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ANNEX 4a – Email Responses

RESPONDENT VIEW COMMENTS

Key Stakeholders/Groups I accept this junction has been closed for a number of weeks due to road maintenance, however any longer- term proposal to restrict vehicular traffic is NOT supported.

1. Emergency response times for ALL Emergency services to this area will increase and detrimental to public Thames Valley Police Object safety. 2. Walton Street is currently a defined Diversion route for Blue light services and other vehicles during closures of St Giles. Alternative Diversions much longer and detrimental in terms of Emergency response to North Oxford. Can see this would be beneficial to the residents of Walton street, I do have some concerns regarding Emergency access.

Since the current closure has been in place, we have attended quite a few minor incidents, and the only Fire & Rescue Service, access has been via St Giles and little clarendon street or St Margret’s road for the Hydraulic Platform (due (Rewley Road & Slade Concerns to the size and amount of swing on the vehicle) Park White Watch)

Whilst I am not opposed to a temporary traffic closure trial myself, I would personally like the ability to access via a transponder and a bollard or some other mechanism that we could breach? Obviously, a sign would do the same, but would state only emergency vehicles have access. During the current road closures on Walton Street, our appliances have been significantly delayed in attending properties down Walton Street and the surrounding side roads/Port Meadow because of high traffic levels, tight roads for the diversion and the length of time it takes us to get to suitable diversion routes that are listed in the consultation map. Fire & Rescue Service,

(Rewley Road Blue Concerns The side roads to access Walton Street from the Woodstock road are often quite tight with parked vehicles Watch) either side which slows us down impeding our progress. This has occurred on several occasions since Walton Street has been closed for the works and our delay in getting to incidents has been noticeable amongst the crew and for property owners/residents down Walton street including University premises.

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I’m concerned that a permanent closure of this junction would cause more traffic along the diversion routes and cause more of a delay to us responding to incidents than it already has done.

Whilst I agree with why the Highways team may want to implement this change and think it may provide some benefits, I think some thought needs to be given to Emergency access. Maybe if they want to implement the Junction closure then we could still have some sort of emergency access at this junction? A bit like the barriers that go up and down at Cornmarket or King Edward Street in Oxford or something similar? A solution like this would resolve our concerns. Bus Users Oxford has long been concerned at congestion in Beaumont Street, which can be almost at a standstill for long periods, including off-peak. Has the County Council recorded any change in congestion while Walton Street has been closed?

PickMeUp: Within the last year Oxford Bus Co has extended its PickMeUp demand responsive minibus service to Jericho. Anyone who has a smartphone can download the PickMeUp app and book this service. People with disabilities are a significant part of PickMeUp's customer base. Some elderly people also use PickMeUp if they have smartphones and are confident to use them.

Popular PickMeUp destinations include the city centre and Oxford railway station. Closing Walton Street would restrict PickMeUp minibus access to Jericho, increase journey distances and hence congestion and emissions. Bus Users Oxford therefore recommends allowing PickMeUp vehicles to continue to use Walton Bus Users Oxford Concerns Street as a through route.

Scheduled buses: Not all disabled or elderly people have smartphones or are confident to use them. And some cannot afford taxis or private hire services. For them the only affordable transport may be buses.

Walton Street and Jericho used to have a bus service: route 17 by day and route 17A in the evening. Both services were lost when OCC withdrew all bus subsidies in July 2016. BU Oxford would like a bus service restored to Walton Street and Jericho. At present no operator is willing to try this commercially. However, we suggest that any traffic restriction in Walton Street should leave open the possibility to restore a bus route.

Preserving Walton Street as a through route for PickMeUp vehicles would have the advantage of ensuring future access for any future bus service without the need for future alterations to road infrastructure.

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Some supporters of walking and cycling are very anti-bus. Once all motor traffic has been excluded from a road they vehemently oppose any proposal to restore even a limited bus service to that road. Were all motor traffic excluded from Walton Street, a future proposal for a bus service might meet vehement opposition even if there were no physical barrier to it.

Therefore it is important to restore some through traffic to Walton Street, even if it is limited to PickMeUp minibuses, taxis and private hire vehicles.

Walking distances: Please bear in mind the long walking distances from some parts of Jericho to bus stops on Woodstock Road. From, for example, St Barnabas Street to the bus stops outside the old Radcliffe Infirmary is about 900 or 1,000 metres. The DfT's Inclusive Mobility guidelines (Section 2.4, page 24) recommend providing bus stops within 400 metres of people's homes. And it adds that many people who are elderly or have impaired mobility are unlikely to walk more than 200 metres for a bus.

Walton Street is within 400 metres' walk of much of Jericho. A bus service along Walton Street would do much to mitigate Jericho's poor access to public transport. OXTRAG has no objection to the proposal. However the comments made by the local people must be OXTRAG No objection carefully considered. Also, when the St Giles’ Fair is on each year with St Giles' closed, Walton St would have to be re-opened for those 3 days. I would like you to record my support for the Experimental Prohibition, based on the many instances of positive feedback from local residents since the enforced road closure.

I would also like the County Council to use this as a opportunity to review the impacts on the streets between Cllr Hollingsworth Support Walton Street/Kingston Road and Woodstock Road – specifically Little Clarendon Street, Observatory Street, St Bernards Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Place and St Margarets Road – to see if any adjustments to the design and/or flows of traffic on those streets would be beneficial if the Walton Street closure were to be made permanent. We support this proposal. This proposal will :- • Reduce motor vehicle traffic/rat running along Walton St, so making a better environment for residents, businesses and their customers. Cycling UK Support • It will improve conditions for people walking/cycling along Walton St. • It will improve air quality along Walton St. • It will be good to have a trial run of a low traffic neighbourhood, prior to others low traffic neighbourhoods being rolled out as part of Connecting Oxford.

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The effectiveness of the closure point will depend on the details. It needs to look like a closure, while being accessible (I assume) to emergency vehicles. As a cost effective option, I'd suggest painting the road surface in the same paint as recently used on the Cowley Road works. We are strongly in support of this proposal. We are delighted that you are also using the term Low Traffic Neighbourhood to describe this proposal as this is just what it will produce.

Before the closure many vehicles used the road as a rat run, including large commercial vehicles. The road closure has created a road which is pleasant to walk and cycle along, whereas before both had to contend with motor vehicles which travel at speed making the environment feel unsafe.

Clearly there isn’t yet enough detail to assess how vehicles (particularly mopeds) will be prevented from entering or leaving Walton St, ignoring the traffic restriction. If it doesn’t "look" like a road, then people will be less likely to drive through it. If it looks like a road that is closed, then some people will simply ignore the closure as we have seen at the west end of Broad St and Turl St. Having a sign that shows what is prohibited helps in this regard. We do recognise the importance though ofemergency vehicles access which may prevent such designs.

The proposals will encourage more walking and cycling, and will improve air quality, all of which will improve Cyclox Support health and wellbeing.

Walton Street north of Little Clarendon Street is part of the National Cycle Route 5 and this proposal will result in fewer motor vehicles on the NCN5 route which will be welcomed by all who use the NCN. The route continues to Hayfield Road and Bainton Road which are already quiet roads, so this plan will enhance the whole length of the route from Little Clarendon St and the north end of Bainton Road.

There is always the concern that removal of through traffic will be bad for business. Studies show that investment in better streets and places delivers quantifiable commercial returns. Businesses, residents, developers and visitors all benefit from investment in the public realm which creates more opportunities for walking and cycling. So this proposal will be good for local retailers and restaurants as there will be much more footfall in the street as a result of the closure.

It is good to hear that there was better traffic flow on Beaumont St and Worcester St as a result of the unplanned closure as this must improve air quality. However that increased flow means crossing the road is

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more problematic for walkers and people on bikes. So we support the reintroduction of pedestrian crossing at the junction of Worcester St and Beaumont St.

What next? We would like to see reduced parking in Walton St in the future and wider pavements for walkers. We strongly support this proposal.

In particular, in the context of Oxfordshire County Council’s acknowledgement of a climate emergency and commitment to making Oxfordshire carbon neutral by 2030, we support the proposal as trailblazing exactly the sort of change needed across Oxford and Oxfordshire to reduce carbon emissions from transport. According to government statistics for local authority emissions, 36% of Oxfordshire carbon emissions are from transport.

We are delighted the council is using the term Low Traffic Neighbourhood to describe this proposal. Before the closure many vehicles used the road as a rat run, including large commercial vehicles.

The road closure has created a road which is pleasant to walk and cycle along, whereas before both had to contend with motor vehicles which travel at speed making the environment feel unsafe.

As well as reducing carbon emissions, we agree the trial will produce benefits for: Low Carbon Oxford Support • Improving air quality in the direct area • Reducing traffic congestion in the local area by removing the signalised junction of Walton Street/ Worcester Street • Helping to create a safer environment for Cyclists and pedestrians within the city • Reducing “rat running”

In addition, the trial provides an opportunity to test and communicate the benefits envisaged in the city and county’s Connecting Oxford proposals, and to inform the development of these proposals.

LCON believes it is crucial we tackle the root cause of transport problems – too many vehicles - in our City at a time when we should be addressing the climate emergency and championing and incentivising active travel and public transport above all else.

Finally, we fully endorse the more detailed comments provided by Cyclox to this consultation:

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Clearly there isn’t yet enough detail to assess how vehicles (particularly mopeds) will be prevented from entering or leaving Walton St, ignoring the traffic restriction. If it doesn’t "look" like a road, then people will be less likely to drive through it. If it looks like a road that is closed, then some people will simply ignore the closure as we have seen at the west end of Broad St and Turl St. Having a sign that shows what is prohibited helps in this regard. We do recognise the importance though of emergency vehicles access which may prevent such designs.

The proposals will encourage more walking and cycling, and will improve air quality, all of which will improve health and wellbeing.

Walton Street north of Little Clarendon Street is part of the National Cycle Route 5 and this proposal will result in fewer motor vehicles on the NCN5 route which will be welcomed by all who use the NCN. The route continues to Hayfield Road and Bainton Road which are already quiet roads, so this plan will enhance the whole length of the route from Little Clarendon St and the north end of Bainton Road.

There is always the concern that removal of through traffic will be bad for business. Studies show that investment in better streets and places delivers quantifiable commercial returns. Businesses, residents, developers and visitors all benefit from investment in the public realm which creates more opportunities for walking and cycling. So this proposal will be good for local retailers and restaurants as there will be much more footfall in the street as a result of the closure.

It is good to hear that there was better traffic flow on Beaumont St and Worcester St as a result of the unplanned closure as this must improve air quality. However that increased flow means crossing the road is more problematic for walkers and people on bikes. So we support the reintroduction of pedestrian crossing at the junction of Worcester St and Beaumont St.

What next? We would like to see reduced parking in Walton St in the future and wider pavements for walkers. The experience for pedestrians (until the recent road closure) of walking along the south end of Walton St is that the pavements are too narrow and proximity to traffic too great, with queues of motorised traffic backing up during commuting hours as a knock-on effect of traffic congestion all along the inner ring route (Hythe Oxford Preservation Support Bridge St, Worcester St, Beaumont St). Tourist buses and coaches usually use Walton St as a bypass, and Association are too big for this narrow residential street. Little Clarendon St was until recent road closures a rat-run with motorised vehicles using it as a bypass to Walton St and Worcerster St.

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Since the south end of Walton St has been closed to motorised traffic the whole of Walton St has improved for pedestrians, and the reduced traffic travels at slower speeds that before, improving the sense of this as a safe place to be on foot.

OxPA believes that the knock-on effect on terms of the potential for increased motorised traffic running up streets such as Leckford Road and St Bernard's Road etc should be closely monitored so that measures can be put in place to deal with this as needed. OxPA supports a reduction in motorised traffic, not its displacement elsewhere.

Overall, OxPA warmly welcomes the Experimental Traffic Order. Having considered the operational implications and wider benefits, Worcester College is in favour of the proposed closure of the Walton St and Beaumont St junction.

Our only caveats are:

1. Most strongly, and from almost every part of College, a request that the pedestrian crossing on Worcester St just south of the Beaumont/Walton junction be brought back into use. The current arrangement (with the pedestrian crossing disabled) is dangerous for pedestrians crossing between the College side of Worcester St and Gloucester Green. Reinstating the pedestrian crossing will materially reduce the risk of accidents.

Worcester College Support 2. Assurance that due consideration will be given in designing the permanent barrier to ensure that the junction is safe for cyclists turning from Beaumont St into Walton St (or vice versa) in either direction.

3. Although we cannot foresee a specific situation where it might be necessary to request temporary reopening of the junction (e.g. for safety reasons or for very large vehicles that require the larger turning circle from the Beaumont St side where no alternative is possible, e.g. for critical construction work) a request for details on what provision will be in place to request temporary reopening in exceptional circumstances.

Overall, we believe that this is a positive proposal and will bring benefits both for College and for the wider community. Others

Objections & Concerns

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Observations 1 and 2 apply to residents living in Walton Street and its adjoining streets. That's several thousand people:

1. At the moment, when these residents need to drive south on either the A34 or the A420, they head down Walton Street, past Worcester College, and out down Botley Road. During the afternoon, this is already an arduous task. If you close Walton Street, these south-destined residents will have to drive north up Walton Street, and get out onto Woodstock road by driving down St Bernard's Road, Plantation Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Road, and St Margaret's Road thereby turning these roads into brand new "rat runs".

Achievement 1: "Rat runs" relocated from Walton Street to the more affluent St Bernard's Road, Plantation Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Road, and St Margaret's Road.

2. Once out of the newly created rat runs onto Woodstock Road, these residents will be joined by other residents from Kingston Road, Hayfield Road, Bainton Road, and their adjoining roads. This swarm of "rats" (not a very kind term) will then have to decide between the following options:

Option 1. Drive several more miles north to the Wolvercote roundabout only to double-back and drive along Resident (Oxford, Walton Object the A34. Street) Achievement 2: Increase congestion at the Wolvercote roundabout. Achievement 3: Increased pollution in general, particularly on Woodstock Road and the Wolvercote roundabout.

Option 2. Double back south down Woodstock Road and queue on St Giles and Beaumont Street. Achievement 4: Increased congestion on St Giles and Beaumont Street. Achievement 5: Increased pollution in Oxford city centre.

In practice, the two options will be taken in roughly equal proportions. At the moment, the roadworks on Botley Road are causing the majority to take option 1.

3. I'm not aware of many serious accidents involving pedestrians/cyclists/vehicles taking place on Walton Street. This is probably due to the slow speed of the traffic here. However, by closing Walton Street, you will create relatively free-flowing fast-moving traffic between Worcester Street and Beaumont Street. If, as I am sure you plan to, you allow cyclists to pass in and out of the south end of Walton street unimpeded, this is likely to result in cyclists being run over by the now faster moving traffic who's right of way many cyclists will ignore as they emerge from and enter Walton Street.

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Achievement 5: A more dangerous environment for cyclists at the junction of Walton Street/Beaumont Street/Worcester Street.

In summary, I believe these plans will 1. Improve air quality on Walton Street and its adjoining Streets, but decrease air quality on St Giles, Beaumont Street, St Bernard's Road, Plantation Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Road, and St Margaret's Woodstock Road and the Wolvercote roundabout. 2. Reduce traffic congestion on Walton Street, but increase traffic congestion on St Giles, Beaumont Street, St Bernard's Road, Plantation Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Road, and St Margaret's Woodstock Road and the Wolvercote roundabout. The St Giles fair will cause absolute gridlock 3 days per year. 3. Create a more dangerous environment for cyclists at the junction of Walton Street/Beaumont Street/Worcester Street. 4. Decrease "rat running" on Walton Street, but increase "rat running" on St Bernard's Road, Plantation Road, Leckford Road, Farndon Road, and St Margaret's Road.

I live on Walton Street so I would personally benefit from your plans. However, for the broader population, I believe these plans are a waste of money, as a council tax payer, and a company owner, and I object to the experiment. I most vehemently object to this proposal. My address is St Bernard’s Road, and closing Walton Street at Beaumont Street will send all traffic from Jericho going east over St Bernard’s Road, since it is the first chance to turn right to Woodstock Road. The system of one-way streets instituted in Jericho has worked very well, especially because many streets are very narrow. This plan will create havoc with that system. As it is currently, when I return home from the south I take a shortcut over Plantation Road, which is even narrower, and I am sure the residents do not like that. Moreover, it is impossible to see from the Woodstock Road whether the other end of Plantation Road has some blockage, in which case it is necessary to reverse. Resident (Oxford, St Object Bernards Road) I simply cannot fathom why anyone thought this proposal was a good idea.

I might add that as a resident just north of Jericho, where many people are entitled to bus passes, as am I, it is no longer possible to get from Jericho to the city centre, and even from the Woodstock and Banbury Roads there is no bus that will take us further south than George Street, which for me means that I hardly ever visit the Weston shopping centre because it means too much walking (and carrying things back) from the south end. I resent that the new centre has meant the closure of many shops in the High, Cornmarket, and the Covered Market, which now seem largely to cater only for fast food and souvenir shops. Yes, we

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have to accommodate tourists, but that much? I won’t even get started on the infestation of tour buses in the centre.

I object to the proposal to restrict traffic access to Walton Street, because:

1. The traffic density is so low that it isn't necessary. Resident (Oxford, Object Whitworth Place) 2. It would create more traffic on residential side roads, increasing noise and air pollution for residents and making side roads less safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

3. It might involve the erection of ugly new traffic signs that would spoil the charm of the area. unknown Object I object strongly to the closure of Walton Street, & hope it will be soon re-opened. My objections are as follows:

1) the council say that the temporary closure over the last few weeks hasn't really affected traffic but the road has been closed over the summer holidays when people have been on holiday and university and schools are off, and so vehicles in the area were far fewer than normal.

2) the residents on Walton street will of course be pleased to have had a quieter area during this temporary closure but Walton street is the major road in and out of Jericho, which the residents will have known when they moved to the area.

3) the council talk of it being a 'rat run' but people need to be able to commute, take their children to school, unknown Object and deliveries have to be made to ensure life and businesses thrive here. Walton street has always been the key road to access Jericho. By putting in this block, vehicles will still need to access Jericho but will have to come in via tiny side roads.

4) the residents in tiny local roads further north are now affected by delivery lorries and more cars having to use the narrow side roads to access Jericho from Woodstock road, which cannot easily sustain the thoroughfare.

5) emergency vehicles will take longer to access Jericho residents in emergencies, as they'll have to divert along tiny side roads further north.

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6) journey times are now much longer for all affected. If they insist on putting in a barrier, could the council allow access for emergency vehicles, residents, deliveries, and local businesses only?

7) are the council doing this as the sink holes haven't repaired properly? I live in Richmond Road and so far I have not noticed any reduction in the traffic in my road. Cars and vans go round and round Worcester Place and Richmond Road in the hope of finding somewhere to park and with the entry to Walton Street from Beaumont Street currently closed, traffic comes down Little Clarendon Street and up Richmond Road, being one of the nearest entry points to Jericho. I think it is free parking in Worcester Place but should probably be residential only.

Closing the top of Walton Street is not a good idea in my opinion for several reasons. Emergency vehicles would find getting in or out of Jericho slower and there would be congestion at the other end of Walton Street Resident (Oxford, because of everyone travelling out of Walton Street in one direction. All traffic exiting Walton Street to go to Object Richmond Road) Woodstock Road would be forced to travel north through one little road, at the roundabout separating Walton Street from Kingston Road, and for those going West East or South it could add to their journey time which also means fuel wasted and more pollution and traffic congestion.

As a general observation, there are too many diesel vehicles in Jericho and Oxford, and as a cyclist I am only too aware of the particulates that I daily breathe in and how in time they may well impair the health of Oxford residents. Could Oxford be urgently turned into a low emissions zone? Cycling to the top of the closed off Walton Street is easier just now though but on entry to Beaumont Street the traffic pollution is very prevalent. FORMAL OBJECTION FOR YOUR "CON-SULTATION". I (and most) OPPOSE YOUR ROAD CLOSURES.

Walton St closure and other traffic route closures planned in Oxford (already FOISTED on us, wholly undemocratically, where Walton St. goes) are opposed by most I know here in Jericho. The consultation has been notified late or NOT AT ALL FOR MANY, or when and where most folk were/ are likeliest to miss it. Resident, (Oxford, Object Jericho) SCANDALOUS DISGRACE! The wider public and majority OBJECT VEHEMENTLY.

County similarly wasted £2500 on a rainbow crossing opposite county hall that infringes the relevant RT Acts and UK law. That'll cost a further person's full annual CT to rectify if it is to be made lawful!

REDUCE COUNCIL TAX! CUT top management. Cut top management pay. MEND OUR HIGHWAYS!

