are likely to be carried out in phases. All work and associated road closures will be advertised publicly. Addresses that are directly affected will receive a letter in advance of the work, and signs will be placed if necessary to direct to other routes during particular parts of the work. The exact order and timescale for the works will be confirmed in due course, once arranged.
What is sustainable travel?
The scheme aims to deliver significant improvements for bus users, people walking and people cycling. This is consistent with the county council’s transport strategy which aims to deliver a net-zero transport network by 2040.
How reliable are the solar studs?
Solar studs are solar-powered ‘cats-eye’ lights that sit flush with the path surface so they do not impact the smoothness of the lane, and only light once it is dusk. They are generally hardier, require less maintenance and have a longer lifespan than traditional ‘cats-eyes’.
Solar studs have a visibility range of about 900m, allowing for a greater reaction time. This is much more effective than the traditional cats-eyes. They use powerful light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs and can charge fully – providing 200 hours of light – from as little as three or four hours’ of daylight. They do not need high sunshine to charge.
Why don’t the proposals include making improvements in neighbouring residential roads?
The funding is subject to it being used to deliver improvements along the main Woodstock Road corridor only and within the highway boundary. As the majority of the local travel demand is placed along this main corridor, the improvements provide the greatest opportunity to encourage more take-up of sustainable travel options, such as public transport, walking and cycling.
How will the Woodstock Road proposals benefit public transport users?
The feedback from user groups is that northbound queuing on the Woodstock Road is causing delays for buses. These proposed works would reallocate a section of the existing southbound bus lane on Woodstock Road (between the A40 Wolvercote roundabout and Squitchey Lane) to an approximately 800m long northbound bus lane. This would ensure that there is bus priority on the sections of the road that can experience the most delays. Traffic modelling for the Traffic Filters trial in Oxford anticipates that there could be more vehicles on the northbound Woodstock Road during the trial. This would increase the importance for bus priority on this section to support bus reliability. However, feedback from the bus operators suggests this would be beneficial even without the traffic filters.
Bus priority measures, which will directly assist buses using the corridor are being delivered through a number of delivered and proposed significant projects including the A40 and the A44 North Oxford corridor improvement project.
What is an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order and why are the bus amends being implenmented as one?
Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETRO) are statutory tools to make changes on the highway. They are used to allow measures to be tested, to understand real life impacts and inform decision making. They are relatively easy to reverse if data suggests it is not working or needs amending
In an ETRO, the council introduces the scheme as a trial first for up to an eighteen-month period. This allows people to experience the proposed works, and for the council to monitor how the works are functioning. At the end of the trial, the council assesses how it has worked through monitoring, how it meets policy objectives as well as feedback through surveys, letters and emails, and decides whether to any changes should be made and whether to make it permanent (under a Traffic Regulation Order).
The experiment will be closely monitored, and any observations made or feedback received is considered with a view to deciding whether the experiment, or any part of it should become permanent.
It is intended that the ETRO for the bus lane reversal will run parallel to the separate ETRO for the trial traffic filters.
Are there any impacts on bus stops?
The proposals would require the existing southbound (city bound) bus stop between the A40 Wolvercote roundabout and Blandford Avenue is removed.
There is a nearby southbound bus stop approximately 200 metres from this stop, just south of Blandford Avenue.
How will proposals benefit pedestrians?
The proposals would increase footway provision at a number of side road junctions to the southern end of Woodstock Road, particularly at St Margaret’s Road, Little Clarendon Street and Observatory Street. This would be supported by measures to reduce vehicle speed and reduce crossing distances for pedestrians. A new zebra crossing is proposed across Woodstock Road, at Observatory Street and amendments to prioritise pedestrians are proposed at the signal crossing on Woodstock Road by Little Clarendon Street. We hope that these measures will reinforce priority/space for pedestrians making walking and wheeling safer and more pleasant in the area. As a part of the proposals we will also seek to improve the quality of the footway at various sections along the route.
How will proposals benefit cyclists?
An extension of the shared use, off road cycle path on the western side of Woodstock Road is proposed between Frenchay Road and St Margaret’s Road. New cycle markings are proposed to be added to the carriageway on sections of the corridor where there is neither a bus lane of existing cycle lane. A review of lining along the corridor will seek to ensure a consistency of lining. Solar studs are proposed for along the route.
Will parking availability be impacted and where will those affected be able to park?
A localised reallocation of a parking bay is proposed outside Belsyre Court on the Woodstock Road.
What is an informal pedestrian crossing?
An informal pedestrian crossing is a crossing that does not have lights or zebra stripes but may have other markings/tactile paving/a raised platform/dropped kerbs and/or traffic islands.
What is a bus stop clearway?
A bus stop clearway is an on-road 'Bus stop' box restricting other motor vehicles from parking in that space.
Are any green verges or trees proposed to be removed?
No trees will be removed. Some localised widening of the footway is proposed between Blandford Avenue and A40 on the eastern side of Woodstock Road. The works are also expected to include cutting back vegetation where needed to improve safe access and visibility.
Are there any other constraints that may affect the current design and project overall?
The biggest and most costly factor that can affect how the design will look is utilities – water mains and access points, gas pipes and electricity cabling and service points. At the next stage of design, we will work closely with utilities providers to understand whether there any utilities’ impacts from the proposals and what works (including costs of those works), if any might be needed.
What materials and colours would be used for the measures?
We are planning to use materials and colour pallets that are reflective of the conservation setting of the Woodstock Road. Further details of specific colours and pattern work that is proposed can be provided on request via contact at; woodstockroad@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
How does this project fit with the traffic filter trial in Oxford?
A list of complementary traffic measures were given when approving the traffic filter trial at a cabinet meeting in November 2022. These included ‘Woodstock Road bus lane reversal (from southbound to northbound)’. Consultation proposals to improve cycling, walking facilities, complement measures like the traffic filters trial in aiming to make the environment safer and more convenient for walking and cycling.
How does the project relate to other infrastructure works?
There are a number of connected highway projects including the A40 Improvements, North Oxford Corridor. North Oxford Corridor and independent developer schemes including Oxford North. We are working with developers and other partners to coordinate design and construction work so that we can ensure minimal disruption during site works.
Will there be noise and dust during construction?
There may be some noise and dust from the equipment that would be used for the work. The construction team will seek to reduce noise and dust as far as reasonably practical, and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience that these works may cause.
How can I ask questions or make comments on the Woodstock Road proposals?
If you wish to make a comment on the project, please use the feedback form provided on our consultation page.
Should you have any additional questions, that we have not addressed above please email WoodstockRoad@Oxfordshire.gov.uk) or call the county council's Customer Services Team on 01865 792422
Please note the council's Customer Services Team are unable to answer any detailed questions about the proposed schemes and would need to transfer the calls to the project team.
How will my feedback be considered and how will we find out what people have said?
All comments received during the consultation will be considered by the council and used to inform the next phase of design.
A summary of the outcome of this consultation will be made available online, via the county council’s project webpage and via the county councils Let’s Talk Oxfordshire online portal.