In response to traffic and safety concerns, Oxford City and County Councils have passed a scheme to improve cycling infrastructure in Oxford and the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside, allocating £106,000 to the project. The plan, inspired by Cambridge’s network, comes in response to Oxford’s high bicycle usage and the current lack of other transportation alternatives.
Grade-separation – the approach that separates different modes of transport and ensures that they do not interact – is the key improvement that the plan makes on the current usage pattern. Putting distance between cyclists and other vehicles makes the alternative to driving a more attractive option, which in turn decreases the number of drivers on the road. By fully grade-separating bicycles and cars, both parties can operate in more predictable environments, drastically reducing the number of collisions.
The cycling scheme is likely to gain popular support. At the moment, cycling is one of Oxford’s most popular modes of transport, with 35% of residents using their bikes on a regular basis. Nevertheless, Oxford lags behind Cambridge, whose bike usage rate of 50% makes it the most bike-dominated city in the UK. This discrepancy is partially due to Cambridge’s well-constructed and connected cycle paths.
Cycling on Oxford roads can be dangerous, as cars routinely breach cycle lane boundaries and cause collisions. In November 2023, a cyclist was hit near Abingdon and had to be airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital. A similar incident occurred on 18 January this year, when another cyclist was hit by a vehicle at The Plain roundabout at the east end of Magdalen Bridge and ultimately ended up hospitalised with serious injuries. Following the latter incident, City Council Member Katherine Miles posted online that to achieve zero traffic casualties, “we need to urgently remove conflicts between vulnerable road users and vehicles.” She continued, saying that this would significantly alleviate issues with both traffic and safety and highlighted the benefits of grade-separation.
Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) have already been implemented in East Oxford as a method to improve cyclability. LTNs prohibit through traffic in residential areas, aiming to improve safety and walkability. The schemes have attracted criticism due to the perception that they increase congestion and constitute an attack on drivers. Despite backlash, Oxford City Council have recently decided to make these LTNs permanent and have cited their benefits in drastically reducing traffic and collisions, as well in increasing bike usage.
With the increased focus on creating safe routes for cyclists, Oxford is set to live up to its reputation as one of the UK’s best biking cities.