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It seems to me that the only 'air quality' that might be improved is that of Walton St between Beaumont St and Richmond Rd. Traffic on the remainder will probably be about the same. You remove traffic from Walton St, the major Jericho thoroughfare of sufficient width, and move it onto St Bernard's Rd, Leckford Rd, and Little Clarendon St, all three of which are one-lane and the latter usually congested with shopping pedestrians. Air quality and congestion for those streets is apparently far less important. For us in Jericho, to shop the Botley Rd, Westgate, or Abingdon Rd, it means an additional 2 miles to the unknown Object journey...... hardly conducive to improving the carbon footprint...... is that considered in the "improved" air quality? Botley Rd commerce has suffered enough from the months of on going road works, and your plans remove Jericho from their market. It's much easier to go to Summertown or Kidlington. It's ludicrous of you to speak of reducing 'rat running' when your proposal makes it mandatory that the three small streets afore mentioned will be, by definition, 'rat runs' simply to get in and out of Jericho. A plan of "common" quality coming from our county traffic planners! I write to protest against the abovementioned experimental arrangement for a low traffic area in the Walton Street area.

Firstly, how was the consultation conducted? It is only in the last 30 minutes that, through a copy of my neighbour’s email, I was made aware of such a consultation at all. Surely notice should have been given directly to all the residents of the streets to be affected by such an experiment. That a consultation should, supposedly, have been open since 4th October, and due to close at 4pm today, 18th October, makes a mockery of what you are doing, if no one who will be affected by your proposed plan is made aware of the consultation. My neighbour states that he was only made aware of the situation by actually being invited to attend the public consultation – otherwise, presumably, he would have been as ignorant of its existence as the rest of us residents. Resident (Oxford, St Object Bernards Road) The northern end of Walton Street has become increasingly traffic-congested, not only because of the shops and many restaurants but also because of construction and delivery vehicles. Since the southern end of Walton Street has been closed, St Bernard’s Road has become the major route out of the Jericho area, with alarming results. The volume of traffic now using this narrow residential street has increased alarmingly, polluting the air we breathe, idling engines right outside our front doors and windows, and making even just crossing the street on foot hazardous, especially for those of us with limited mobility. I live t, and vehicles turning there into St Bernard’s Road pick up speed impatiently, not expecting pedestrians or cyclists as they might on the main road. It’s really quite dangerous. Traffic that used to access George Street, Hythe Bridge Street, and Frideswide Square via Walton Street and Worcester Street is now forced up St Bernard’s Road, or Leckford Road, both narrow residential streets with bollards and traffic calming speed bumps, simply not designed nor indeed

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suitable for such traffic volumes, especially large commercial vehicles. Such a detour, to use the Woodstock Road, St Giles, and Beaumont Street instead, increases the length of vehicles’ journeys and thereby increases exhaust pollution. The pollution from this extra traffic will also ultimately affect the beautiful ashlar stonework of the Beaumont Street buildings and the façade of Worcester College, which will be expensive to repair and maintain. The loss of the number 17 bus is also partly responsible for the increased traffic, either from private cars or from taxis. Yes, the congestion at the Beaumont Street/Worcester Street traffic lights had become an increasing problem, but moving the problem elsewhere – i.e. to us – is not a viable solution. I heard that only 200 letters had been sent to the people in that immediate area notifying them of the closure. Is that true? Why weren’t the rest of the residents in Jericho notified? Were any of the businesses in Jericho notified? What about the school?

I have not seen any publicly postings in the area. Aren’t all planning notices required to be publicly posted so that affected residents can know what is going on?

The consultation is only two weeks, ending today 18th October. This is shorter than standard consultation periods which are generally 21 days to 4 weeks.

Resident (Oxford, St All developments and change of use have to follow a standard planning process, why wasn’t the standard Object Bernards Road) democratic process of change of planning followed before the change was put in place? Does the council have different rules than the general public?

We’re the houses on St. Bernard’s road, Observatory street, and Little Clarendon street warned about the increase in traffic they will experience on those roads now that a Walton Street is closed?

Improving air quality in the direct area is a reason given for closing Walton street. Were they monitoring the air quality in that area before the roadworks closed Walton Street and after to show evidence of improved air quality?

Have they been monitoring the air quality in the increased areas of traffic?

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To reduce traffic congestion between Walton street/Worcester Street junction did they try to synchronise the lights with Hythe Bridge Street first to see if that would help reduce traffic congestion?

I actually think closing these lights is more dangerous for cyclist and pedestrians. Cyclist and pedestrians now have to wait for a break in the continuous traffic from Beaumont Street to cross Worcester street for the Gloucester Green bus station or to travel to the city centre. Will they reinstate the crossing?

Did the council think about the contra flow cycle lane and the increased danger to cyclist when they decided to send more traffic down Little Clarendon Street?

The council suggest that “rat running” is a problem. Have they timed whether it is quicker to go down Walton Street instead of Woodstock Road? Have the council done ANPR surveys at the areas where cars are “rat running” to get an idea of the number of cars taking Walton Street as a short cut?

There are plenty of transport survey companies that can get this kind of data. Did they gather this data before starting this consultation process?

There could very well be an increase in vehicles and therefore traffic in Jericho. Have the council looked at the number of Parking permits provided to Jericho and Walton Manor residents over the past ten years to see if there is a rise of legitimate residents’ cars travelling in the area instead of commuters from outside Oxford using Walton Street as a shortcut?

Finally, Jericho is brimming with shops and restaurants. All these shops and restaurants have regular lorry deliveries. What plans have the county council put in place for the lorries to prevent them from doing a 3 point turn on Walton Street or drive through the small streets in Jericho (including Hart Street by St. Barnabas School)?

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I hope you will be able to answer my questions.

I have no problem of the council closing Walton Street as long as there is evidence that shows that this is a good solution and it doesn’t just move the problem to smaller streets unsuited for increased traffic.

I also believe that if you were to speak to the residents of St. Bernard’s Road and Observatory Street, they would be unaware about this consultation and survey by the Oxfordshire County Council.

I’m happy to discuss ideas for alternative ways to make Oxford a cleaner city and better for the environment in the future. I would like to express my completely disagree with the closure. This measure is causing a lot of inconveniences everyday to all the people who live in Jericho and need to take the car to go to work. We feel the council has isolated us and has left us abandoned.

The road closure is bringing more delays for those who has to leave the city through Botley. Furthermore, as a consequence of the diversions and delays to reach botley road from Walton street, the cars are driving more time along the streets of jericho and the city centre. That means more emissions... unknown Object

I hope the council reconsiders the plans to close permanently the road because it is being very annoying for the neighbours living in Jericho.

As an alternative to reduce traffic without affecting the people living in the area, I would suggest to control the access with cameras. CCTV could help by reading the license plate to identify the cars that has permission to circulate. As a resident of Farndon Rd it has become noticeable that the quantity of through traffic has increased since the closure has been in operation. Delivery vehicles to the 44 premises in Walton St now have to make two trips in and out instead of having the option to exit by Worcester College. Resident (Oxford, Object Farndon Road) In addition as the major transformation of St Paul’s House will generate quantities of construction traffic I fear that traffic in Farndon Rd will be even heavier.

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For these reasons I wish to object to the proposal and support the notion that Walton St should remain a through road. I am very disappointed that Oxfordshire County Council failed to inform the local businesses about the consultation being carried out and the proposed ETRO. I myself was only made aware of it after one of our customers showed us a copy of the letter they received. How can you justify not writing to the local businesses, the group most impacted if this proposal goes through?

With , this proposal will restrict access for our numerous customers who travel in from the west and south of the city. Furthermore, the option to drive through Walton street as an alternative to Woodstock or Banbury road has also provided valuable passing Business (Oxford, Walton Object trade, which will disappear if this proposal goes through. You're effectively turning the street into a cul-de- Street) sac, with no access from the west of the city, other than the ring road.

In addition, we as a business make regular trips to Booker in Osney. This proposal increases our journey time and car usage.

The proposal requires much greater thought and consideration, so a two-week consultation, extremely limited in its scope, is completely inadequate. I therefore strongly object to this ETRO being in place for the next six months, let alone becoming a permanent fixture. I object to the Council’s proposals. For two days in every year this road endures an unpleasant increase in traffic owing to the closures necessitated by St Giles’ Fair; the proposed closure outside Worcester College will make this inconvenience permanent, to the detriment not only of residents’ quality of life but also of air Resident (Oxford, St quality. What this has to do with the Eastern Arc is as unclear as the harm inflicted without compensating Object Bernards Road) benefit on residents of Jericho and Walton Manor is obvious, especially in the absence of public transport to West Oxford; nor is encouragement of walking and bicycling a sufficient justification, not only since it lays a disadvantage on the disabled and those who have never mastered bicycles, but because it is difficult to see which journeys currently made by car could be made by those means instead after the closure. Resident (Oxford, Walton my preference is to keep Walton Street moving. If I were a Jericho resident I would be horrified with your Object Well Road) question. Residents of Plantation Road, St Bernard's and Observatory St would not thank you. The proposed target of a safer environment with cleaner air will only be achieved for Walton Sreet itself and the University-owned properties there. Oxford inhabitants living in access roads, and especially St Bernard's Resident (Oxford, St Road, will suffer. Object Bernards Road) St Bernard's Road, has been deliberately laid out to be residential, to serve local small vehicles only, with chicanes, speed humps and tree-planting. It has been planned to be suitable for non-commercial, domestic

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buildings only. If the proposal is adopted, this route will necessarily become the nearest exit for all traffic from Jericho/Walton Manor, including delivery vehicles for the commercial properties lining Walton Street. It is unfit for this purpose. It is also inequitable that this small road should be condemned to be the main service exit for the whole area. Safety, noise, and air-quality here will suffer for the benefit largely of Walton Street. The proposed stated aim is to stop rat-runs, but St Bernard's Road will become a main through-road instead of a mere rat-run. Is this the Council's aim? The already commercialised roads should bear the disadvantages which they themselves create. Continue Walton Street as a local through road.

Further, I believe closing Walton Street is merely the first step in the Council's inequitable traffic policy against the interests of private residents. First, according to this proposal, residents of Jericho/Walton Manor are to suffer increased traffic and consequent danger and pollution to serve the commerce in Walton Street. Next, residents will effectively be kettled within their area if/when the expected further step is taken, to close Worcester Street to private traffic. To travel South, for example to Abingdon, residents will be forced North on to the A34 which is already unfit for purpose and hazardous for all existing users. This situation will become worse with the proposed massive development to the North of Oxford, which again will benefit University- owned property. The present proposal is merely a step towards this aim.

It is seemingly not in the interests of the Council to achieve easier flow of traffic by making Park End Street and Hythe Bridge Street into a one-way system, enabling passage to the South and West. Why? There are ways of discouraging through-traffic which safeguard existing residents. The Council is already considering imposing financial penalties on businesses for employee parking, to discourage access by non-residents. Council traffic policy should aim positively to safeguard the rights of access/egress of private residents. Their case should be considered and, in all justice, differentiated from business users.

Frankly, I believe it is the determined policy of the Council to force through these changes, to the detriment of private residents, and that they are staging this consultation for appearances' sake alone. However, I have no alternative but to take this slim opportunity to protest and defend what should be my enjoyment of residing in Oxford. I am a keen supporter of initiatives to reduce the traffic in Oxford City centre but I do not see how this proposal helps, it just forces the through traffic onto fewer remaining roads whilst forcing residents to drive further and for longer. I appreciate there may be some benefits to residents of Walton Street itself but the unknown Object increased traffic and emissions on the remaining narrow roads into and out of Jericho cannot be good for residents of those streets and the damage to cars dealing with the numerous speed bumps on those roads is unnecessary.

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As a compromise, I would support residents only access to the junction or timed rising bollards to prevent rush hour traffic. But I do not support the complete closure of Walton Street. I would welcome the City taking the opportunity to look at broader and higher impact initiatives: preventing tourist coaches from entering the city, congestion charging type system, low emissions/electric only and timed closure of roads. I have either lived or run businesses in Jericho for over three decades and know it well. Walton Street has always been a mixed use city fringe street. It’s vibrant and cosmopolitan – a very special place. There is not an excessive amount of traffic, drivers are considerate and there seems to be a mutual respect between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. We all rub along very well.

ALL businesses on Walton Street strongly oppose the proposed closure as does every resident who I have spoken to. We were all horrified when the road closed due to road works so you can imagine the despair we felt when we heard that the Council is arbitrarily trialling a closure with a view to it possibly being permanent. How can this happen in a so called local democracy?

Westgate Shopping Centre

Many independent businesses have seen a drop in trade since the Westgate opened. Many are still finding trading difficult. I hear that one in eight shops in the city centre is empty in what was previously prime retail space. Closing Worcester Street with the aim of restricting flow and access into Jericho will undoubtedly Business (Oxford, Walton Object have a negative commercial impact – encouraging traffic through Oxford to the car park at Westgate but not Street) allowing customers to drive to Jericho. It’s adding insult to injury.

With increasing globalisation, homogenised businesses and growing internet trade we should be valuing small, independent bricks and mortar business and the contribution they make to the community in Jericho. Not to mention the rates we pay and the employment we create.

Deliveries

Some of our deliveries come in 7.5 tonne lorries. These are not HGVs but they are unable to access Jericho businesses via Little Clarendon Street or Observatory Street. We have a number of deliveries which come via the Botley Road (or are from companies based on the Botley Road). Currently they have to go via the ring road or Little Clarendon Street to get to us. Little Clarendon Street, Observatory Street, Pusey Street and St John’s Street will all get more traffic. I’ve certainly been using Little Clarendon Street more.

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Shutting Worcester Street would create pinch points elsewhere in the city, more travel miles and more pollution – particularly for those vehicles who have to go via the ring road and sit in traffic there. This makes the proposal less green than it initially might seem.

In summary, the closure trial has come at completely the wrong time when many businesses are already struggling and adjusting to significant structural challenges. It’s very much an anti-business proposal. Walton Street is full of life and the businesses along it are very much part of this. We are not a city centre street but very much a neighbourhood and a community. We love Jericho how it is. I live on St.Bernard's Road and the traffic has been much worse during the resurfacing works on Walton Street. The proposals would increase traffic and reduce air quality on St.Bernard's Road which would also be detrimental to cyclists in this part of the neighbourhood. I do not see the logic in trying to improve air quality in a neighbourhood by shutting a road when the journeys are still going to be made in the immediate vicinity Resident (Oxford, St and with reduced choice of routes the traffic will be even more concentrated on the only remaining routes Object Bernards Road) available. In this case St.Bernard's Road is particularly badly affected especially by the delivery vans servicing the restaurants on Walton Street. Any traffic heading West will end up at St.Giles and the junction with Beaumont Street which is already very congested. It seems very obvious that without actually opening up any new routes this proposal will effectively just shift congestion from one end of Beaumont Street to the other and by making vehicles go the long way round it will inevitably increase air pollution in the process. I am writing to strongly OBJECT to the Walton Street Closure Experiment from the position as a resident on St Bernard's Road.

We have already seen a much increased amount of traffic, noise and air pollution on our residential street since Walton Street was closed for road works, as St Bernard's Road is the first exit road out of Jericho and parts of Walton Manor. We only put up with it with the expectation that when the road work is completed, Walton Street will re-open and share the traffic going out of this area once more.

Resident (Oxford, St Object As it stands, and if Walton Street is shut permanently, St Bernard's Road is taking the brunt of the business, Bernards Road) OUP, school, and residential traffic going out of Jericho towards the South, West and possibly East and North of Oxford. We have already seen on our street so many more cars, taxis, small to large vans that are all using St Bernard's Road as a through road.

In my view it is hardly fair to concentrate the noise and air pollution on St Bernard's Road (and possibly Kingston Road). We are quite a narrow street. Our houses almost go straight onto the road. Many of the houses have children or elderly people. Before Walton Street road work closure, the noise and air pollution in and out of the area was more fairly shared.

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In addition, is there any data supporting "rat running"? Also, unless there was data concerning traffic in and out of the area before Walton Street was shut (it has been shut for quite a while), the pilot will not be a fair trial as there will be no "before" and "after" data to support or oppose the change.

In order to properly to assess the effects on various residential roads by the Walton Street closure, there needs to be a period of time when Walton Street is re-opened and traffic in the various streets in Jericho (Walton, Little Clarendon, Observatory) and Walton Manor (St Bernard's, Leckford, Kingston, and St Margaret's) monitored and another period of time with Walton Street is shut, and equally the traffic on these same streets monitored. I am writing to register my objection to the proposal to close Walton Street. I live in Nelson Street and am frustrated with the extra time, mileage and petrol costs incurred by the closure of Walton Street. My husband is as there is no public transport accessible in our area.

Many Jericho residents are still unaware of the County Council’s proposals to close Walton Street and more consultation and publicity at a local level should be carried out.

I would like to raise the following points:

Air quality in the area will actually deteriorate as many disabled/elderly people have to rely on their cars (due Resident (Oxford, Nelson to the absence of public transport) and will have a much longer journey if they need to travel to west Oxford Object Street) (ie: rail station/Botley area). Therefore, will be using their vehicles for longer periods using more fuel and producing more pollutants.

Traffic congestion will not reduce because instead of driving a short distance on Walton Street to join Worcester Street (if travelling to the west), people will have a much longer detour via Kingston Road, Leckford Road, Woodstock Road, St Giles and Beaumont Street.

‘Rat running’ will in fact increase as more vehicles will use Leckford Road, (which is a two way street and already has a ‘pinch point’ with traffic calming half way between Kingston Road and Woodstock Road), Little Clarendon Street a one way street (with it’s busy restaurants and artisan shops) is already chaotic with delivery vehicles, refuse collection vehicles (not to mention the bicycles which are allowed to travel in the opposite direction to motor vehicles!) and Observatory Street a one way residential street which already has

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traffic calming humps and seems to have an almost permanent contingent of builders vehicles at the junction with Woodstock Road.

A safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians isn’t guaranteed as they frequently ignore designated crossing points - at their peril.

The work that has been done on Walton Street has been done to a very high standard, no doubt costing a vast amount of money, which seems to have been excessive and disproportionate if it is now ONLY to be used by pedestrians and cyclists. Perhaps some of that money could have been redirected to support funding for public transport for Jericho (I note that a bus stop area has been allocated and neatly marked on the newly laid tarmac with white lines....shame there are no buses...) I wish to oppose this closure.

1. It has taken me two days of effort, being bounced from city council to county council, to discover what was going on here. Until now, it has been a mystery. The two week initial consultation period is invalid unless everyone knows about it. Your publicity is not adequate. For example, you could have installed a large notice at the barriers themselves, instead of making people turn detective.

2. You did not start the experiment on 4th Oct but a month earlier, following on from convenient (for you) roadworks. I well recall the great difficulty I had driving to the station on the last day of the St Giles Fair, when, according to schedule, the roadworks would have been gone. But the road was still blocked, so I had to drive out to The Plain and down High St, thankful that it was during the evening and the block in the middle of High St was not active. That was particularly poorly thought out. unknown Object

3. It is said that traffic swells to take up new road space, but I have never heard the inverse. If you reduce road space and road routes, it is likely that greater traffic will result.

4. The collection of school children is already affected. The school bus that my son takes usually drives down Walton St on its way to Botley, and has now had to alter its route to Woodstock Road. This has meant a considerably longer walk every day to the bus for many children, both large and small. I was looking forward to the bus having its route back, especially with another bus now commissioned for another school, and a further bus probably coming on line for my son's school within this school year.

5. Businesses on Walton St will suffer financial damage, and, what is more to the point, the character of the street will suffer. When traffic was removed from the High St, the heart was ripped out of the city and it

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became very dangerous for cyclists, because the bus drivers were no longer slowed by other traffic. Walton St is more narrow and if buses are allowed, it may well become deadly. Still, I don't want to see Walton street die.

6. When the center of Oxford was closed, traffic jams ensured immediately. Any further closure is unlikely to make things better.

7. Even now, although pollution at, say, the Cornmarket - Broad st junction may reduced from what it formerly was, total pollution thrown off by Oxford is certainly increased by the increased number of miles that vehicles must do in order to move from one side of the city center to the other. We, for example, in driving north to south, used to be able to drive to Abingdon Rd in one straight line, but now we have to take a detour past the museum, to the railway station, along Oxpens to thus to the south. Moving east-west is even longer. Dispersing pollution is not the same as reducing it, and global pollution is what counts. You have increased it, and now intend to increase it again, in as selfish a manner as possible.

8. When traffic was removed from Cornmarket amd other streets in the center, the upswing in anti social behaviour was almost instant and made the area no go for most decent people. It is, frankly, scary. I have no wish to see Walton St fall down the same revolting hole as the center of Oxford. I want traffic there, I want people there, people who own cars.

