Jericho and Walton Manor Traffic Pilot Scheme Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why propose the traffic scheme? Traffic jams, lorries and speeding vehicles in our local streets is bad for our health and environment. Enabling more people to feel safe and confident cycling and walking helps to address these issues. Over the past year, public health challenges and alterations to how we live day-to-day (e.g social distancing) have accelerated and given additional importance to supporting more people to walk and cycle as part of their daily lives.

Making the streets feel safer and more welcoming to walk and cycle in is part of a programme of measures proposed by both Oxfordshire County Council (local highway authority) and Oxford City Council. The programme includes Connecting Oxford, expansion of Controlled Parking Zones, and infrastructure projects on roads (e.g Botley Road).

2. Who is behind the proposal? Oxfordshire County Council are the local highway authority so we lead this work. We are working with Oxford City Council to deliver a programme of measures to support people in shifting journeys to public transport, walking and cycling where possible.

This programme includes Connecting Oxford, expansion of Controlled Parking Zones, the Oxford Zero Emission Zone and making changes to streets to make them safer (e.g Botley Road).

3. What happens to the existing traffic filter on Walton Street at the Worcester Street junction? Walton Street has been closed to all motor vehicle traffic at its junction with Worcester Street since July 2019.

Initially the road was closed to motorised vehicles to allow maintenance work on Walton Street following the discovery of sink holes underneath the road. The closure was extended on an 18-month experimental basis in November 2019 to trial the effects of a ‘traffic filter’ which allowed people to walk and cycle through but prevented people driving through.

Oxfordshire County Council

This trial is due to end on 17 May 2021. Before this date Oxfordshire County Council needs to decide whether to; • make this traffic filter measure permanent, • remove it, or • remove it and introduce restrictions on some motor vehicle movements

This consultation is on the third option and seeks to get the communities views on whether to remove the current traffic filter and introduce banned turns for some motor vehicle movements instead.

4. What is a traffic filter? A traffic filter is a physical barrier in the road that prevents motor traffic driving through it, but has gaps wide enough for people walking, cycling, using buggies and or mobility scooters to pass through. Typically, these can be bollards or planters or a mixture of the two.

5. I thought the existing trial traffic filter on Walton Street was supposed to help cycling and walking? The current traffic filter does benefit people walking and cycling because it reduces the motorised vehicles which can make streets feel unsafe and uncomfortable but the county council recognises that for some residents and businesses it has had some disadvantages. A public consultation between November 2019 and May 2020 asking people what they thought of the traffic filter. This, found that opinion was split. 51 per cent of respondents expressed support for the measure whilst 43 per cent expressed an objection.

6. Why propose the alternative pilot scheme now? Making changes to streets can be costly. In November 2020, Oxfordshire County Council secured funding from central government to trial measures across the city to support people walking and cycling . The Jericho and Walton Manor areas of Oxford have been identified as being one of the places to benefit from this funding.

7. How were the current proposals developed and were other options considered? Since receiving the government funding, the county council has been talking with local resident and business groups to develop proposals. A number of alternative options have been considered but found to be unsuitable, due to factors including cost, deliverability within required timescales, ability to promote active travel/ reduce through traffic, or potential negative consequences.

8. How will you enforce the banned turnings for vehicles? A restriction on turning for vehicles (except cycles) at a number of junctions is proposed; • A left-hand turning ban for vehicles (except cycles) from Little Clarendon Street to Walton Street • A right-hand turning ban for vehicles (except cycles) from Walton Street to Worcester Street • A right-hand turning ban for vehicles (except cycles) from Beaumont Street to Walton Street • A ban on eastbound U-turning traffic on Beaumont Street

Oxfordshire County Council

The county council would look to enforce these proposals through means which could include physical measures (i.e traffic islands). This would prevent vehicles disobeying the restricted turning movements.

9. Will bicycles be exempt from the proposed banned movements? Yes, if you are cycling you will be able to; • Turn left from Little Clarendon Street onto Walton Street • Turn right from Walton Street to Worcester Street • Turn right from Beaumont Street to Walton Street

10. When will it be decided if the pilot measures will be implemented? A county council decision will be made at the public county councillor Cabinet Member Decision meeting on 29 April 2021

11. When would the measure be implemented? If approved, the pilot measures would be implemented from 18 May 2021, immediately following on from any lifting of the current Walton Street traffic filter which expires on 17 May 2021.

12. How long will the measures last? The measures are being implemented through a piece of highways law called an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). This can last up to 18 months, after which the scheme must be confirmed, or removed.

13. Will I have a chance to provide further feedback on the proposal if it is implemented? Yes – The scheme would be introduced using Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). In an ETRO, the scheme is typically introduced first and consultation follows the implementation. In that way, people can assess its impacts before making their comments. After implementation, there follows a statutory six-month period when the public can submit objections or support. This consultation will also include an online survey so you can take part. A decision on whether the changes introduced as part of the ETRO will be removed or made permanent must be made within 18 months of an order coming into force.

14. What about providing feedback before any decision is made? We are undertaking a consultation before implementation to understand opinions on the proposals. We will analyse all the results of the consultation. This will inform Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member in making their decision on whether to implement the proposals. We hope you have time to take part in the consultation by giving your views.

15. How can we make our views known? Please leave your comments in the consultation webpage. Unfortunately, we are not able to reply to individual comments. If you would like support to take part, for example would like a large print version or hard copy posted, please call customer services on 01865 792 422.

Oxfordshire County Council

16. How do the measures fit with Connecting Oxford and the Oxford Zero Emission Zone? The proposals do not prevent or conflict with either of the measures proposed in Connecting Oxford or Oxford Zero Emission Zone happening in the future.

17. How will the county council know if the measures are working? Should the scheme be implemented, a programme of traffic surveys and data gathering, would be undertaken over the course of the pilot scheme to understand if the trial is delivering on its objectives.

18. What is an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order? An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) is a legal document which imposes traffic and/or parking restrictions on a time limited trial basis. We use ETROs to see how a scheme works in practice.

An ETRO can stay in place for up to a maximum of 18 months while the effects are monitored and assessed. Formal support of objections to the order must be made in the first six months of it starting via a live public consultation. A decision on whether the changes introduced as part of the ETRO will be removed or made permanent must be made within 18 months of an order coming into force. If you have a question not answered here please contact; [email protected]