9. Moreover, there is a point to be made about the existence of roads and the existence of the town in the first place. A road is not a road if no one is using it. The road evolved in that place organically, over centuries. What you are doing now is imposing top-down thinking on the roads, trying to straighten what is bent, trying to iron out the wrinkles. But is the wrinkles and the bends that make life in a town interesting and attractive. Do you find the business school attractive? Of course not. Why? Because it bears no relation to the artists impression published in the newspaper, which was of a typical Oxford college, full of pointless twiddly bits. It is the twiddly bits, apparently pointless, that make it look nice, that turn it from an eyesore into something you actually want. The same applies at all scales. Cute roads, many routes, unexpected junctions, big roads and small roads, all are necessary. You are guilty of thinking like a computer, of ignoring the fact that the city is lived in by actual people. These people like to drive down small roads. You want to make a motorway around the middle of Oxford. Even worse, you want to remove vehicles from the center altogether, which effectively kills the center, especially in the evening. Have you not been to other towns where the center has been killed stone dead in this way? Walking there is scary, unnerving. Let's pedestianize it! Then it will be better. In what way, better? Scary? A no go area? Tumbleweed blowing past? Town after town has succumbed to this robot-like idiocy and I was hoping that Oxford might see

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sense and reverse the process. Enliven the center by letting traffic through. Open roads, don't close them. I understand that creating bigger traffic jams is part of a cunning plan. Hell, everyone understands. But it is stupid. It is un-human. The experiment to conduct is to open it all up and see what happens.

10. Recommendation. New experiment. (And without a comparison, no experiment is an experiment.) Open up all roads in Oxford to traffic. Tear down the barriers. Let it flow. Bring life back to Oxford. Bring people back. Save the lives of cyclists too, I suspect. Do the proper experiment. Weeks ago some residents had letters informing of this closure, we live on Walton Street, received nothing, then and nothing since WHY? Resident (Oxford, Walton IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN OUR VIEWS WE ARE AGAINST THIS CLOSURE . FOR US AND MANY Object Street) MORE IT WILL INCUR LONGER DETOURS THUS MORE AIR POLUTION NOT LESS YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN TRANSPORT AWAY FROM THIS AREA. PLEASE LEAVE US SOME ACSESS. I am writing with regards to the experimental traffic regulation order on Walton Street, Oxford (reference above). Considering that it affects Jericho as a whole I was some what concerned that I had to learn about it through a neighbour and not from the Council directly and am therefore concerned that many more people will be unaware of the proposals and not be able to voice their opinions.

The ETRO raises concerns with me for the following reasons:

Emergency response times. The ambulance, fire and police services are already stretched and any additional time put on their journeys in order to get to emergencies within Jericho will have negative impacts Resident (Oxford, Nelson Concerns on the residents. There is a school, St Barnabas CofE primary school and large businesses like Oxford Street) University Press to consider within this, as well as the younger and ageing population of Jericho. All of which who rely on the emergency services getting to them as quickly as possible in times of need. With a barrier to negotiate to get into Jericho this will inevitably add time onto their responses.

Increased emissions. Whilst the remit of this closure is to reduce the emissions and improve air quality for the residents of Jericho it will mean that those with vehicles will have to spend longer in them in order to travel south of Oxford, potentially tripling the time it would take to get out of the city centre because of the route we would have to take. The amount of emissions created by this would also outweigh the reduction of emissions created by any reduction in (alleged) rat running. Resident (Oxford, I'm really concerned about the closure of Walton St for three reasons: Concerns Southmoor Road)

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1) The precedent. Is it going to be the case from this moment forwards than whenever road closures are carried out, if traffic flows are considered to be better (by an unknown person working to unknown standards), that the road closures will remain, perhaps permanently? If not: why not?

2) The peculiar manner in which this temporary closure came about with no apparent initial consultation. After the road was closed for many weeks for necessary roadworks, somehow the roadworks seamlessly rolled over into an officially sanctioned closure. I'm sure residents in the immediate vicinity enjoyed having the street closed - but virtually *any* residents who have nearby road closures would always want them to remain permanent. Of course, it could be that the officially sanctioned closure came about in perfectly proper ways, but the lack of notice, plus the seamless transition from roadworks to closure, feels like there is at best a significant lack of transparency.

3) Access. We live in Walton Manor. In September we were returning home in our car via Hythe Bridge Street. However, it turned out that St Giles was closed for the Fair. And Beaumont St had been closed. And no thought had been given to any alternatives; and since Walton St was also closed (although it had been scheduled by that time to be open), even though I was less than a mile from home, the ONLY way we could return home was via an *eight* mile detour down the full length of Botley Road, round the Ring Road and through North Oxford. For sure, the fair only happens once per year: but the general principle here is that you're closing off a major artery that provides important access. There are already many one way streets in the area; it is already hard to leave Jericho and Walton Manor by car if you wish to travel West or South.

1. Traffic flow will have no compression if the junction Beaumont/Worcester/Walton St rests is removed bc ( except for cyclists/ pedestrians? High risk of fatalities on blind bend for pedestrians). unknown Concerns

2. If the end of Walton St is closed then Little Clarendon St will necessarily have to reverse its direction. Support I would just like to add my voice to those in favour of maintaining the closure of Walton Street. It has transformed the street itself right up to Hayfield Road and beyond into an oasis of peace and calm and one which has spread up into Little Clarendon Street. Furthermore, and rather remarkably, it has fundamentally Resident (Oxford, Walton relieved the persistent bottle-neck at the junction with Worcester Street, so that traffic now flows without Support Crescent) interruption from St Giles, and down Beaumont Street. The removal of the traffic lights outside Worcester College has hugely increased the ease with which the traffic moves in this area.

On the face of it, I can see little to gain in re-opening the junction.

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We are fully in support of an experimental, and, hopefully, permanent closure. The part of Walton Street closer to Worcester College, unlike the rest of Walton Street, is very narrow and yet it carried the same (or even more) traffic than its wider counterpart. From the part of Walton Street that stretches from the corner of Little Clarendon Street to Worcester College is almost entirely residential and yet the traffic is inundated by lorries, trucks, and now -increasingly- by tourist buses. In other words, even when the road is open, only a very negligible portion of people that potentially benefit from this are Walton Street and other Jericho residents.

We would like to support this experimental closure mainly because of safety, air and noise pollution. We have two small children and have, very occasionally, have had to throw ourselves on the street because the lorry drivers, Coop’s delivery trucks, Booker’s food delivery vans, Amazon delivery vehicles, tourist buses etc drive through this street with top speed to make it to their destinations. There are no pedestrian crossings from Coop ‘till Worcester so often people do try to cross the street and with the existing traffic, this endeavour has become increasingly dangerous - posing the danger of potentially fatal accidents. No other residential street is subject to the same profile of traffic. The traffic starts in the early hours - at the break of dawn - and does not stop until late into the night. The traffic has a detrimental influence on the air quality, Resident (Oxford, Walton Support and, more importantly, the noise pollution they create is immense, especially given the echo chamber a Street) narrow road surrounded by tall buildings on each side creates. None of the residents living on this street are able use their front rooms for their intended purposes and have to invest in heavy noise isolation and/or move their bedrooms to the back (again, something that comes at a great cost to the residents of the house and one that forces their neighbours to endure construction noise).

For those who wish to access Botley quicker - we have timed this and can reveal that at the times in which there is low traffic, taking the detour only makes a difference of 3 minutes to get to the lights. In rush hour, taking the detour is even quicker. The traffic that is allowed to flow through Walton Street significantly exacerbates the bottleneck that occurs on the junction of Beaumont Street / Walton Street. My commute involves going to on some days and the train station on others. I therefore witness this traffic everyday, at all hours.

In sum, we are very much in support of the road remaining closed. Having lived in Jericho for the past 10 years (on Walton Crescent, Great Clarendon Street, and now Walton Street), I can, in all honesty say that this is the best thing that could ever happen to Jericho. All of our friends are neighbours are tremendously excited about the prospect of this. Resident (Oxford, Support Very much support the proposal Cranham Street)

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Resident (Oxford, St Support Emailing to issue my support of this proposal Barnabas Street) Resident (Oxford, Great Support I am in favour of the proposal Clarendon Street) I’m a member of Oxford Civic Society and have lived and worked in Oxford for many years, and travel by walking and cycling.

Resident (Oxford) Support I strongly support the closure of Walton St to motorised traffic at the S end, and many other streets in Oxford. I hope that the impact of motorised traffic diverting onto other nearby streets will be carefully monitored and mitigated. I support the closure of Walton Street to nonessential traffic. I am in favour of fewer cars in the city to, 1 Improve air quality. unknown Support 2 create safe environment for cyclists and pedestrians. 3 Reduce traffic congestion. 4 Reduce rat running. I would like to strongly support the proposal to close part of Walton street to traffic. This will make the road safer and the air quality better for pedestrians and cyclists. I am also hopeful that proposals such as this one would encourage more people to walk and cycle rather unknown Support than rely on cars for short journeys. I would like to see more roads converted to no through roads, so that the residents can enjoy safe, pollution free streets. We are fully supportive of restricting access to Walton Street for residents only. Since the changes have been made to the road system by the station / Said Business School, Walton Street has become a terrible bottle neck and seems to be used increasingly as rat run. There seem to be continual traffic jams and it has changed the fabric and feel of the area. Resident (Oxford, Walton Support Crescent) We feel there would be many benefits to the community if the traffic is restricted, including safety and air quality. It would also reduce 'rat runs' in other streets such as our own, on Walton Crescent.

Please note that we do own a car and have resident's parking, but we are supportive of the change, irrespective. Resident (Oxford, Plater I am very much in favor of this closure. As the father and a cyclist, I believe strongly that Support Drive) the volume of auto traffic in Oxford is too dense. I am looking forward to improved air quality and safety. Resident (Oxford, Support Full support for the Walton Street proposal. Richmond Road)

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I'd like to voice support for the Experimental Low Traffic Neighbourhood Area in Walton Street!

I am a local resident (Southmoor Road) and Walton Street is so much more pleasant to be on as a Resident (Oxford, pedestrian or cyclist when there is less traffic! Support Southmoor Road) Also, reducing the rat running is a good thing: people regularly break the 20mph limit going down Kingston road and I would hope that this will reduce the frequency this happens!

Resident (Oxford, Great Support I support the proposal. Clarendon Street) unknown Support I think the closing of part of Walton St is a excellent idea. unknown Support I fully support the proposal. We are delighted by the proposal to restrict access to Walton Street. As a resident in the street for 26 years, we have for too long suffered noise and atmospheric pollution from vehicle traffic. Walton Street has increasingly been used as a shortcut to circumvent Saint Giles, not just for cars but large trucks and buses. The problem has become far worse since the installation of traffic lights at the head of Hythe Bridge Street which, in conjunction with those at the bottom of Beaumant Street has led to a build up of stationary traffic that frequently stretches back to Little Clarendon Street or further. Few people turn off their engines when they are waiting in a traffic jam.

You can get used to the problem of noise pollution, but fumes from vehicles takes its toll on your health. I for Resident (Oxford, Walton one work in a room that faces on to Walton Street and can attest to the amount of filth that builds up, even Support Street) when keeping the windows shot at all times.

So you can appreciate that the suspension of traffic flows has been a great boon to us, and we therefore hearitily approve of the changes that have been suggested. I appreciate some of the difficulties that drivers (I too one a car) face as a consequence, but these are more than outweighed by the positive environmental impact.

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I am certainly in favour of changes which improve air quality and make the roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. I am willing for the trial to take place provided that the changes do not prove to result in simply moving the problem from one area to another. With this in mind I would like to add the following points:

1) Firstly I find it odd that a significant traffic change is being proposed without alerting all local residents who will be affected. I understand that only some houses in the immediate vicinity i.e. the furthest south end of Walton Street, were informed by a letter through their door. Our neighbourhood group found out from an article in the Jericho local paper. This proposal potentially has a significant impact on all the residents who live west of Woodstock Road in the area between St Margaret's Road and Beaumont Street in terms of traffic which may simply be displaced from that part of Walton Street to other totally residential roads. It may have a beneficial impact of course but that has to be proven by the trial. Because people have not been made aware of this, the two week time slot for commenting is too short.

2) Everyone wants to improve air quality where they live but while this will improve air quality in the immediate vicinity i.e.Walton Street between Little Clarendon Street and Beaumont St it could potentially make air quality worse in more residential roads. These roads will then need to be used by large goods vehicles which would up until now have gained access via the south end of Walton Street to buildings such unknown Support as to Worcester College, Exeter College building, and the other university buildings etc in that stretch of Walton Street. For example a large building supplies or goods delivery vehicle coming from say Botley or Abingdon Road trying to deliver to Worcester College for example, would have entered Walton St from the south end but under the new proposals it would presumably have to go along Beaumont St, St Giles, Woodstock Road and then I'm not sure how it would now gain access- Little Clarendon St or via St Margaret's Road or other small side roads perhaps?

3) I agree that the congestion caused by the various sets of traffic lights including Beaumont St/ Walton St had become very bad. I am now retired but for many years I used to commute from my home in Southmoor Road to . The traffic flowed relatively freely until the council changed the junction at the intersection of Hythe Bridge St/ GeorgeSt/ Worcester St north/ Worcester St south. The problem causing the back up of traffic is due to the traffic lights not being synchronised properly because when the traffic lights on Walton St were green, the traffic lights at the junction of Hythe Bridge St/ George St etc were red. Hence only one of two cars could move from Walton St. The stretch of road from Worcester College to the next traffic lights at the junction of Hythe Bridge St/George St etc is too short to hold that much traffic. I can absolutely vouch for this as I commuted for more than ten years up until two years ago. Also if the traffic lights weren't working it flowed more freely. A roundabout is preferable to light where possible.

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3) I am more frequently a cyclist and pedestrian than I am a car user but I also use my car occasionally when I have heavy shopping to pick up from the Botley Rd for example. As a cyclist I very much welcome any improvements which will make the roads safer for all cyclists including the many children who cycle to the local state schools.

4) I agree that it is totally unacceptable and very dangerous that Walton Street was used as a rat run. One solution for stopping drivers who see congestion in St Giles and then take the rat run down Little Clarendon Street and left into Walton Street and on to Worcester St by that route might have been to simply make a no left turn at the bottom of Little Clarendon St so that a left turn into that southern stretch of Walton St is illegal. However I accept that people who knew that it existed may have used the rat run for a longer distance i.e. all the way down Kingston Road and all of Walton St.

In conclusion I welcome any changes that improve air quality and make a safer environment for cyclists, pedestrians and for all residents in the Walton Street and Kingston Road area. As a resident I have often seen motorists driving at dangerous speeds and ignoring the 20mph signs which light up along Kingston Road, very often when there were young children using the road. A speed camera would be more of a deterrent. These were I imagine drivers using it as a rat run to avoid congestion on the Woodstock Road.

I welcome the experiment provided that the monitoring process is very thorough and if it is deemed that there is more traffic simply displaced onto other residential roads as a result then this will taken very seriously.

I would like to know what traffic survey/counts have taken place on Walton St and Kingston Road before the bottom end of Walton St was closed off so that a comparison can be made during the trial period. An initial feeling since the closure from a few people I've spoken to is that they feel that Walton St in general has less traffic which can only be positive. This obviously needs to proven by some proper surveys rather than hearsay. I am very pleased to hear that OCC are considering closing the bottom of Walton Street to traffic on a more permanent basis.

Resident (Oxford, Support I have noticed that I feel much safer and freer cycling down Kingston Road to Walton Street when the street Kingston Road) has been closed to cars and lorries recently, for road works. This road is a designated cycle route already - and is a fun and interesting ride.

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When I do occasionally use my car (which is parked at the north end of Kingston Road) I have no problem reaching any destination without using Walton Street as a cut through.

I welcome the lower traffic levels, the disappearance of the Walton Street queue into Beaumont St/Worcester St and the elimination of the traffic light grid lock there. It was a congested rat run and I would not be surprised to hear that traffic flow is faster now without the grid lock.

I welcome the lower levels of pollution and the much more pleasant environment for pedestrians. And the many businesses in Jericho (OUP, University, coffee shops and restaurants) must benefit from the calmer, slower atmosphere. I heartily support your great initiative. I am hugely in favour of the experiment on Walton Street going ahead. The forced change recently has Resident (Oxford, Walton Support obviously made it more difficult for residents who own cars (ourselves included), but the big benefits seem Street) obvious already. I would support a prolonged experimental closure. I totally approve of the idea of an experimental closure of Walton Street.

Before the road works Walton Street was one big traffic jam at some times of day with traffic backed up from Worcester College to beyond the junction with Little Clarendon Street. The air was so polluted that I would avoid walking along Walton Street by going a back way via Wellington Square and St John’s Street. On Resident (Oxford, Walton Support occasion it has taken an hour to take our car out from Walton Lane because of the traffic. Street)

Since the road works have closed the road, the air is cleaner, the noise level is much reduced, we can walk or cycle along in a peaceful way and the small inconvenience of having to do a detour to get onto St Giles, Beaumont Street and from there to Botley Road has been absolutely nothing compared to the advantages. Also the traffic flow from Beaumont Street towards the railway station has improved enormously. I am in favour of restricted access to Walton Street from Worcester/Beaumont Street, Oxford, as outlined in the letter and map from Oxford County Council.

Since the emergency closure followed by the repair works I have noticed the benefits to the locality as follows: Resident (Oxford, Walton Support Street) Improved air quality in the local area

Less traffic congestion, which causes air and noise pollution

No "rat running" along Walton Lane.

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The temporary closure of southern end of Walton has made a huge improvement to the air quality as no more long queues reaching north to OUP because of traffic light problems at Worcester College and Hythe Resident (Oxford, Bridge. Driving north on Walton St. a few blocks in order to go south is a very minor inconvenience Support Richmond Road) compared to the tranquility that has returned to Walton Street for pedestrians, cyclists and reduced number of drivers. Consequently we wholeheartedly support the ETRO and hope that the closure of the south end of Walton Street to cars becomes permanent. very happy that the road is closed and has made a difference on Observatory Street, as before it was a rat unknown Support run people wanting to cross which was dangerous I would like to give this proposal unqualified support. Indeed, many of my neighbours had been commenting during the road works how we wanted the closure to continue permanently because of how it has transformed the area for the better.

This is for a number of reasons. The traffic on Walton Street had grown increasingly bad since the new traffic system outside the Said Business School, which made getting out of Walton Street by Worcester College impossible. Heavy traffic flow down Beaumont Street meant that cars had no window to turn right and so the delays were severe. The traffic now flows much better with the absence of traffic lights.

The area now feels more open and quieter: a far healthier and friendlier environment for what is a mainly residential area. Many families use the lower end of the road to bring their children to St Barnabas School - either on foot or by bike - so the proposed arrangement will make the route much safer, particularly as the Resident (Oxford, Walton new Radcliffe Observatory Quarter grows, with more university staff and more students. Ideally, Jericho Support Street) should be as traffic free as possible. I hope that higher volumes of traffic will be severely restricted as more university staff work on that site. There is also a better sense of community as people are walking more freely and less concerned by the noise and presence of cars.

I am in favour of any moves which restrict car use in the city centre and nearby residential districts. Clearly there will have to be provision for the elderly and people with mobility problems, but the environment will be safer for these users with fewer cars in general. I would also be in favour of pedestrianising Little Clarendon Street, particularly given the number of cafes and restaurants and its proximity to student accommodation and the Radcliffe site.

I assume that deliveries will still need to take place - but perhaps these can be confined to the early morning, and that there will be some form of bollard system at the end of the street for emergencies.

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Since I work in central Oxford and use a bike, I haven’t had to negotiate the new northern route much, but my experience is that it hardly takes longer, as the traffic flow down St Giles/ Beaumont Street is now much freer (except on high volume days, such as the beginning of the university term, which are exceptional). Since the road has been closed we have noticed a great improvement to our health and wellbeing. My partner, who is asthmatic, has had to use his puffer significantly less than usual - is is no coincidence that this related to less pollution from car fumes. Further to that the reduced noise has enabled us to sleep better. Resident (Oxford, Walton Support Street) Other benefits have been the reduction in anti-social behaviour including fewer cars speeding down the road, with load music playing at all hours of the day. Also, a complete halt to larger vehicles such as coaches and lorries using the road as a shortcut, meaning the road is much safer for both cyclists and pedestrians alike. I would like to express my huge relief at the prospect of a permanent closure between Walton Street and Worcester Street. The traffic has been a nightmare since the traffic lights at the intersection between Worcester Street and Hythe Bridge Street were installed a few years ago, with very long queues along Resident (Oxford, Walton Walton Street at many times of the day, as you are clearly aware. Support Street) I was very much dreading the re-opening of the junction after the bliss of the few months while the sink holes and resurfacing were sorted out, so it was wonderful to know that the closure might be permanent. I have to say that it seems to me that the traffic along Beaumont Street is flowing rather better since the closure, and we no longer have the dreadful snarl up at the traffic lights there which was very dangerous. I would like to add my observations of the consequences of the closure of the southern end of Walton Street. Before July, from mid-afternoon, the southern end of Walton Street was typically nose to tail with cars waiting to cross Beaumont Street in the direction of the Railway Station and Botley Road. A large number of stationary cars with their engines running had a serious impact on air quality for this part of residential Oxford.

As Oxford lies in a geological hollow, the City Centre is vulnerable to traffic pollution, so reducing the number of cars using Walton Street, which I can confirm , will inevitably have Resident (Oxford, Walton Support substantial health benefits to residents, not only in improving air quality but also reducing the risk to Crescent) pedestrians and cyclists, both of which means of getting around are known to improve general health and life-expectancy as well as the Environment.

Since the road closure, the traffic in Walton Street has fallen dramatically. As residents of Jericho, who own and use cars, can come and go via various other routes in and out of Jericho, this drop in traffic must surely be due to outside motorists, not Jericho residents, using Walton Street as a transit route. I believe that there is a very strong case for continuing to restrict transitory traffic from using Walton Street. One of the attractions of living in Jericho is precisely because it is within walking and certainly cycling distance of the

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City Centre, Bus Station and Railway Station, meaning that residents need to travel less by car. So closing off the Worcester College entrance will cause minimal inconvenience to residents, as if they need to use their car, there are plenty of other routes in and out of Jericho. This also applies to people wishing to visit Jericho, whom I am sure have continued to do so despite the closure of the southern end of Walton Street.

Furthermore, Walton Street closure is actually unlikely to increase inconvenience to transiting commuter traffic as stopping the congestion of Walton Street from Great Clarendon Street to Worcester College, will reduce competition to the bottleneck at Worcester Street, from Beaumont Street, potentially reducing tailbacks in Beaumont Street and even St Giles. I haven’t noticed any appreciable increase in congestion in St Giles. This will make the road safer and the air quality better for pedestrians and cyclists. I am also hopeful that proposals such as this one will encourage more people to walk and cycle, rather than rely on cars for short unknown Support journeys. I would like to see more roads converted to no-through roads, so that Oxford residents can enjoy safe, pollution free streets. I suspect that once people get used to motorised vehicles not using a particular stretch of residential road as a through road, few will want to return to prior arrangement. With the road blocked at one end, there is now far less traffic and it's the first time I’ve felt safe cycling along this part of Walton Street, along with . The closure of the road junction has also helped to decrease traffic through Walton Street’s shopping area in Jericho, and that’s made cycling safer there as Resident (Oxford, Support well. Southmoor Road)

And the resurfaced road has made cycling far safer at both ends of Walton Street. Anything that improves the safety of cyclists is wonderful, many thanks. I am a resident of Jericho and most of my journeys are on foot from home to the station, city centre, Walton Street facilities or Port Meadow. I have a car which I use about once a week for longer journeys outside Oxford but which is otherwise parked in the RPZ. I am active but retired.

I strongly support the proposals to stop rat running through Walton Street. The forced closure as a result of Resident (Oxford, Walton Support the sinkholes has demonstrated the scale of rat running that was occurring and the massive reduction in Crescent) motor vehicles has greatly improved the local environment particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. In the long term I would want the pavements in Walton Street all the way up to Walton Well Road to be widened by further narrowing of the highway. The pavements are currently too narrow for the existing pedestrian flow and pedestrians often stray onto the highway.

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The proposed closure is slightly inconvenient for residents of the southern end of Jericho if intending to drive towards Oxpens or the Botley Road (in my experience it added about 5 minutes to the journey) but for me this is more than overwhelmed by the advantages in improved environmental quality etc as detailed above. I would like to add my voice to those of many people in Jericho who applaud what you have done here and how you have changed for the better life along Walton Street. Since the closure it has become calm and delightful. People and bicycles move easily about it and the persistent roar of traffic has died away. Life has become so much more calm and tranquil in Jericho, not only along Walton Street but along neighbouring Resident (Oxford, Walton streets including Little Clarendon Street. Support Crescent) Furthermore the closure of the traffic lights outside Worcester College seems to have speeded the traffic up, and almost done away with the persistent bottle neck at that end of Walton Street.

From a resident’s point of view this closure has been nothing but advantageous and many of us in this area urge you to make it permanent. Resident (Oxford, Yes!! This has been a wonderful experience so far - a massive boost to the local quality of life. Please, Support Richmond Road) please make it permanent. I am writing to express support for the closure experiment. I think the street warrants this as it could be a more important route for people to walk and cycle to and from the centre. I’m a strong supporter of creating pleasant streets and getting a major shift from car to greener modes.

Currently pavements are too narrow and the traffic is off putting. unknown Support I have two points. First the impact on other streets should be monitored. There will not be a before and after study, but information should still be sought on the change.

Secondly - the bus stop on Walton Street is affected. So if we manage to reinstate a more localised bus, it raises the question of where it will go. I would like to express my general support for the idea of reducing traffic in Walton street (and indeed unknown Support everywhere in Oxford, though I do live close to Walton street). My wife and I (both living in Richmond Road) are very pleased with the experimental Traffic Regulation Order for Walton St, and can already appreciate the advantages from it. It is especially Resident (Oxford, good to hear that the pedestrian crossing on Worcester Street will be reinstated: at certain times of day it is Support Richmond Road) very difficult to cross there (and must be almost impossible for the disabled and blind). I imagine the authority has considered making an exception for emergency and fire services (a fire in the south end of Walton St would otherwise require a considerable detour and consequent delay).

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I am writing to say that I fully support your proposed trial closure of the Walton Street junction. It seems to have eased the problem junction and chugging tailback that sometimes went halfway down unknown Support Walton Street. It makes my own journey to escape Walton Street - where I am a resident- longer, but it has made a great improvement to air quality during its accidental closure. I fully support this important initiative! I am delighted to be able to cycle safely along Walton Street. In addition the route passes near St Barnabas Resident (Oxford, Support school and research has shown how car pollution affects all of us, but particularly young children I have Southmoor Road) lived in Southmoor Road for more than 50 years and have seen the huge build up of traffic thru the years. It is good for people to walk and cycle. So I see this as a Health and Safety Measure long overdue! welcome the experimental traffic order for Walton Street, as a local person who walks and cycles it has been unknown Support so lovely without the traffic, quieter, cleaner, and more space!. Resident (Oxford, Walton would like to sign the petition in favour of maintaining the low emissions zone and not introducing traffic Support Street) along Walton Street.

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ANNEX 4b – Online Responses

RESPONDENT VIEW COMMENTS

Objections

Oxford Causing all traffic from Jericho to take a circuitous route to leave or return on a daily basis increases traffic Resident (Oxford, Object rather than diminishing it. Also accidents are more likely particularly when turning right on junction of St Albert Street) Bernards Road and Woodstock Road with its staggered junction (with Bevington Road) I write with regard to the recent announcement that there is to be trial of permanent closure of Walton Street.

Firstly this has not been widely announced as I found out about it via a contact who works on Walton Street who received a letter about it. Given that the closure will have an impact on all residents and businesses in Jericho, we should all have been sent such a letter. Information could also have been posted at the point closure. Why has either option of informing residents not been done?

This also appears to have been a decision that was not part of long term planning as why else would you have resurfaced Walton Street ready to reopen as a two way road? Whilst acknowledging there was a need to resurface the carriageway, could money have been saved by only doing the essentials and waiting for the outcome of the trial before completing the work? On that note, we see that the bus stops have been re- Resident (Oxford, Object marked on the road. After several years of no buses in Jericho when the 17 service was cancelled, is this in Albert Street) expectation of the service restarting?

With regard to the trial, by stopping all vehicles accessing Jericho from the junction of Walton Street and Beaumont Street, drivers will need divert via alternative routes.

Those coming from east Oxford would most likely use Little Clarendon Street as it is the first access point from St Giles. The entrance here is narrow, has a contraflow cycle lane and significant pedestrian activity. Increases in vehicle movements in this location poses greater risk to the more vulnerable users.

The next alternative access point is Observatory Street. This is a narrow residential road, and it's exit onto Walton Street is often busy with pedestrians and visibility is limited. I would not consider either of these

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routes suitable for increased traffic levels.

Those wanting to leave Jericho will most likely use St Barnards Road or Kingston Road, again increasing vehicular activity for the residents who live there.

With regards to goods vehicles, with Walton Street open they have no need to turn around, closure will mean that large HGVs such as those that service the Coop stores will need to either perform a 3 point turn or go around the block using narrow residential roads and past a primary school. Neither is a suitable alternative to the current arrangement and I question whether a driver of a large vehicle would have sufficient visibility to safely undertake a 3 point turn.

When comparing the likes of Little Clarendon Street, Observatory Street and St Barnards Road to the southern section of Walton Street, it is clear that Walton Street is far better suited for general traffic and service vehicles.

I consider that the suggested benefits put forward for the closure of Walton Street will mainly serve a few residential properties whereas other residents on the roads listed above will suffer increased traffic levels on roads that are not appropriate.

What traffic survey information has been gathered to allow a full assessment of the changes in traffic flows resulting from this trial?

It would be very unfair to commit to such a scheme without previous data of when Walton Street was open to support it.

With regard to the stated aims of the scheme I have the following comments.

Improvement to air quality. Whilst there may be some benefit to the residents at the southern end of Walton Street, as noted above, there is likely to be an increase in traffic and therefore pollution to several roads within Jericho. Traffic that might otherwise passed through Walton Street once will now be required to return the same way thus making two passes. Also, traffic heading for Botley Road or Abingdon Road will still end up on Beaumont Street and not reduce pollution in this area. What air quality monitoring equipment is in place to determine the effectiveness of this experiment ?

Reducing traffic congestion in the local area by removing the signalised junction of Walton Street/ Worcester

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Street - whilst removal of a set of traffic lights may theoretically improve traffic flows, the main reason for congestion around the junction of Beaumont Street and Walton Street is the lack of synchronisation between the lights at Hythe Bridge Street and those at the end of Walton Street. If these were linked I would expect significant improvements to traffic flow. The pedestrian crossing needs to be reinstated immediately as crossing the road in this location has been made much more difficult since the closure.

Helping to create a safer environment for Cyclists and pedestrians within the city - I have already made some comments, particularly in respect of Little Clarendon Street above but would also like to add that the lack of signals at the moment makes trying to leave Walton Street by bicycle to head towards Frideswide Square much more difficult than when the traffic signals were in place.

Reducing "rat running" - I don't believe there is anything to be gained by passing through Jericho instead of staying on Beaumont Street/St Giles/Woodstock Road and therefore question if there is are significant numbers of rat running traffic. What evidence has been gathered to support this assumption?

Lastly, given the current upheaval on Botley Road for gas main works, I would expect this to distort traffic flows into and out of Oxford and therefore is this a neutral period in which to fully assess the changes in traffic that the closure of Walton Street creates? The closure of Walton Street drives traffic and heavy goods vehicles into the quiet neighbourhood of Jericho and up and down small narrow streets of Great Clarendon, Albert Street, Walton Crescent, Hart Street, St. Bernard's Road, Observatory Street, and Little Clarendon Street. Large lorries are now using Hart Street as a turn around. It is dangerous for children walking to school. Petrol cars will be driven much further than needed to get around the closed Road. This extends the average journey by 6 miles to go up Woodstock Road, around the ring road, down to Botley Road for shopping. You can't expect disabled citizens or people Resident (Oxford, Object doing home repairs or diy to walk to the shops or use their bikes for all the goods needed. Improve air quality Albert Street) by installing charging points for electric cars. Accurate data is needed to prove rat running. You can only do that with ANPR cameras. In reality I believe it is just a general increase of population that drive and own cars in the neighbourhood actually trying to leave the neighbourhood to go to work or go shopping. I do not believe Walton street is used as a rat run and I would like to see the evidence of this. You can easily tell the increase of cars residing in Jericho by looking at the parking permits requested per-household. A year on year total of this for the past 10 years would show a trend. This would cause problems: Resident (Oxford, For residents in Jericho trying to get out via Botley Rd, e.g. to the primary school in Botley, whose catchment Object Albert Street) area includes Jericho this would mean extra time, delays, fumes from cars. For tradesmen trying to access Jericho, ditto

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For large delivery lorries trying to stock e.g.the Coop stores, longer delivery routes and difficult turning in small side streets, which are definitely not suitable for such big vehicles For residents on the very narrow routes in and out to the north, which would carry far more traffic, this would mean more jams, fumes, delays.

During the temporary closure residents and tradesmen have endured these problems on the understanding the closure was only temporary. Much of the period of the temporary closure has been during a quieter time- school holidays and University vacation.

There are better ways of limiting the traffic, e.g. charging at certain times, than this which makes life more difficult for local residents. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Albert Street) If this is for the benefit of cyclists, it has so far had the opposite effect. I work on Walton Street and cycle to work every day, so I am unaffected by the closure in terms of driving a vehicle. However, since the traffic lights have been turned off, it has become challenging - and even dangerous - to cross or join traffic either entering or exiting Walton Street, both as a cyclist and as a pedestrian. The Beaumont/Worcester Street is Resident (Oxford, Object busy, and because the junction is closed, drivers don't expect to see cyclists joining the traffic. Similarly, it Barberi Close) has led to pedestrians in Walton Street becoming increasingly unobservant and stepping directly out into traffic, despite the large number of cyclists who use the road. If you want to make this cycle-friendly, make it a shared space and put proper vehicle/cycle/pedestrian demarcation in place. This should have been considered before the resurfacing work was done, which is firmly aimed at motorists. The effect of no longer having Walton Street as a means of accessing Jericho has negatively impacted the smaller side streets of Little Clarendon and St Bernard's in particular - neither of which are at all equipped or suitable to deal with the increase in traffic as a result of now being the main links from Jericho to south Oxford, via St Giles. Beaumont Street is even more congested than normal. Resident (Oxford, Object Binsey Lane) Walton Street may be nominally 'safer' by virtue of having fewer cars on it, but Little Clarendon Street and St Bernard's are certainly now more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians with the increased traffic flow. If the reason that the road is staying closed is due to the structural integrity following the sinkhole problem, perhaps a weight limit would be a better thing to introduce, with no access for HGVs or coaches. Road closures do not reduce traffic, they divert it. Those who need to access premises in the area that is cut Resident (Oxford, off have to make longer journeys to get there and back. Object Brindley Close) The increase in traffic coming from the cut off area will be bad news for the inhabitants of Walton St, Kingston Rd, St Bernard's Rd, Leckford Rd, Farndon Rd and St Margaret's Rd.

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There are already very few viable routes through Oxford; closing another reduces resilience in the case that other roads need to be closed (e.g. for St Giles Fair, or unforeseen road works).

The back-up of traffic at the Beaumont St / Worcester St junction is primarily a result of the lights at the George St / Worcester St junction. When they are removed the flow of traffic through the Beaumont St / Worcester St junction will improve, going back to how it used to be). Resident (Oxford, Object The closure causes inconvenience for our community people to drive to town centre Brindley Close) Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Brindley Close) Getting anywhere in Oxford now takes twice as long due to the road closure on Walton Street. We have Resident (Oxford, Object been waiting for it to reopen as we thought it was due to construction and adamantly oppose it remaining Burgess Mead) closed permanently. I find that the temporary closure of Walton Street has significantly bogged down traffic in other areas of Oxford, primarily on Woodstock Road, which results in worse pollution and an inability to traverse the city. It's Resident (Oxford, exceedingly short-sighted to think that by limiting traffic on Walton Street, it will somehow improve air quality Object Burgess Mead) for residents. That's simply not the case when just a few blocks over, there are lines of cars queued up, because now there is only one route to get through the city centre. All this does is make it harder for residents to get to where they need to go. I am really disappointed in the lack of communication there has been surrounding the closure of Walton Street. I have only found out about this potential plan because I googled when the works were due to finish in frustration. The last communication there was to residents was the sign at the end of the road that was left there for three weeks with the road reopening on 4th September.

There is not an acceptable route for drivers who need access to the Botley road and station. Especially for people who live as far south in Jericho as myself. Instead, there is increased traffic through the centre of Resident (Oxford, Object Jericho which is a busy area for pedestrians- in addition Little Clarendon Street is busier with cars and is not Canal Street) an appropriate 'side street' for cars to be taking. It is narrow and busy with bikes coming in opposite directions. In addition, many of the side streets have traffic measures such as speed bumps and narrow sections which are again not appropriate for traffic. With the number of small side streets I am having to drive around and stop-starts at every junction, I am polluting the area more than if I avoided the centre of Jericho by leaving via the south and the Walton Street exit.

If you are insistent on decreasing the amount of traffic on Walton Street, the road should be blocked from the

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corner of Walton and Little Clarendon. I would imagine that most cars trying to use it as a 'rat run' to northern Jericho would still continue round via Woodstock road due to the inconvenience driving around the side streets of southern Jericho would cause them, but it would still leave Walton Street open for the residents whom the closure affects the most.

I do feel this consultation has not been publicised enough for it to be a fair and open consultation.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I have never seen so many big lorries using Great Claringdon and Hart Street to turn around! These roads surround a first school and I would consider this dangerous! Increased traffic along Little Claringdon Street which I believe should be pedestrianised. Also St Bernard's Resident (Oxford, Object road has increased traffic and it is a tricky road to pull out of. Cardigan Street) As a resident it worries me that emergency vehicles can not get through particularly fire engines! I am now spending more time stuck in traffic on other roads so the air pollution reason is nonsense! Crossing the road opposite Worcester college is now treacherous and dangerous. I have to object to a "total" road closure. There is already significant heavy traffic around the alternative streets to get from all of Jericho towards the Botley side. Closing off the Worcestor College junction entirely means a ridiculously circuitous route through the city centre, not only increasing traffic there but being stuck in existing traffic. As the council unable to get traffic flows right in the first place, is this idea one from the 'wealthy' along Walton Street?? What about the rest of us? I am also part of a local Jericho group who does a lot of informal volunteer work for the elderly in Jericho, so I hear a lot of what they have to say (shame you the council are so out of touch with our elderly). They are all horrifed and anxious at the prospect of their having far higher tax costs to get to town or down the Botley Road because of the longer journey and hitting heavy traffic. ALso for their family/friends who often pick Group/Organisation them up for day trips, or trips to vets for beloved pets. Just because they are elderly doesn't mean they want (Oxford, Cardigan Object to lose some ownership of their life and choices. They deserve to have every luxury, not be cut out of society Street) time and tme again. The tragedy of removing the old Jericho bus has already hit many elderly hard in the Jericho area. Most struggle to walk what is to the rest of us a short distance to Gloucester Green. On top of everything else, they now have to pay for taxis to get to town. Even though there is some kind of peculiar alternative bus of some kind - its peculiar timings/method means these elderly people are just not using it. They liked the old hop-on/off of the old Jericho bus. They want to feel some freedom in life.

Why, Oxford Council, do you always go to extremes with 'massive' plans rather than modest logical ones? We all agree that Walton St has been used as a rat-run by drivers who have nothing to do with the Jericho area. But there are other alternatives to reduce the traffic. The elderly I speak of above would certainly need

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and want taxis and buses to be able to pass freely through that Worcester College junction (although you don't really offer buses anymore). And people like me, residents who are eco-friendly who don't have cars...but we have guests visiting/taking us out in their car, but face the awful circuitous journey through traffic just to get to the Worcestor point that is minutes away from where we live.

It angers me that the 'few' who would have suggested this mad idea to you, which you have suddenly gone ahead with it, are unlikely to be the less wealthy (and in the majority) residents and the local businesses who heavily depend on trade passing through as well as locals. You already scammed the area with allowing 2 Co-ops, throwing out the original little businesses that were operating quaintly where the new 2nd Coop appeared.

Why can't you instead look to other schemes around the country/world to find a median-solution?? To stop the rat-runners...NOT STOP US LOCALS. Are you nuts? Already there is a big campaing run by some social enterprises here in Oxford to use alternative, creative methods to stop the rat-runners (I think they have been researching it worldwide, and it involves traffic-slowing measures, large planters in the middle of streets etc, that really put off the external rat-runners, but which serious, real, locals, don't mind driving more slowly & considerately through. Why do you have to propose a scheme that STOPS US residents?

Why do you do nothing to encourage diverse local entrepreneurial businesses and HEALTHY traffic, rather than just ruin everything and shut everything down? The unwanted traffic should only be to stop the rat- runners, NOT LOCALS or genuine drivers coming to USE our Jericho area.

And can I point out: while you launch your consultation online, most elderly people I know here in Jericho have had absolutely no idea of this happening. They do NOT have access to internet. And are unlikely to pick up news of such things happening, therefore unlikely to send in postal replies. You are so unbelievably out of touch of really 'local' sentiments and local problems/situations of us residents. The closure has caused more traffic on on other routes smaller roads and next to the school where all the lorries either use to reverse into or just go around the whole block more dangerous I know this because I've Resident (Oxford, seen it every day and the cars just don't disappear they just re route. The only thing that could help is a Object Cardigan Street) round about maybe at the junction of Walton st and Beaumont st. I stress this hasn't changed the traffic it is still there on smaller one way streets I bet those residents are noticing it massively. Please not another waste of our tax money again and again same old do gooders sat in the council office with nothing to do. I am very disappointed and cross at this proposed road closure. Access to the rail station from the north is Resident (Oxford, Object very important to me and my family. Making this harder and the travel time even more unpredictable seems a Chalfont Road) very unhelpful step for Oxford to take.

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Resident (Oxford, It's difficult enough to get round that part of Oxford as it is. I and the couple of times each Object Church Way) year I need my car at work are a nightmare of having to go miles out of my way. I am . I rely on taxis to get where I need to go & lead a normal life. The taxis can no longer get to Jericho easliy & quickly. I've already missed one event beause it took so long for the taxi to get Resident (Oxford, access to Jericho. When i used my bicycle for the short journey to Beaumont St, I cut though via Little Object Cranham Street) Clarendon & St John St, and a motorbike almost killed me because what was once a quiet street is now becoming a rat run. I object because my access to normal life is cut off by the closure. You should have consulted with taxi firms, it affects them hugely. Do you think the shops on Walton St will be affected with less passing trade ? As for the pollution where do you think the cars that used to use Walton St are now ? gone up in a puff of exhaust fumes ? No they will be sitting in more congestion along St Giles and other roads mentioned above. Resident (Oxford, Why spend god knows how much of our council tax on fixing a road thats never going to be used again ? it Object Cranham Terrace) stinks of another Oxford council waste of our resources . If you want to keep cars moving then the said junction along with the lights at the Hythe Bridge St junction surely would benefit from a roundabout system along the lines of the station road improvements . People have to remember that there is still a necessity for people to still drive in Oxford . I object to the experimental road closure on Walton Street in Oxford.

The closure of Walton Street at the Beaumont Street junction will have a detrimental impact on the residents of Jericho. Walton Street is lined with shops, pubs and restaurants all of whom have daily deliveries by lorry. These lorries, having dropped their loads, have to choose between performing a 3-point turn in Walton Street or turning right into one of the side streets and drive through the back streets of Jericho, including past a Resident (Oxford, Object primary school. Cranham Terrace)

The traffic on St Bernard's Road and Observatory Street will increase - both streets are narrow one-way residential streets. Jericho residents wanting to travel west e.g. up the Botley Road to one of the superstores (to make the type of purchase that requires a car e.g. supermarket shopping, DIY, Furniture etc.) involves a detour and embroilment in an already congested St Giles/Beaumont Street that is putting many Jericho residents off making the journey. This is bound to have a negative effect on businesses on the Botley Road. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Cranham Terrace) Resident (Oxford, Roads such as Kingston, Farndon, St Margaret's and possibly Leckford all getting a lot more traffic. Also Object Farndon Road) getting to the station and the Botley and Abingdon Roads from the North is often a grid lock. Business (Oxford, This closure will push traffic up into Walton Manor. Unless the Council has proper plans to mitigate traffic Object Farndon Road) congestion and speed restrictions with real penalties in the whole of North Oxford, the plan is of little merit in

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isolation. We have already seen an increase in traffic in Walton Manor - largely speeding and causing danger to adults and children alike. To cut off an arterial route through Oxford without an integrated plan for all traffic makes no sense. To provide alternative routes would be harder - but would make more sense. Many of the inhabitants close to Walton Street (near Worcester College) have said that the traffic fumes, no doubt caused by the queue of vehicles getting through the lights at Worcester College, have decreased significantly since the road was closed for works. This is a great benefit for everyone: but perhaps the council should go further and make the area one of their first hybrid/electric car only zones? Also, while traffic fumes are obviously a concern in Jericho they are also to everyone living here: isn't it time that the council seriously tackled stationary but engine-idling tourist buses, vans and cars? There are few streets in Oxford that don't chronically suffer this problem. Another aspect of traffic control down Walton Street is the large commercial delivery vehicles, which are almost always diesel. Isn't there a case for adopting the German practice of only allowing deliveries at night, between 7pm and midnight? The blocking of Walton Street at the Worcester College end has resulted in more congestion in Beaumont Resident (Oxford, Object Street and back into St Giles than there used to be. Caused not allowing the previous flow of small but Frenchay Road) regular and significant westward bound traffic from Walton Street. Resident (Oxford, It is causing a huge build up of traffic on Beaumont Street and could actually lead to an increase in pollution. Great Clarendon Object Also, if roads keep being closed, how will the emergency services get through? Street) The current closure has already extended my journey times by a few miles each way, which results in higher fuel consumption and more CO2. Resident (Oxford, The exsting alternative routes are via narrow streets, busy right turns, which causes more immediate danger Great Clarendon Object than Walton Street. I've already witnessed a few near misses in Little Clarendon Street and the rest of the Street) area. Perhaps it's worth consdering keeping Walton street open as a one-way street. Resident (Oxford, Great Clarendon Object No comment. Street) I object to the idea of permanently closing Walton Street due the part of the rationale on the website,

'Access by motor vehicles to and from all premises in the Jericho and Walton Manor areas to the north of Resident (Oxford, Beaumont Street and west of Woodstock Road would be via the side roads on the west side of Woodstock Object Hayfield Road) Road'.

It is claimed that the closure of Walton street will reduce 'rat running', but it will actually mean that 'rat running' is now funnelled down smaller roads like Little Clarendon Street and Observatory Street.

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It is just shifting the problem of congestion from one place to another, while inconveniencing people and businesses in Jericho and Walton Manor. Sinkhole? I don't think so. OCC have always wanted to close this off; it's been in your plans anyway for some time back. You just have it in for ordinary Oxford residents /car users. Resident (Oxford, It will create a massive bottleneck from St Giles coming down Beaumont St. Walton Street access to Object Hayfield Road) Beaumont St/Oxford Station/Botley Road takes a lot of pressure off the main road artery.

Be sensible. I work on Walton street and the road closures make it difficult for suppliers to visit. The road closure is pushing traffic on to smaller roads which can not take additional traffic such as little Clarendon street and Resident (Oxford, observatory street. It's making walking both of these roads as a pedestrian much more hazardous as there is Object Henley Road) no pedestrian crossing provisions as there is on Walton street. I often walk to town from Jericho and have noticed a significant increase in traffic on Beaumont street that makes crossing the road hazardous and time consuming. Since the Walton Street will never become fully closed to cars (as residents can still park on the street), I don't see any point in closing one of the very few access routes to the city center and the highway from Jericho. In addition, I am worried about traffic increasing on Little Clarendon Street as a result of this closure. Resident (Oxford, Object Walton Street is a fairly large road that is built for car traffic, while Little Clarendon Street is not. Walton Juxon Street) Street has no stores and no real pedestrian traffic - it is mostly a transition road. As a matter of fact, I would like to suggest a focus on closing Little Clarendon street to car traffic - this is a move that would be much more useful in terms of improving overall quality of life in Jericho than closing Walton Street. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Juxon street) This closure is likely to adversely affect a number of the relatively few east-west road links between Walton/Kingston Roads and Woodstock Road. In addition, it is likely to compromise the routing and schedule of Bus 17. Resident (Oxford, Object Kingston Road) At the very least, a detailed traffic flow study of the entire area lying to the west of Woodstock Road should be undertaken for the entire duration of the temporary closure of the intersection. And the results of this study should be made available for consultation prior to any permanent closure. I have LOVED the closure of Walton Street as I'm a cyclist and use that road every day to get to work in Resident (Oxford, Jericho. BUT the traffic it has caused out towards the station and the Botley road has made the cycle ride Object Laburnum Road) more dangerous. I am concerned about the business in the area (small and large), how staff access their places of work, and

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how the smaller business will survive without easy access to their premises. It also seems off to have tarmacked that road with speed bumps and then put in this consultation/ idea...lack of joined up long term thinking of how to resolve the weight of traffic in Oxford. A larger (Witney, Abingdon, Kidlington wide) should really take place than this small change. I object, because the closure so far has led to increased traffic along Little Clarendon Street. I would argue that it should be Little Clarendon street that should be the subject to an experimental closure. Resident (Oxford, Lake Object Street) I would argue that the street should be for pedestrians and cyclists only, although businesses may need access for deliveries. Private cars looking to drive could use the Walton Street/Beaumont Street/St Giles route. Resident (Oxford, concern for increase of 'rat race road use' in other roads leading from Woodstock road to Jericho and further Object Leckford Road) north. I live in South Oxford, but work in Jericho so my gym is there as are car parking facilities at the weekend for the city centre. Closure of Walton Street would mean that travelling by car to the gym or town would involve a huge detour and a lot of traffic jams. If it's just me travelling to town I always cycle, but I mentor a child who Resident (Oxford, lives om the outskirts of Oxford with extremely poor public transport links so if I want to bring her into Oxford Object Lincoln Road) to visit museums, etc I have to drive and park at my workplace. Likewise, if I go to the gym at weekends I don't think I should be forced to cycle when absence of weekday parking means that I have to cycle to and from work during the week anyway. I can understand closing Walton Street during the week, but doing so at weekends seems absurd when weekend traffic into and out of the city is already a nightmare. We live less than a half mile away from the site of the proposed closure of Walton Street and strongly oppose this proposed measure. We have to drive west of Oxford to get our children to school daily and the council has already (since Sept) caused us a major inconvenience in getting our children to school by preventing us from accessing Walton Street and making us go all the way over and up Woodstock Road, and either follow the A34 or, when there is traffic, rat running through Wolvercote and Wytham villages to join the westbound A420 at the A34 roundabout. This existing road closure — in which the council has cynically exploited a temporary need to shut Walton Street back in July due to the sinkhole there and ruthlessly Resident (Oxford, Object extended the closure without any consultation while NO work takes place — was a very clear signal that it Longworth Road) intends to shut Walton Street permanently regardless of the impact it has on local businesses, residents like us who need to travel along this road daily or however much we protest. By doing this, the council has solved no problems and caused many others. The council is simply going to push the same volume of traffic on to other nearby roads and cause them to become even more congested. Try as you might, you can't shut every street in Oxford and ban vehicles from them permanently. People like us who need to travel down Walton Street daily will still have to get to where we need to get and our journeys will become so lengthy that we will just abandon Oxford all together. There are three principal routes in and

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out of our part of Oxford and two of these, Banbury Road and Woodstock Road, cannot absorb any more vehicle traffic at rush hour, as anyone who travels at that time already knows, but they will have to absorb this additional traffic as vehicles like ours are displaced to there from Walton Street. It will be impossible to move around Woodstock Road and Banbury Road at certain times of the day and if there is ever a large- scale emergency requiring evacuation, or ambulances need access, one less route in and out of the city Centre will be available. Without regular flow of traffic up and down Walton Street, the local retail businesses will suffer reduced footfall and close and the storefronts will resemble some of those in the city centre: empty, shabby-looking and attracting nuisance and crimes. Those of us who used to travel from our homes to do our shopping at Botley Road or Westgate will not shop there anymore either because we will have to follow a labyrinth of other roads, so we will head north and out of the city entirely instead because of the additional inconvenience and delay we will suffer by virtue of having one of the very few critical arteries to our homes cut off by the council. We are already doing this as a result of the so-called "temporary" closure of Walton Street that is clearly going to be made permanent. So the economic impact on retail businesses will be felt along Botley Road and even as far as Westgate. The ability of these establishments to keep their doors open will be adversely affected when shoppers abandon them. Doesn't the council have better things to do than to micro-tinker with long-established routes in to and out of the city? It has already made the journey to Headington or the eastbound A40 even longer by installing traffic lights at roundabouts in Marston and it should instead concentrate on solving the many existing and real transport problems within and around Oxford, instead of exacerbating them as this proposal threatens to do. It should focus on fixing the numerous pot holes that crop up constantly and cause us to have the wheel alignment of our cars inspected and repaired every 3-6 months. It should improve the flow of traffic in and out of the city and make roads such as the A34, which we will be forced to use four times a day if this proposal is implemented, as we are now having to do because of the Walton Street closure, safer and less vulnerable to closures and shutdowns which affect traffic all over Oxford for hours when they happen. It should make sure that worn road markings are maintained on roads and in parking areas so people know where to safely drive and park. It should clean up the offensive graffiti that proliferates on the numerous road signs in and around this area so the area doesn't continue to take on the look of a slum. If it bans anything, the council should ban the 150-200 tour buses a day that dump thousands of foot passengers at the Ashmolean Museum on St Giles on typical summer weekends, idling their engines as they stand there 12 hours a day or more and emitting fumes that are slowly gassing the poor monks of adjacent Blackfriars, who have already diligently logged these numbers, reported them to the authorities and been ignored! It is amazing that the council has so much time to consider and deliberate on closing critical arteries that tax- paying local residents such as ourselves use and need to use daily when it has neglected all these basic areas that are essential to our quality of life. The council should be ashamed of its poor record on transport

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and especially on roads and stop trying to take an ideological stand against vehicular traffic for the sake of it. We unfortunately aren't able to ride bicycles for miles along another dangerous road like the A420 west of Oxford, we need to get to Botley Road expeditiously because of the threat of delay from the buildup of traffic so as to get to and from our school every day. And never mind the bus transport provision, it is shoddy at best. If you close Walton Street, you will make our lives travelling to and from school five days a week even more miserable and it may be the final straw that causes us to consider leaving this city for good. If you want to push cars entirely out of Oxford once and for all, proceed down this ridiculous ideological path and the people will go away with the cars, leaving your once thriving city a lifeless and vacant ghost town as people find other more accessible and convenient places to shop or live and Oxford's retail businesses slowly go under. We object to this proposal in the strongest possible terms and hope the council will see sense to LET WALTON STREET ALONE! It functions very well for us and we wish the council would keep its hands off Walton Street and not close it to vehicles anywhere. Kind regards,

The impact of a road closure on Walton Street will be:

1) Reduction in traffic on Walton Street

2) Displacement of traffic to other streets in Oxford Resident (Oxford, Object Lonsdale Road) 3) Increase in traffic elsewhere, in particular on Beaumont street

As , I strongly urge you not to carry out the road closure on Walton Street.

If congestion is a concern to you, please instead levy a congestion charge akin to London. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Marston Road) As someone who has lived in the area for nearly a decade, I strongly object to this decision. Not only has this been done too suddenly and without properly consulting the residents, it also punishes those of us who are already disadvantaged and aren't able to cycle or walk or indeed use public transport since there isn't any in Resident (Oxford, Object the area around Merrivale Square. I understand that the council wants to reduce traffic in the city centre as Merrivale Square) well as rat running, however, if Walton St is closed the latter will increase not decrease as a result. All of Jericho will need to drive on to the already busy Woodstock Rd via narrow side streets like Observatory St or Leckford Rd, where you cannot drive smoothly due to constantly having to stop and let other cars through.

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In my view, Walton St closure will only lead to: (1) increased commuting times for residents of most of Jericho, which is not environmentally friendly but quite the opposite, (2) increased air pollution around already Woodstock Rd due to (1); (3) unnecessary congestions on side streets = increased rat running, (4) 'helping' residents of Walton St at the expense of disadvantaging residents of side streets like Leckford Rd and Observatory St, both streets not built to sustain such traffic loads, (5) disadvantaging those already disadvantaged living in the area due to the lack of public transport or taxi access via Walton St, (6) more traffic will go via the already busy and inconvenient A34.

In conclusion, I don't think Walton St should be closed at the expense of the residents of the Waterside who need to take their kids to schools, commute to work etc. Many of us disagree with this and would urge the council to reconsider.

If the road remains closed to general traffic anyway, it would only be fair to ***!!!at least arrange for alternative methods of transportation for us!!!*** i.e. open the street to buses and make a bus route that connects Summertown via Jericho with Botley Rd, for example, or at least open Walton St to taxis. Thank you very much for taking this opinion into consideration. I have no idea how this road closure is of any help and I absolutely disagree with all of the "benefits" laid out. In particular, the council claims the following benefits:

- Improving air quality in the direct area. By reducing the air quality in another area. The traffic is moved to Beaumont Street and St. Giles, which already have much higher air pollution levels than Walton Street according to city Oxford City council (https://oxfordshire.air-quality.info/). I work in this area and I find air quality abysmal at best. Please don't make it worse. Resident (Oxford, Object Merrivale Square) - Reducing traffic congestion in the local area by removing the signalised junction of Walton Street/ Worcester Street By increasing traffic on St. Giles where cars already queue up to Woodstock road. Note that Walton Street is the resident's connection to the train station. As a waterside resident this makes travel by train uneconomical, since the commute to the train station already takes half an hour now. (Before we could short-cut through Walton Street.) If you want to promote travel by public transport you need to provide access to public transport. This, in contrast, is making access more difficult.

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- Helping to create a safer environment for Cyclists and pedestrians within the city I find the junction now more dangerous, since cyclist still come from Walton Street but now without traffic lights. I encountered multiple occasions where this resulted in dangerous situations and I feel much less safe there now.

- Reducing "rat running" Instead of driving through Walton Street we now need to drive through narrower roads than Walton Street (e.g. Observatory Road). In fact I now find constant congestions in even smaller side streets traffic has worsened since Walton Street is closed. Since the closure I have experienced trying to get to the Botley Road by bike and car, I have the following personal observations: It is now quite difficult to exit Walton Street onto Beaumont Street, or cross the road at that junction to go up Walton St by bicycle, I have mobility problems and this caused me considerable anxiety. Resident (Oxford, Object By car it was a problem joining the Woodstock Road road traffic, turning right into a stream of traffic. Merrivale Square) There has been absolutely no reduction in the stationary traffic, in fact I had to queue longer to get to the Abingdon Road, because I joined the queue on the Woodstock Road. the only sensible way to reduce queues is to reintroduce traffic separation at the bottom of George Street that worked very well. Resident (Oxford, The idea of reducing pollution is good but to just move it to other areas makes no sense. Also living where Object Merrivale Square) we do just increases nearly all journeys which we have to make Speaking from the perspective of residents: the only residents positively impacted by the Walton St closure proposed are the small number of highly affluent residents on Walton St south of Little Clarendon St. Putting aside through-traffic (which I don't believe was actually all that much), residents in the whole of Jericho previously had two routes to leave the community, to the north and to the south. As the south route is currently closed, all the traffic can now only leave to the north. I observe that this has led to much greater traffic volumes on these northern roads - I would highlight northern Walton St, Kingston Road and especially St Bernards Road - a small residential Resident (Oxford, Object street that is suddenly hugely busy. The roundabout where these three meet is now much much busier than Navigation Way) it used to be and is more dangerous for bikes and pedestrians. I haven't counted, but my estimate is that this road closure has negatively impacted at least three times the number that are positively impacted. The negative impact is from increased road noise immediately outside their house, with associated increase in risk from road traffic accidents and poorer air quality. Separately, all residents with cars in Jericho proper, and to a lesser extent all the way up to Walton Manor and St Margret's (where I live) are also negatively impacted from reduced route options, resulting in longer journeys, more inconvenience and greater emissions. I realise the air quality at the Walton St / Beaumont St

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monitoring point has been a bugbear for OCC and on the face of it looks like a quick win, but this closure will simply add to the poor air quality problem by displacing it further north and especially onto Woodstock Rd. I also note that the standing traffic problem on Woodstock Rd, St Giles and Beaumont St is noticeably worse with the Walton St closure. Finally, if the Walton St / Beaumont St is reopened, far more care needs to be made in the sequencing of the lights at that junction, and better co-ordination with the lights at George St / Worcester St junction to ensure smoother flow. I would actually prefer to see that returned to the previous cut 2-way configuration, rather than the current 4-way configuration - much much safer for pedestrians and bikes and smoother traffic flow, with far less standing traffic on Beaumont, Walton Sts and St Giles Air quality in the area will actually deteriorate as many disabled/elderly people have to rely on their cars (due to the absence of public transport) and will have a much longer journey if they need to travel to west Oxford (ie: rail station/Botley area). Therefore, will be using their vehicles for longer periods using more fuel and producing more pollutants.

Traffic congestion will not reduce because instead of queuing on Walton Street to travel to the west, people will have a longer drive to join the queue via St Giles and Beaumont Street.

A safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians isn't guaranteed as they frequently ignore designated crossing points - at their peril.

'Rat running' will in fact increase as more vehicles will use Leckford Road, (which is a two way street and Resident (Oxford, Object already has a 'pinch point' with traffic calming half way between Kingston Road and Woodstock Road), Little Nelson Street) Clarendon Street a one way street (with it's busy restaurants and artisan shops) is already chaotic with delivery vehicles, refuse collection vehicles (not to mention the bicycles which are allowed to travel in the opposite direction to motor vehicles!) and Observatory Street a one way residential street which already has traffic calming humps and seems to have an almost permanent contingent of builders vehicles at the junction with Woodstock Road.

I feel that many Jericho residents are probably unaware of the County Council's proposals to close Walton Street and that more consultation and publicity at a local level should be carried out.

The work that has been done on Walton Street has been done to a very high standard, no doubt costing a vast amount of money, which seems to have been excessive and disproportionate if it is now only to be used by pedestrians and cyclists. Perhaps some of that money could have been redirected to support funding for

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public transport for Jericho (I note that a bus stop area has been allocated and neatly marked on the newly laid tarmac with white lines....shame there are no buses...) As a resident of Observatory Street which is already a local 'rat run' through to Walton Street now has even more traffic pressure as it is currently the closest vehicle access point to Walton Street for traffic coming from the south and the city centre.

Resident (Oxford, Object Observatory Street already has too much traffic for such a small residential side street. Observatory Street)

The opening of the current blockage of Walton Street will allow the traffic two access points again to flow into and out of Walton Street which will ease the pressure and congestion we are all acutely feeling in Observatory Street. The 'access for residents only' sign at the top (east) end of Observatory Street is constantly ignored by drivers using the road as a rat run, some of whom drive at dangerous speed. On occasion heavy vehicles Resident (Oxford, that can barely fit within the road width use the road (probably encouraged by SatNav devices). Object Observatory Street) To promote further use of this road as a result of the proposed limit of access to Jericho would only serve to increase risk of accidents to the public in general and the disturbance of the residents in particular. My objections are on safety grounds.

I am a cyclist who cycles to work at OUP on Walton Street every day. I do not believe that closing the Beaumont St end of Walton Street will improve cyclist safety but rather reduce it.

The roads between Woodstock Road and Walton Street are already narrow (particularly St Bernard's Road, Observatory Street and Little Clarendon Street) and during the current closure of various parts of Walton Resident (Oxford, Object Street have received increased volume of car traffic. Oxford Road)

With this increased volume of car traffic it has been quite clearly less safe to cycle along these roads. There is little space for cars to move past cyclists and yet they often do, passing very close, Walton Street is much wider and allows for passing traffic much easier. Cars are often forced into driving into the cycle path heading in the opposite direction to traffic flow on Little Clarendon Street regularly causing near misses or forcing cyclists off the road. These occurrences have increased dramatically over the weeks whilst the road works have been in place. I live in a very narrow street running one way from Woodstock Road to Walton Street which is already Resident (Oxford, Object becoming a rat run because of the current road closure. Plantation Road) The congestion at the the broad street of Walton street is largely due to various major college building

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projects in that street with contractors vehicles as is air pollution and the 2 pedestrian crossings between that junction and the station. To reach the station and points beyond all traffic from our area has to use Woodstock road which already backs up and will only get worse . It is a long way round for those on the east side of Walton Street. Access by large delivery lorries to shopkeepers such as the co-op, Londis and daisies is being forced down residential streets unsuitable for heavy traffic. While the current closure of Walton Street has improved traffic flows through Beaumont street with the removal of the light, it is becoming plainly obvious that the side streets through Walton Manor are not fit for purpose when it comes to the flow of vehicle traffic through to Woodstock Road.

All side streets West of Walton Street until St Margaret's are single-track residential roads with parking alongside, which is unsuitable for continuous flow of through traffic, resulting in increased congestion. St Margaret's is also unreasonable to get to on a through-traffic basis, because of the traffic-calming narrow points on the length of Kingston Road.

Every business in Jericho now needs to have their delivery lorries routed through these narrow streets. All residents' grocery deliveries (Jericho in particular has a number of elderly residents with limited mobility who depend on delivery services and vehicle transport) and other service vehicles must use the narrow side Resident (Oxford, Object roads. Plater Drive)

All of these combine to further burden Walton Manor with traffic congestion - it trades the comfort of those at the end of Walton Street for that of those only a mile West, without addressing any of the real causes of increased vehicle traffic in Oxford over all (lack of suitable public transport - bring back the Jericho bus!).

Those of us living in the area definitely feel the impact, and choose as often as possible to journey sustainably (by bicycle, foot, etc.), because we daily feel the pressure and annoyance of sitting in traffic. Punishing Walton Manor is not the answer.

And as a final note, because my journeys are now forced away from the heart of Jericho, I and others in the same situation patronise the shops on Walton Street much less - the business owners on that end of things might be interested in knowing this. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Plater Drive) Resident (Oxford, It simply squeezes traffic elsewhere - very evidently down Woodstock Road, which is now much more Object Polstead Road) congested at peak times. Entirely a zero sum game (win/lose) where Jericho benefits from less traffic and

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the Woodstock Road axis experiences more. I understand the intent is to dissuade car usage, but this is not the primary effect the closure has caused. Resident (Oxford, It will be devastating to the businesses and the through-flow of people which make this a vibrant and special Object Polstead Road) area. Walton Street has already been closed for some months following the discovery of four sink holes outside Ruskin College on 30 July. So a further period of 6 months from the ETRO in November seems too long to wait for the full consultation. I would suggest a consultation at the end of January. Group/Organisation I am aware from reports in the press about Walton St residents' dissatisfaction, and a similar complaint from (Oxford, Polstead Object a Jericho resident who has contacted me, that there is concern that the continued closure after the road was Road) repaired, was not preceded by a consultation with residents who can no longer go south along Walton Street into and through the centre of the city, or north along Walton Street to reach their homes. I share that concern. I strongly object. It will put far too much pressure on Banbury and Woodstock Roads which are already heavily congested. It hugely increases the pressure on St Giles and on the small roads between Walton Street and St Giles. It also, by extension, increases the pressure on the Banbury Road and streets off that because it will funnel all traffic to St Giles - It was already quite difficult to take a car or taxi down to the rail or Resident (Oxford, bus stations, even before the closure. For disabled people or people with heavy luggage that is a real Object Rawlinson Road) problem. It seems a bit much to just take away a whole road serving a reasonably significant part of north Oxford. and it would have a significant impact on him as my ability to drive him into Oxford for eye and ear appointments and doctor appointments in St Giles will be very badly affected. It seems a very odd idea. It will very adversely affect disabled and elderly people who cannot cycle or walk easily. The poor synchronisation of the traffic lights had caused congestion, so if that can't be fixed, an alternative Resident (Oxford, setup at the junction should be found. This would be far preferable to the drastic measure of closing the Object Rewley Road) street. Closing Walton Street is only pushing traffic elsewhere, and like it or not, people need to use their cars. Cycling or walking is not always viable. This proposal is ridiculous and is being put forward by individuals who clearly don't live in the City centre. Since the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre and Friedswide Square The city centre is in almost permanent gridlock and without being able to use Walton Street rather than St Giles and Beaumont street, Resident (Oxford, traffic will be be backing up along Woodstock and Banbury road for traffic trying to acces the centre. As a Object Rewley Road) consequence of the current closure even in the daytime on a weekday it can take me over 10 mins to get out of the end of my road onto Hythe Bridge Street and another 10 mins to get up to the Worcester Street junction which is unaccepatable. I have lived in Rewley Road for over 12 years and it never used to be anywhere near this bad. Having invested so heavily in park and ride sites, the focus should be introducing a

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congestion charge which is the only way to drive motorists out of their cars and onto public transport. Stop tinkering around the edges and introduce something that is genuinely effective! Living at the southern end of Jericho, this closure has meant additional travel time - materially so when St Giles is backed up - to get to south or west Oxford or if we wish to head south or west out of Oxford. My aged mother has just moved to south Oxford to be near me for my assistance. So the closure of Walton Street has already proved to be a very real inconvenience.

If a key benefit as stated is to reduce the use of Walton Street as a rat run then to reduce the inconvenience to local residents could the closure mechanism:

be timed (e.g. rising bollard that closes the road before 09:30 and after 17:00 Mon-Fri) and/or allow resident access rather than blocking all traffic?

The period of the trial - 18 months - seems inordinately long especially considering how long the junction has already been closed. Given the disruption and uncertainty it causes (and has already been caused by the pot Resident (Oxford, hole closure), I would urge the City to attempt to complete it in a shorter time frame, for the benefit of all Object Richmond Road) concerned.

There may be less traffic on Walton Street as a result of this closure which might be a benefit to those living on Walton Street itself, but I see little benefit to us living on one of the side streets into Jericho. I also wonder if the closure forces much more traffic along the remaining routes in and out of Jericho: Kingston Road, St Bernards Road and Observatory Street for example. So whilst I welcome the City's consideration of traffic calming measures I feel that closing Walton Street is not the right priority: keeping tourist coaches out of the city centre, and restricting non-residents' vehicles more generally (electric vehicles only, or a congestion charge type mechanism) would address the root cause of just too many people driving through the middle of Oxford, along streets that are not designed for that much traffic.

Regards

Blocking a key junction that connects Jericho to City Centre creates increased traffic on other roads and has made getting into and out of the city an hours long nightmare. This road closure negatively affects my family Resident (Oxford, Object as we do school runs to and from City Centre daily and it has taken us close to an hour to drive 1.2 miles due Rutherway) to this road closure. I understand you want to promote cycling and walking, but the anti-driving agenda in the city has gone too far and not using a perfectly repaired road does not make any sense.

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I Object Strongly! It will not get people out of their cars...in fact it just means people will be spending more time in their cars polluting the area by queuing down Beaumont street and/or going up the Woodstock road Resident (Oxford, and hitting Botley road to access work/stores. Also, when a big shopping trip is in store I would drive to Object Rutherway) westgate and again use the A34 to get there. So what would be a 3 mile drive will become triple that all because of a couple of 100m of Walton street being closed. I avoid Botley Road like the plague as it's a horrendous road but when I need it I need it and only with my car. This will make access to the Worcester St car park, Botley Road, the station, Oxpens and Abingdon Road, Waitrose and the A420 and A34 very difficult for residents of Kingston Rd etc,, Waterside and Waterways and places north of us. And for people from Abingdon who work in Walton St and Jericho including St Resident (Oxford, Object Barnabas school, like my son. Rutherway) What is the provision for disabled drivers and disabled parking? Why does the closure have to last so long? Where will the lorries and buses go that currently go up Walton St? Closure of Walton Street leaves only Woodstock Road available for North Oxford/Jericho residents to access Botley or Hinksey. Going via the ring Road is much less convenient & longer. Businesses on Walton Street and Botley Road will be affected. I'm already choosing to shop in Summertown because of this temporary Resident (Oxford, closure. There's insufficient parking there as it is - will this be increased as a trial? In addition, in the event of Object Southmoor Road) road closure on Woodstock Rd, as happens with St Giles fair or Gas/Thames Water/Road works, these same residents are completely cut off from travelling in that direction. It's also a waste of money having resurfaced Walton Street only to then close it to cars. Where's the joined-up thinking? What about letting electric cars through? Where's the incentive for encouraging people to change to that form of transport? The objections raised are several:

1) The proposed ELTNA would impose *significant* additional traffic, fuel consumption and congestion costs on any resident of Jericho with a car who wished to head from their home to the rail station or West or South via Botley or Abingdon Roads.

Resident (Oxford, By way of illustration, a resident of, say, Nelson Street currently has a short link up Walton Crescent, turning Object Southmoor Road) right down Walton Street to Beaumont Street and onwards.

The major problem is the lack of direct routes between Jericho towards the Woodstock Road in the East. Little Clarendon Street is one way (West) for cars. The Radcliffe Quarter is closed for through traffic. So with the ELTNA in place the same resident would need to turn left down Walton Street, drive all the way down to St Bernard's Road (a narrow residential street), then turn across northbound traffic onto Woodstock Road, then down to St Giles and the junction with Beaumont Street, just to get to the same junction with Walton

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Street that is now proposed for closure.

This will apply to all residents in Jericho with cars who live between Worcester Place and Juxon Street - many hundreds of households. For any journey West or South they will all be forced to travel four sides of a square.

In short, it is bonkers! It will take longer, consume more fuel, generate more emissions, and will simply "move" those emissions from the current area of Walton Street (where many of the buildings on the East side are University offices) down streets that are narrower and wholly residential.

2) It is wholly unclear that there would be any improvement in traffic flows from the ELTNA as the bottleneck in the local road system is *not* Beaumont Street-Walton Street, it is the complex 4-way traffic light junction at George Street-Worcester Street-Hythe Bridge Street.

This junction regularly backs up traffic coming via Beaumont Street all the way to the Randolph, and this has been noticeably worse during the recent Walton Street road works. Again, as this is one of the main streets in the central area of the city, any increase in stationary and slow moving traffic in Beaumont Street will impose pollution costs on the many tourists and visitors who frequent Gloucester Green, the Playhouse and the Ashmolean, as well as Oxfordians.

So shifting traffic from Walton Street into Beaumont Street makes things worse for more people, not better.

3) Improvements in pedestrian and cycle safety in the immediate area of the junction would be offset by deterioration in safety for the same groups in the area of St Bernards Road.

4) The City and County would lose the use of Walton Street as a temporary relief road during periods when St Giles is closed for events (e.g., Remembrance Sunday, the Oxford Half Marathon, St Giles Fair etc) or for other reasons e.g. resurfacing or other road maintenance.

5) Access to the Jericho area for fire vehicles stationed in the Rewley Road station would similarly be compromised on a permanent basis. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, St It seems to me that the only 'air quality' that might br improved is that of Walton St between Worcester St and Object Barnabas Street) Richmond Rd. Traffic on the remainder will probably be about the same. You remove traffic from Walton St,

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the major Jericho thoroughfare of sufficient width, and move it onto St Bernard's Rd, Leckford Rd, and Little Clarendon St, all three of which are one-lane and the latter usually congested with shopping pedestrians. Air quality and congestion for those streets is apparently far less important. For us in Jericho, to shop the Botley Rd, Westgate, or Abingdon Rd, it means an additional 2 miles to the journey...... hardly conducive to improving the carbon footprint...... is that considered in the "improved" air quality? Botley Rd commerce has suffered enough from the months of on going road works, and your plans remove Jericho from their market. It's much easier to go to Summertown or Kidlington. It's ludicrous of you to speak of reducing 'rat running' when your proposal makes it mandatory that the three small streets afore mentioned will be, by definition, 'rat runs' simply to get in and out of Jericho. A plan of "common" quality coming from our county traffic planners! 1. The justification for the Experimental Road Closure is there is "rat running" down Walton Street. Walton street is a busy area for businesses, schooling and the university as well as residents and so high traffic is therefore expected. What proportion of the traffic in Jericho is estimated to be "rat running"? Without evidence that a large proportion of the traffic are rat running, there is little justification for diverting all the two way business traffic up and down Walton Street into the small number of narrow residential streets to the west of Jericho.

2. The experimental road closure needs a BEFORE and AFTER assessment of its effects on the narrow residential streets on the west-side of Jericho as these roads would become the only entry and exit points into the busy Jericho area. As the experimental road closure is effectively already in place due to the road Resident (Oxford, St works on Walton street, and the first 6 months of the closure would include the formal consultation period, Object Bernards Road) there is no opportunity for a detailed systematic and unbiased assessment of the effect of traffic on the roads on the west side of Jericho BEFORE the experimental road closure is made.

3. The relatively large amount of traffic that uses the narrow residential streets west of Jericho means sufficient data from any pilot would be available within a handful of weeks. A pilot closure of up to 18 months is not justifiable.

4. A risk assessment of the effect of increased traffic volume (in terms of road safety and traffic pollution) on the residents of the roads west of Jericho is not presented. The residential streets west of Jericho are narrow, often house young families, and often have doors opening directly onto narrow pavements next to the road. Increased business traffic next to such houses may represent a risk to safety and health. A goal of the closure is to reduce "rat-running". However, as a resident of St Bernards Road, I have noticed a Resident (Oxford, St Object significant increase in traffic of all kinds passing my front door. Like many residents, we do not have a large Bernards Road) front garden to absorb the noise. There is a double junction at the Woodstock Road end of St Bernards

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Road, which was relatively dangerous even before closure of Walton Street, given that traffic turning right to go south must also cope with traffic turning left from Bevington Road. There is no enforcement of the one way flow along St Bernards, and many cyclists currently take advantage of this, and the increased vehicle traffic is adding to the risks of an accident.

A better solution surely would be to reverse the flow of traffic along Little Clarendon Street and allow Jericho traffic wishing to turning south to join Woodstock Road at that junction with a right turn. This might require a traffic light at the Woodstock Road end, and a mini roundabout at the Walton Street end. At the same time allow traffic wishing to enter Jericho from the south to turn left onto Walton Road from Worcester Street without a traffic light. Walton Street would hence become a one way street as far as Little Clarendon Street going north. This re-routing would maintain the current improved traffic flow west along Beaumont Street and north up Worcester Street that arose when the traffic light at the lower end of Walton Street was closed. The re-routing would also shorten the time and distance of Jericho residents wishing to travel south currently endure through their forced diversion into St Bernards Road.

Finally, it is also possible, in time, that this solution would allow the closure of the upper part of Walton Street between Juxon Street and Great Clarendon Street to allow a pedestrianised restaurant area, utilising Juxon Street and Richmond Road/ Great Clarendon Street as the primary exit and entry points for Jericho residents. (A solution would be required for Observatory Street/ Adelaide Street, as these would need to be 2-way, exiting onto the same complex junction on Woodstock Road as St Bernards Road). All residents of Jericho and the new houses down Walton we'll road will start to use st Bernard's road st Margaret's and little Clarendon and observatory street. Mainly residential with young children.

So benefits and losses will simply be moved around not prevented. The premise for the "improvement" has little basis.

It looks like the Colleges who are on or own significant property near the closure will as usual benefit. The Resident (Oxford, St Object normal working people of oxford who live in the side roads will suffer. Bernards Road)

The junction by the randolf will become unworkable. Particularly if the coaches that wait outside the ashmolean remain.

Danger will increase. The children and pensioners who live on the side roads will be put at risk. Walton street is a bustling thriving commercial area. It's great as it is. Closing Walton street will make them suffer. Taxis won't be able to pick up customers as easily. Passing trade will reduce. Lorries need to deliver to Walton

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street. How would that be possible. They won't be able to turn around?

Pollution will simply be moved not reduced. Is there evidence that this measure will reduce traffic overall? If not then the benefits as described seem unfounded. People's house prices will be affected. High traffic levels in a quiet residential area causing pollution and traffic noise, particularly noticeable at night time. Impatient drivers making parking for residents difficult and very hazardous when getting out of vehicles especially with children or disabled drivers. Extra traffic around Leckford school where parking and drop off times are already busy. Resident (Oxford, St Extra traffic cutting through Leckford Place and Leckford Road. Object Bernards Road) Restricted width on a one way road making it difficult for emergency vehicles unable to use the wider main through road of Beaumont Street and St Giles! I've already witnessed a fire engine stuck in the traffic calming chicane! Perhaps think about creating a one way system around the Worcester Street area and building a pedestrian bridge. Get the traffic light timings to synchronise with each other to get the traffic to flow! and I support Oxfordshire's attempts to reduce air pollution. . I am worried that closing Walton Street will meant that all the traffic serving residences, shops, businesses and offices in Jericho will need to leave the Jericho area via Kingston Road or St Bernards Road - where I Resident (Oxford, St live.This will increase the pollution, noise and inconvenience to which I will be subjected. Object Bernards Road) Thank you,

I am very disappointed to hear of this plan to close Walton Street. I object strongly and trust it will not happen. Walton St is valuable to me when I drive home from the rail station or Botley Rd direction. If it were to close I would be forced to choose St Giles, and to use Observatory, Plantation or Leckford Rd to get into the upper part of Walton St and back into St Bernard's Rd where I live.

Resident (Oxford, St Object Similarly, going south it is often helpful to be able to go south down Walton St instead of St Giles. Bernards Road)

The volume of Traffic on St Bernard's Road has certainly increased during the repair of the sink-hole, making the road much less pleasant, including for cycling. It is shocking that the sinkhole episode should be used to try to make this closure permanent (even for 18 months).

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Walton Street has been a natural route for centuries. It is the gateway to the whole Jericho area. Please cancel this plan. Thank you. I notice the increased volume of traffic in St Bernards Road which has a negative impact on the quality of my Resident (Oxford, St family's life. Cars are not obeying the 20mph speed limit despite the bumps and chicanes introduced some Object Bernards Road) time ago. It has become the only route out of Jericho to Oxford City and the impatience of drivers is plain to see. I strongly object to the proposal. (1) I have already noticed a marked increase in traffic along St Bernard's Road since the closure of Walton St for repair. This has caused increased noise, nuisance and pollution for us. It has also caused congestion at the junction of St Bernard's Road and Woodstock Road, a junction which is potentially dangerous in any case because traffic regularly turns north out of Bevington Road despite the signage to the contrary. (2) I estimate that half of the cyclists that use St Bernard's Road cycle the wrong way down this one-way street. This is dangerous, but increased traffic flow will make it more so. No attempt at enforcement is ever Resident (Oxford, St undertaken. If increased traffic flow encourages more cyclists to take to the narrow, unsighted footpaths Object Bernards Road) rather than use the road the situation will become more dangerous for pedestrians, such as myself. (3) This sole beneficiaries of this scheme will be the small number of frontages of that part of Walton St between Little Clarendon St and Worcester College, many of which are non-residential. It will be to the direct detriment of all residents of the roads that link Walton St to Woodstock Road, as well as Kingston Rd, and will inconvenience the whole of Jericho. The downside is out of all proportion to the upside.

I am also disappointed that you have not approached the residents about this plan, eg written to us, but have left us to discover it for ourselves on your website. For a scheme of this impact I think this is reprehensible. It is ridiculous to close Walton Street leading to Beaumont Street and especially before any consultation with tax-paying residents. All of the alternate routes are one way streets and all the closure achieves is move the Resident (Oxford, St through traffic to roads like St Bernards Road. In addition, as a resident living in Oxford, the closure makes it Object Bernards Road) difficult for residents living in the area to get easy access to the south of Oxford. If the Council really wants to improve the flow of traffic around Beaumont Street and Hythe Bridge Street, then they need to consider replacing some of the traffic lights with mini-roundabouts. Resident (Oxford, St Object It will turn Jericho into a cul de sac Bernards Road) It's not very clear how this benefits anyone else but Worcester College and the properties at the lower end of Walton Street. The traffic through St Bernards Road has been extremely high, with lots of speedy vans etc. Resident (Oxford, St Object It's extremely unsafe on the road around here. We've never seen the free flowing traffic on Beaumont Street Bernards Road) that the proposal refers to - we've been stuck in endless traffic jams on that road since the closure. What statistic is the "free flowing" based on? There is limited through traffic down Walton Street, except for people

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who live in Jericho. What statistics is the "rat running" based on? The vans, lorries etc. still have to come through for deliveries. What are you going to do to mitigate the impact on these once quiet areas? The closure has meant that a large volume of traffic is now using St Bernard's Road as the nearest way out of the Jericho area. This is resulting in significant extra noise and air pollution in a narrow street that has already been made busy by intensive development of the Waterways site without adequate additional road access.

Resident (Oxford, St Object It is a complete fantasy to think that the closure of Walton Street will do anything to reduce the amount of Bernards Road) traffic in the area, or its attendant problems, as opposed to simply shifting it from one area to another. This includes any problem of rat running, which could be addressed by making Walton Street one way (northwards) below Little Clarendon Street (nobody in their right mind would try to use Walton Street as a shortcut going north from Worcester Street). But even that would actually INCREASE net overall emissions, because of the long detours required for Jericho traffic going south or west out of Oxford. The closure of Walton St will increase the traffic in our road (which is happening already) Resident (Oxford, St Our road is a narrow road and cars go down the road in big speed. Object Bernards Road) It might be an idea to change the direction of Little clarendon Street, cars to enter from Walton Street to Woodstock Road, which will split the traffic between St Bernards road and Little Clarendon St. The four key benefits listed on the proposal will each have the opposite effect for residents of St Bernard's Road:

1. Air quality will be worsened. Resident (Oxford, St Object 2. Volume of traffic, and congestion, will increase. I have already noticed a significant increase in traffic since Bernards Road) Walton Street has been closed. 3. Increased traffic will make the road more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. 4. Rat running will increase because St Bernard's Road will become by far the most convenient way for the residents of Jericho, and shop traffic including delivery lorries, to access Woodstock Road. This experimental road closure will result in more traffic on Little Clarendon Street, St Bernards Road and Kingston Road, being the only remaining roads in / out of Jericho and all being roads that are less suited for Resident (Oxford, St traffic (narrower and / or residential so quieter) than Walton Street itself. Object Bernards Road) In addition it will result in further driving and associated noise and pollution for anyone living in Jericho who needs to drive South or West from Oxford. This would have a disastrous effect on the environmental quality of St Bernard's Road, as well as on Resident (Oxford, St Object pedestrian and cyclist safety there, as this residential street would become a main road serving the very Bernards Road) large domestic, retail (Walton Street shops, restaurants, pubs, and cinema), and business (OUP) district of

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Jericho and Walton Manor. The answer proposed is much worse than the minor problem of occasional near- gridlocks outside Worcester College. Resident (Oxford, St Traffic congestion in St Bernards Road, too much noise and pollution. Cyclists riding wrong direction, Object Bernards Road) dangerously We already experience way to much traffic for such a narrow one way road. Resident (Oxford, St Object Even at night! The traffic noice is high because there is not an even speed through the passage. Vehicles Bernards Road) slow down before the road bumps and then steps on the gas after. The noice makes it hard to sleep at night. With the Worcester Street road closure in St Bernard's Road we have been experiencing much higher levels of traffic in St Bernard's Road. The road closure over summer, was at a time when traffic was lighter. Now we have the university up and running for this academic year and schools back and parents back at work, the traffic numbers are higher. I would expect a traffic review be undertaken first before a lengthy pilot. St Bernard's Road is a residential road, with both young families and elderly residents.

I request the following:

1. Undertake a full review of traffic flow, around Jericho, to establish the best way to achieve your goals at the bottom of Worcester Street, for instance there are two consecutive roads leading into Jericho ie Little Resident (Oxford, St Object Clarendon and Observatory and the first leading out of Jericho is St Bernard's Road, so clearly it takes the Bernards Road) brunt of traffic. Did you think about changing the flow of traffic of Observatory Road so that it leads out, thus creating a mini one way system at that end of Jericho. Little Clarendon can take more traffic, not being residential.

2. Enforce the weight limit and 20 mph speed limit on St Bernard's Road.

3. Restore the speed bumps in St Bernards Road to required dimensions, for maximum effectiveness as has just been done on Leckford Road

These points should be addressed, before undertaking a lengthy pilot. You will be creating a massive cul-de-sac with only 2 roads out - St Bernard's Road and Kingston Road, including not only residents' cars but all the traffic, delivery vans and lorries serving businesses in Little Clarendon Street and Walton Street. The current one way system has been established assuming there is a Resident (Oxford, St Object way out of Jericho at Worcester College. Bernards Road) This will severely negatively impact residents of St Bernard's Road and Kingston Road, as well as causing inconvenience for all residents of Jericho, who would then have to drive a long way round and join all the busy main roads congested with traffic just to get out to Waitrose or the west side of town. St Bernards Road

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will be particularly impacted, as the first street giving a way out of this huge cul-de-sac. The air here will become worse. We bought our house on this road because it is a quiet road and this will no longer be the case. It is a road full of families and houses close to the road and the windows all rattle when trucks go past. The additional traffic will cause noise pollution which wasn't the case when people bought their houses and will disturb sleep. A lot of people cycle the wrong way down this one way street and there have been a number of accidents. This will become more dangerous. I have seen no data that traffic is coming from people "rat running" rather than it being residents of Jericho or traffic to the local shops and businesses in Little Clarendon Street (surely this data could be collected first? Stop all cars for a day and find out where they came from and where they are going, rather than subjecting the whole neighbourhood to this inconvenience for 18 months). Resident (Oxford, St Object No comment. Bernards Road) Resident (Oxford, St Object This closure will funnel all the traffic from Jericho, some hundreds of residents' cars, up Walton Street and Bernards Road) (unless there are special restrictions) St. Bernards Road. With all its shops and restaurants, the upper end of Walton Street is already seriously congested; with incoming traffic down from Kingston Road, this plan will make it much worse, and dangerous for the many pedestrians. Outbound drivers will learn that Leckford Road is too narrow, and Farndon Road too far. Houses at the entry to St. Bernards Road will experience the extra pollution from the many cars accelerating after they turn into the road. Another hazard is the frequency of cyclists coming down St. Bernards Road ignoring the no-entry signs. It seems that nothing can be done about this; and so with the heavier stream of traffic, a serious accident is all the more likely. Residents of St. Bernards Road are in effect being asked to make their special contribution to the reduction of car traffic by experiencing the added nuisance and ill-health from the traffic being sent their way. The cancellation of the No. 17 bus service makes a mockery of such car-reduction programmes for the Jericho area. As the closure currently stands, the flow of traffic appears to be better through Beaumont Street and through Jericho. Traffic in St Margarets Road appears to be unaffected, except the elimination of coaches that were using the route into and through town. Resident (Oxford, St Object Margarets Road) However, there needs to be clear signage and direction regarding delivery and access to the area. Currently, vehicles are having to turn in inappropriate places, or use the non-suitable side roads such as Observatory Street etc. There could also be better use of the coned area in Beamont Street - perhaps to provide more space for cyclists. I do not think this closure is taking anything away from the pollution in the centre of Oxford. If anything, it is Resident (Oxford, St adding to it. Deliveries still have to be made to all the shops in Walton Street, often by very large vehicles Object Margarets Road) which then have either to reverse or turn around, with a lot of ensuing fume and fuss. It's difficult for residents, who have to drive further than before to go South, and there are still many businesses in Jericho

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that have to be reached by workers. So - traffic now passes two ways down Walton Street and then back up again. Traffic needing to go South is diverting via St. Bernard's Road (which isn't big enough to take it), Leckford Road or St. Margaret's Road. It is noticeably increased West to East in St. Margaret's Road, and the speed limit along the west end of St. Margaret's Road in particular is not being observed by many vehicles. This is of especial concern as there are schools at either end. Resident (Oxford, St Object The scheme as it stands just pushes the motor traffic to other areas. Margarets Road) This plan will, as it states, force more traffic to use the roads to the west of Woodstock Road to gain access to/from Walton Manor, and in particular the shops and restaurants on Walton Street. The stated ambition is to reduce local traffic. This plan will have completely the opposite effect on the street on which I live. Large Resident (Oxford, St Object delivery lorries already use St Margaret's Road to access the shops on Walton Street one way - now they will Margarets Road) use it both ways. St Margaret's Road has a well used church together with a busy school and poor/ineffective traffic calming measures. Hardly a street that should bear yet more traffic. This closure will make the traffic on the street worse. So who benefits? Whilst a commendable idea I can only see that the problem will be passed on elsewhere. Perhaps a one-way Resident (Oxford, St Object system at the Beaumont Street/Walton Street end going north only until the first turn off (Richmond Road) or Margarets Road) even higher up as there are back street routes to those properties further south, to reduce sitting traffic. I like the idea of reduced traffic on Walton Street. HOWEVER my observation as a daily cyclist on the route is that Walton Street traffic is primarily serving local businesses (deliveries) and locals going to/from homes in the Jericho area. It is stressful to cycle along - but because of all the delivery vans going to the shops and restaurants. As a driver I would never consider it faster to go via Walton Street as opposed to Woodstock Road when driving from the station or Ice rink - it's not an efficient 'rat run' usually and so clever rat runners won't use it. My strong concern is the effect on the side streets to the west of Woodstock road linking it with Resident (Oxford, Walton Street which residents/delivery vans will be forced to use more. These are small roads with parked Object Stone Meadow) cars. St Margaret's Road has one primary school on it and another very close and more traffic on it would be dangerous. Polstead Road is only one-way, leads to a primary school and has a playgroup on it. Farndon, Leckford Road are not designed for increased traffic and Leckford has a school on it, and St Bernards Road is far too narrow for an increase in traffic. Little Clarendon Street is one way but both ways for cyclists, and already fairly hazardous whether you're cycling, walking or driving along it. In the Council's statement there seems to be no allowance for the increase in pollution and danger on these side streets. This is the thin edge of the wedge and will no doubt be used as a means to initiate further road closures. Resident (Oxford, Accept the reality that commuters need to get through town. It's already a horrible experience, we are not Object Stone Meadow) doing this out of a perverse sense of fun.

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My current employer is based in , so I have to drive to work. When the A34 is blocked by yet another accident, I have to get home through town. The Walton Street cut through is a useful means avoid commuter traffic as I try to get to my son before After School Club shuts.

Surely you get enough traffic reduction through the mad roadworks schedule you implement each summer, which manages to render at least half of town impassable? We fully support the closure of Walton Street for vehicles travelling south. However, we would suggest keeping the street open for cars travelling from Hythe Bridge Street and turning left into Walton Street from Worcester Street. This proposal takes account of the following considerations:

- This will help reduce traffic congestion on Beaumont Street and St Giles, which can be significant and has worsened since the closure of Walton Street. - This will ensure that traffic in the area keeps moving, thus avoiding the increased build up of air pollution caused by queuing vehicles. - The amount of traffic passing along roads running west from Woodstock Road, particularly Leckford Road and St Bernards Road, has increased substantially and unacceptably since the closure of Walton Street. Resident (Oxford, This has made these narrow residential streets significantly more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, Object Tackley Place) and led to a noticeable increase in air and noise pollution. The presence of larger vehicles using these streets is of particular concern. We have witnessed several incidents where cyclists have potentially been put at risk and the build up of traffic is a daily occurrence. Clearly these issues will be much reduced if traffic is allowed to pass north along Walton Street. - If "access only" measures are put in place, there is no risk of Walton Street being used as a "rat run" for vehicles travelling north. - The left turn from Worcester Street into Walton Street is straightforward and can be clearly signed, thus causing no additional danger to pedestrians and cyclists - Prior to the closure of Walton Street, congestion was only an issue for traffic passing south along Walton Street and at the junction with Beaumont Street/Worcester Street. Traffic turning from Worcester Street and travelling north along Walton Street was not an issue My elderly parents live in Jericho and I visit them most days to see them, run errands, etc. Instead of driving straight up Walton Street from Worcester St I now have to drive all the way up Beaumont St and St Giles Resident (Oxford, then back on myself through Jericho, which takes considerably longer and therefore increases emissions. I Object Trinity Street) fail to see how this move benefits anyone as it increases the volume of traffic on historic St Giles and prolongs the time of many car journeys. It has also made dangerous rat runs out of quiet residential streets like St Bernard's road. If the council genuinely want to cut emissions in the city centre, why not get rid of the

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cheap Westgate and Oxpens Rd parking lots that enable thousands of cars to choke the city every weekend, instead of penalising local residents who make a comparatively tiny fraction of the car trips into Oxford. I object to this proposal both on a general level and on a specific level.

At the specific level, your proposal says that congestion will be eased by removing the signalised junction at Worcester Street / Beaumont Street. I fear, however, that the traffic lights a couple of hundred yards further on, where George Street meets Hythe Bridge Street, will negate much or any benefit from taking away the Worcester Street / Beaumont Street lights, as they tend to hold traffic coming from Beaumont Street for a couple of minutes at a time while the other lights go through their cycles and then the interminable pedestrian crossing window happens (green man for about 20 seconds then the infuriating blank period where no light is on, followed by another infuriating 10 seconds where the red man is on yet still people are crossing the road).

Furthermore, if you remove the route onto the Worcester St / Beaumont St junction from Walton Street, then even more traffic will come down Beaumont Street, further negating any advantage you might gain from removing those traffic lights for the reason set out above.

On a general level, I object because you seemingly fail to grasp one critical point in all this - many Oxford Resident (Oxford, Object residents, including myself LIKE THEIR CARS AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF DRIVING THEM ANY Upway Road) LESS!! I don't always want to cycle for reasons of weather or needing to carry large items of baggage, buses offer no privacy in terms of making calls or freedom from other peoples' noise / conversations etc. I am a private person and my car is a sanctuary where I can think, ponder on work or life problems etc, regardless of traffic levels.

Practically, I frequently need my car to get to events outside the city of an evening, where bus timings and / or constant stopping to pick up or set down other travellers render those journeys too slow for my tight timescales for getting where I need to be from work in Jericho.

It appears that Oxfordshire County Council is hell-bent on endlessly penalising car drivers and attempting to stop any private individual from driving a car around or into the city, ever, despite our cars being paid for and maintained with our hard earned money - whatever happened to personal choice...?!

Both you and this country's national government are approaching the congestion and environmental issue in entirely the wrong way - instead of taking the stick approach, what happened to the carrot? How about encouraging me out of my petrol car by offering free park and rides (like they used to be), certain express

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bus services (e.g. Oxford direct to Woodstock with no stops en route), increased incentives to acquire a hybrid or electric vehicle, a network of electric car charging points (of which I see precisely none in Oxford other than in the Westgate car park) and so on...?!

Private car use is so far engrained in the national psyche (Englishman's home is his castle and all that) that you CANNOT STOP IT. So please stop trying to do that by taking the penal route and instead focus on ways to encourage me, and others like me, to leave my car at home. All you do with proposals and consultations like this is antagonise ordinary citizens who are just trying to go about their daily lives in the most convenient way possible in our hectic modern existences. Resident (Oxford, Aims are laudable but distinction needs to be made between local residents use and use for so-called "rat Object Walton Crescent) running" e.g. through number plate recognition or moving bollards. Resident (Oxford, Simply ridiculous to cut our neighbourhood off in this way . We travel daily to work via the Botley Road and Object Walton Crescent) this has significantly added on extra time the journey. There are no proofs shown to the residents concerning the improvement of air quality: actually you will just displace the problem of pollution and even increase it as people living in Jericho will need to increase their journey to go towards the train station/Botley area. You have warned the resident more than 2 months after the beginning of the road work on Walton Street and this is not acceptable to leave people without any information of why the road was closed! Furthermore, the Resident (Oxford, works were supposed to be done in 12 days and they finished after 2 months!!! Object Walton Crescent) You should be ashamed to spend the money of Oxford people into road works that will probably not be useful as you want to close the road! This is clearly a waste of money that could have been spent somewhere else! For now almost three months, you have not put any signs or even temporary signs for pedestrians to cross Worcester street at the end of Walton Street and this is very dangerous as there is a curve at this location. What a shame! This has created chaos in the area and made it very unmanageable for me as a resident. My transport to work is typically a Pick Me Up bus but because of the difficulties of this transport getting around, it's adding at least 25 mins to my commute because of the route the bus is forced to take. Funny enough, I'm considering Resident (Oxford, Object getting a car because of these delays. Way to go reducing vehicle traffic. I adamantly disagree with this Walton Crescent) closure. Forget about me - what about the side streets that are affected, the taxis in and out of the area, the emergency vehicles. And don't get me started on the pedestrian signals. I guess you only care about some pedestrians, not the ones that actually have to navigate out of Jericho. This is already a cut off area (west isn't accessible as the canal and railway line cuts off jericho). St. Resident (Oxford, Object Bernard's road will be the only route out for the 3000 people who live here ! Walton Crescent)

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Environmental reasons don't stack up, as we will have to drive further to get to the same destination.

Our secondary school catchment has shifted to the west (Mathew Arnold and Bartholomew), so could this mean we can be put back into the Cherwell priority catchment??

Is there a compromise that can be considered? Could resents be able to use the junction (with buses and taxis) and maybe take measures to prevent other traffic from using it as a rat run? Or at least make it one way, so that we can get out of Jericho?

I think my main reaction is about feeling trapped and it is about being able to get out, rather than how to get home!

I totally support the broader plans for environmental improvement, but the detail of how it effects the lives of residents and businesses need to be handled sensitively and sensibly. This road should be open until a proper consultation can be conducted. Also, residents on the streets directly affected by the increase in traffic should be consulted now.

Also, if emergency services is slower to respond due to road closure during this process and a tragedy Resident (Oxford, happens this is something that cannot happen. I know Emergency services are being consulted but until they Object Walton Crescent) have reviewed, the road should be open to void any terrible problems.

This does not fix the traffic issue it simply moves traffic to smaller side roads, make the northern part of Walton St more dangerous for walker/bikes due to increased traffic volume and make like for commuters more difficult in and out of Jericho. Walton Crescent has many neighbors who own a car. And it has been very inconvenient for us to drive to work every day from the past three months that the road has been closed. Every single neighbor has to exit through St. Bernards Rd. Consequently, the ones that we need to take the exit to A420 in Botley, we got diverted in traffic every morning in Beaumont St. So the same pollution and traffic noise and inconvenience is caused to the neighbors in that specific area that you intend to close. Resident (Oxford, Object Walton Crescent) The road closure is bringing big delays to leave the city every morning for us and also on our way back home as we have experienced the past months.

There are cars coming and going. Maybe a bike lane will be really convenient to keep the cyclists safe and avoid the rat running. But definitely not closing the street permanently.

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1. Road closure has resulted in additional traffic on Walton Lane where I live due to cars needing to turn off Walton Street to return North, who use the Lane as a fast rat run to head back up Walton Street. This is particularly noticeable at weekends where visitors unfamiliar with closures, using businesses within Jericho/Walton Manor - they are not mindful of local resident needs This includes (at all times) local taxi firms. As a cobbled lane this causes loud noise under our bedroom windows, plus danger on exiting our front door and internal garage since there is no pavement. Pedestrians using the Lane have little safe space to get off the Lane with traffic and at night it is very dark.

2. Road closure has increased journey time, car use and with it, fuel consumption and pollution for necessary daily car journeys to Botley Road, Abingdon Road and to East Oxford. requiring daily, twice daily trips to visit multiple properties, the recycling centre and suppliers. Resident (Oxford, Object These trips cannot be made by other means due multiple stops, purchases and carrying of items needed to Walton Lane) clean properties or carry out various duties. We need now to drive all the way to St Bernard's Road, loop down St Giles to achieve the same location we would have exited Walton St at approximately 1.5 miles before. The distance calculator could easily be done. I am obliged to park planning condition by the Council for the original building of this house.

3. I am conscious of the nuisance my additional journeys must cause to local residents on a narrow road such as St Bernard's Rd which must now carry the burden of all West-East traffic and additional journeys due to no exit at Beaumont St end. The exit to turn right from St Bernard's Rd at peak times is not very easy or controlled. This morning I was part of a queue of vehicles, mostly business vans, on St Bernard's Road, waiting at the Woodstock Rd end, to turn right. *Why is driving around the longer way and being stuck in a car, waiting in a queue longer somewhere else improving the air quality? *The council is not providing any alternative ways for the residents of remote areas of Jericho to commute to schools and work as there is no public transport or even taxi access in the areas like Merrivale Square. All traffic needs to go via the already busy Woodstock Rd, which only makes the pollution worse, not fights it! Resident (Oxford, *The council has advised us all to hop on bicycles or walk to work for hours (a walk to Botley is one hour long Object Walton Street) from Churchill Court) completely disregarding those who cannot so due to disability, age or other reasons. *The motion was passed suddenly and singlehandedly without consulting the residents. Side streets like Leckford Rd and Observatory St are now busier than ever and many residents oppose this. *It will affect the residents of Jericho and the businesses. The shops, the hairdresser, the cafes, even that last bookshop place, they will wither away. *What about the lorries in Little Clarenden Street , how will they get out, turn right at the end and then come

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all the way back round? *What about the bin lorries? Public transport is not relevant in Oxford. It has always been cheaper to drive and park - if there's a family. Due to the one way operations on other surrounding routes (Little Clarendon and Observatory Street), the proposed change would mean any traffic going from the Walton street area, would need to travel all the way back to St Bernards Road, in order to access Worcester Street. Similarly, those wishing to access the Walton Street area from Worcester Street, will need to travel past the Randolph, all the way along St Giles, and left down Little Clarendon Street, then back along Walton Street. What research has been done to identify how many additional road miles will be added to the average journey by making this proposed change? My expectation is that the change will in fact INCREASE the amount of pollution in the town more generally, albeit by decreasing pollution in the immediate vicinity of Walton Street.

On all counts, the proposed change will not address the issues identified:

- Improving air quality in the direct area

Resident (Oxford, Object By reducing air quality elsewhere Walton Street)

- Reducing traffic congestion in the local area by removing the signalised junction of Walton Street/ Worcester Street -

Thus increasing traffic and congestions on other surrounding routes

- Helping to create a safer environment for Cyclists and pedestrians within the city Reducing "rat running"

By making roads like Little Clarendon Street busier, and even more dangerous for cyclists

Perhaps a sensible 'middle-ground' option could be to make the proposed section just one-way, narrow the road, and introduce a two-way cycle lane? For any driver, regardless of mean of transportation, that comes from South of Oxford to Walton Street or Great Clarendon Street (and surrounds), with Walton Street closed to vehicles on the junction with Beaumont Resident (Oxford, Object Street, the driver as to go to St. Giles and then, turn left on Little Clarendon Street. Walton Street) For example, Little Clarendon Street is a very small road and with lots of pedestrians that, suddenly - and because of the closing of Walton Street - as gained an increase in traffic.For those drivers that approach

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Oxford via South (Abingdon Road or Botley Road), they now have to create more traffic around Beaumont Street, St. Giles and Little Clarendon Street. The goal of reducing traffic is not achieved, as Oxford inhabitants will still use their cars. This is create more traffic around the Ashmolean Museum and St. Giles that could be avoided if Walton Street remains open.Just because one street gets closed, it doesn't mean that the traffic will reduce. Yes, it will reduce on that specific road but, on the adjacent ones it will make it more difficult. This is not a solution for anyone, and it makes traffic even worst in the City Centre. If the traffic has to remain closed, at least allow bicycles and motorcycles to ran through that road (Walton Street). I run a business on Walton Street that relies on passing trade. This trade has significantly dropped off following the road closure. Walton Street is a unique area located away from the main city centre and has to compete with the new westagate centre and the road closure doesn't help with this. Business (Oxford, Object The road access to Walton Street requires use of smaller side roads in order to access it. with the junction Walton Street) with Beaumont street open, there is a natural root into Jericho. The main alternative route to access Walton Street during the closure is Leckford Road which passes a school and with the parking on both sides of the road makes it an inappropriate alternative. It is now much more difficult to access Jericho by car from other parts of Oxford (particularly East Oxford), Resident (Oxford, and the closure of the crossing outside Worcester makes it extremely dangerous for the many pedestrians Object Walton Street) who walk to/from their workplace in Jericho to cross the road, especially since from the Gloucester Green side it is a relatively blind corner. Resident (Oxford, My objection relates to the reinstatement of the existing pedestrian crossing -- which nullify the benefits of Object Walton Street) removing the junction. I would have no objection if a zebra crossing was used instead. Recent traffic studies taken during large, ongoing Botley rd works are not representative of a normal state. I commute from Wiltshire, via A420 to Botley, and park in a rented space in Jericho. In recent months I've had to 'rat run' into Jericho via Little Clarendon St or Observatory St, and out via St Bernard's Road....as have Resident (Oxford, lots of people. Using Walton St, despite the seemingly un-optimized traffic lights adjoining Worcester St was Object Walton Street) much easier and less of a 'rat run'. I've done this commute for 16 years and it's never been as bad, with the alternative of going in/out of Oxford from the north via Woodstock rd, be that either via the A34 or the less congested 'rat run' via Wytham and Wolvercote, is far more congested than it has ever been, with some additional traffic there avoiding Botley for sure!!! Restricting traffic on this section of Walton street will only result in shifting the flow onto St Giles and then Resident (Oxford, Object using Little Clarendon Street and residential streets which are not suitable for large volumes of traffic. People Walton Street) will still require access to Walton street and will just shift the flow onto roads far less suitable. Business (Oxford, Object Strongly oppose any restrictions to traffic flow and access Walton Street)

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The continued closure will continue to have an impact on our day to day running of the business as having the top of Walton Street closed adds on time to be allocated to appointments when visiting properties in West Oxford. The congestion along Beaumont Street has increased considerably since Walton Street has been closed. Business (Oxford, Object Contractors are also being delayed picking up keys in order to carry out repairs/maintenance on Walton Street)

One of the main selling points of the area is ease of access by foot and by car to the Railway Station and this will not be the case as at present we have to proceed onto the Woodstock Road and onto St Giles turning right at The Randolph into Beaumont St. The current works on the road has caused a lot of disturbance for getting to and from work. It's now longer Resident (Oxford, Object waits for taxis. Journeys will now cost more and the others roads in the area not improved. Beaumont street Walton Street) and Worcester street now take longer. I don't feel it has improved the traffic flow. The road closure have resulted in several negative impact on our live here. Primarily environmental but also the safety of our children and finally created longer days and less family time. With regards to the first point environmental: By having to circulate around town, by having deliveries as well as garbage collection circulate around town we have forced to increase our pollutions and hence the impact on the climate. Additionally the routes to and from our home now means we as well as other larger vehicles have to drive pass small street clearly not suitable for traffic. Second point is the safety of our children, Their school buss used to stop outside of the Blavatnik school of government, now they have to walk all the way to A4144 which is a large and very unsafe road not to Resident (Oxford, mention the way there. Going into town and trying to cross over to Gloucester Green is also with ones risk to Object Walton Street) life each time. Finally the time to get home, to training or other activities for the children is around 3 minutes longer each way. This might not seem much but it means 6 min for work each day - 30 min in total per week. THen its practise and activities for the two hildren which is another 6 min each way, now an additional 30 min. We have in effect lost 1 hour of family time on this closure. This might not be much but note this is an extra hour in a car every week, not counting weekends. An extra hour of unnecessary pollution. The idea to keep the closure means you close the town for ordinary families and instead only university students of staff can continue live here and they will not be able to long term afford and instead you will see institutions etc move in. Slowly the city will die as no-one lives there. There is no benefit for businesses or myself as both a cyclist and driver to having this road closed. It Resident (Oxford, Object provides a good alternative option for when there are traffic problems/closures on Beaumont Street. Traffic is Walton Street) fairly light on Walton Street anyway. Resident (Oxford, Object No comment. Walton Street)

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It makes getting to and from the station, coach station and the south of the city and beyond by car much longer. In addition and probably more importantly, although it must be pleasant for the people at the bottom end of Resident (Oxford, Object Walton Street where there are now hardly any cars in fact at the Walton Well Road end and by those shops Walton Well Road) there is more traffic than before. A lot of people live and work and need deliveries etc in Jericho and now traffic can't enter from two directions all vehicles enter from the same one thus causing more traffic and pollution at the northern end of the street. Please re-open Walton Street and don't close the road experimentally. The closure puts a lot of stress on Resident (Oxford, surrounding roads which are not well able to cope with it, for instance Little Clarendon Street, St Bernard's Object Walton Well Road) Road, Leckford Road, and Plantation Road. These roads are less able to cope with traffic than is Walton Street. The experimental closure of Walton Street would therefore create even greater traffic problems. It is already very difficult at times to access the stations in the centre of town, e.g. the rail and bus stations. And there is no good public transport from our area to those stations. We are frequently travelling with cases so need taxis. To cut out a whole street is going to cause us great difficulties as it will funnel all such traffic to St Giles, which is already quite clogged up at times, not to mention the days it is also closed to traffic.

This problem also applies albeit less acutely, to other facilities and amenities, such as the theatre and GP practices in Beaumont Street, if needing to travel by taxi. We are normally able to use public transport but the Resident (Oxford, Object pressure on St Giles is already considerable and we do need sometimes to use taxis. Warnborough Road)

It is quite shortsighted to remove a whole important road from the transport system and will have a disproportionately adverse impact on those of us who live on the northern streets adjacent to Walton Street. We also tend to be in the somewhat older age group and reducing our access to the central facilities in this way will have a disproportionate impact on us.

Please dont go ahead with it. *Why is driving around the longer way and being stuck in a car, waiting in a queue longer somewhere else improving the air quality? *The council is not providing any alternative ways for the residents of remote areas of Jericho to commute to schools and work as there is no public transport or even taxi access in the areas like Merrivale Square. All Resident (Oxford, Object traffic needs to go via the already busy Woodstock Rd, which only makes the pollution worse, not fights it! Wytham Street) *The council has advised us all to hop on bicycles or walk to work for hours (a walk to Botley is one hour long from Churchill Court) completely disregarding those who cannot so due to disability, age or other reasons. *The motion was passed suddenly and singlehandedly without consulting the residents. Side streets like Leckford Rd and Observatory St are now busier than ever and many residents oppose this.

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*It will affect the residents of Jericho and the businesses. The shops, the hairdresser, the cafes, even that last bookshop place, they will wither away. *What about the lorries in Little Clarenden Street , how will they get out, turn right at the end and then come all the way back round? *What about the bin lorries? Public transport is not relevant in Oxford. It has always been cheaper to drive and park - if there's a family. Non-Oxford I worry about the safely of other roads, little clarendon street and st bernards road as you have to use these Resident (Abingdon, Object roads to get to the area and they are not well set up for cars so I worry about the risk of damage to cars and Harding Road) individuals. I work at Oxford University Press and sometimes require transport in the form of taxi to the premesis. Ths Resident (Abingdon, Object closure of Walton Street would make it more difficult for me to get in and out of my place of work, and I also High Street) empathise with residents of Walton Street for whom the road closure would bring more difficulties. Resident (Abingdon, If the aim is to make it safer for cyclists then removing the lights at walton st/worcester rd junction has made Object Pagisters Road) it more unsafe for cyclists joining from Walton st. I commute by motorcycle into Oxford (OUP Great Clarendon St) from Abingdon. My concerns are: • No quantifiable evidence provided to justify continued closure • Increased journey distances and time. My journey has increased over 1 mile/day • Subsequent increased CO2 and emissions which I estimate as +10% due to extra distance and additional Resident (Abingdon, stop start in city traffic Object Thesiger Road) • Moves the congestion, noise and emissions elsewhere in the city • Attracting skilled work force to support Oxford and Jericho based businesses such as Oxford University Press is an ongoing challenge due to the challenging commute now made worse • The alternative morning route via Little Clarendon Street is poor and often blocked by delivery vans resulting in time wasting and increased emissions I commute to my place of work in Walton Street from Abingdon but not by car, I am a cyclist. The diversion Resident (Abingdon, Object from closing Walton Street makes my journey in a lot longer which is unacceptable when as a cyclist I don't Whitecross) get stuck in traffic and then have to go round the long way to get to my destination in Walton St. I travel to work by bus and have noticed that since Walton Street has been closed traffic is considerably worse getting from Woodstock Road, Banbury Road and St Giles into Oxford. Resident (Bicester, The traffic backs up very badly along the Woodstock Road and a journey that would take 5 minutes now can Object Campion Place) take in excess of 15 minutes. Add to that the delay caused by the terrible junction at the bottom of George Street closing Walton Street to traffic has impacted public transport. I have been late to work more times in the past three months than in a whole year prior to the road closure.

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Dear Madam/Sir, This road closure should undergo a proper and rigorous consultation _before_ closing access to Walton st. The council has already closed the road and now propose to "experimentally close" the road and consult. This road closure affects the school bus route our (and his fellow classmates) are using to go to his Resident (Kidlington, school and makes his commute longer. Object Mill Street) Closing roads to repair them and then "conveniently" closing them for experimental reasons before a proper public consultation should not acceptable. The council needs to provide solutions to Oxford's traffic and polution problems before effecting changes! Yours Sincerely

Resident (Stanton Object I currently drive to my employer, Oxford University Press, as I drop my off at nursery on the Harcourt, Bury Mead) way to work. Cycling and Park and Ride are not an option for me due to physical disability. This closure would result in a significant increase to my journey time, hence making me unable to collect my son on time from nursery. The current closure is causing me significant issues. Resident (Wantage, Object This is a very lightly used road. Closing it will have a negligible effect on air quality. Traffic will have to travel Truelocks Way) further to get to Jerichom area, and so will INCREASE emissions, rather than reduce them.

This is not a sensible proposal. It seems to be that once again Oxford implementing a policy to target car users, which will have the opposite effect of what is intended. It will increase both pollution and congestion. Resident (Winchester, Object I disagree with the proposals as I use Walton Street to access a friend's house. I worry about the implications Old Kennels Lane) on side streets if the main route is closed. My friend who lives on Walton Street did not receive adequate notice about the proposals. Resident (Wootton, Object Closing Walton Street will not reduce traffic it will just funnel traffic along Beamount Street and St Giles Mathews Way) adding to the existing congestion in these streets. Additionally the narrow connecting roads (i.e. Little Clarendon Street) have to be used as a way of getting to Walton Street putting cyclists and pedestrians at increased risk.

In the article it was mentioned that the traffic appears to be flowing more freely. My experience has been a marginal increase in flow. This could be influenced by a reduction of traffic using Botley Road due to the gas roadworks. It would be more realistic to measure once the road works are complete. In addition, currently pedestrians do not have a safe way of crossing, when this crossing is re-instated it will slow the flow further.

I understand and support a move towards trying to reduce traffic into the centre. Shifting the issue into other streets and generally making commuting more difficult is not the solution. Introducing regular, hop on hop off, free or low cost public transport into the centre is.

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Not supporting/Concerns Resident (Oxford, Neither I cycle to work from Botley to OUP, and only drive to Walton Street in the evenings or at weekends, to make Cedar Road) use of the staff car park which is open to all staff during those times (during office hours only selected staff have use of the car park).

As a cyclist I find the closure of Walton Street makes it slightly quieter, however it makes little difference to my journey, and ditto on the few occasions I use the bus. The worst streets to cycle along are the busy ones: Botley Road, Frideswide Sq, Hythe Bridge Street and Worcester Street; by contrast Walton Street is very easy and pleasant to cycle along, even when it's open to traffic. In order to make a real difference to congestion and pollution in Oxford, the busier streets would need to be closed too.

Also, selfishly, I would prefer if Walton Street was opened after 6pm on weekdays and over the weekend, as that's when congestion isn't such an issue but parking in Jericho for social events would be much appreciated as the busses aren't so regular at those times. Resident (Oxford, Neither I am concerned that without a traffic-light-controlled junction at the southern end of Walton Street it has Fairacres Road) become difficult and potentially dangerous for pedestrians to cross Beaumont Street/Worcester Street. A pedestrian crossing at or near the end of Walton Street is essential if Walton Street is to be closed off or restricted. Resident (Oxford, Neither My prime concern is for the pedestrian crossing at the end of Beaumont St. Ferry Road) It really must have lights - that work.

it becomes a nightmare for anyone trying to cross when there are no lights working. Traffic comes around the corner from Worcester St at great speed.

It has always been this way during St Giles Fair. when it becomes impossible to cross. And now it is the same with traffic turning into Beaumont St - but even more dangerous as drivers seem to think they have free-rein to speed around that corner. if there are any slow walkers it is incredibly dangerous.

My secondary concern is that traffic on Beaumont street turning into Worcester St seems to be continously held-up now. Resident (Oxford, Neither I am unsure about this decision (and feel that a lot of public money was wasted in the repair of the street only Great Clarendon for it to be closed now). Street) I support it because:

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- it is quieter in Jericho - cycling on Walton Street is safer

I object to it because: - the Oxford Bus Company's Pick-me-up stop is now much farther away from my house - cab journeys to the bus and train stations from Jericho take much longer - I am worried that delays caused by the closure could have a negative impact on health outcomes because emergency vehicles need more time to reach patients.

For these reasons I think the street should be accessible to taxis, buses and emergency vehicles only (by way of an electronic gate). Resident (Oxford, Neither There are substantial benefits in relation to this proposal but I am concerned about unintended Leckford Place) consequences and the potential that improving traffic in one street area will simply shift the problems to other streets. In particular the advice that traffic can/will use the side roads west of Woodstock Road looks likely to substantially increase traffic flow, in St Margaret's Road, Farndon Road, Leckford Road and St Bernard's Road. It is likely that St Margaret's already has considerable traffic going along it and joining Kingston Road and using Walton Street as a rat run. When that traffic finds it is unable to exit at the end of Walton Street it will need to exit via one of these others. None of them is suited for an increased flow of traffic. But in any case all that is achieved is to shift the problems of noise and pollution for Walton Street residents to these other street residents. It does not solve the fundamental problem.

In sum while I am totally in favour of all efforts to reduce traffic pollution these proposals As I understand them have not been fully thought through and merely shift the problems from one area to another.

I would also like to be reassured that two-way access along Walton Street by bike will continue. Resident (Oxford, Neither FOR: the traffic does flow more easily along Beaumont Street without the lights filtering cars in from Walton Leckford Road) Street. Walton Street is no longer used as a 'rat-run' by drivers to avoid the traffic on St Giles's and Beaumont Street.

AGAINST: there is more traffic on Leckford Road as car owners in Jericho can only exit the area via St Bernard's Road, Leckford Road or Kingston Road. There is no suitable turning around location for cars south of St Bernard's Road and so lots of drivers are doing u-turns in Walton Street.

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OTHER COMMENTS: What 'road closure' options are there for the southern end of Walton Street? Eg. is the council considering a rising bollard that would close Walton Street at busy times but open it at times when traffic is lighter so that there would be no need to reintroduce the filtered traffic lights?

It seems that it is the Central Oxford residents who are being penalised when the sheer number of tourist coaches driving up and down the Woodstock Road, loading, unloading and parking on St Giles's and Beaumont Street, creates so much traffic and encourages locals to find an alternate route to avoid this. Resident (Oxford, Neither I have selected neither for this consultation on the possible closure of Walton Street at Beaumont Street Leckford Road) because it will cause traffic to increase on the set west side roads, as it is already doing in Leckford Road and Farndon Roads (and probably elsewhere). In addition it will increase delivery lorries which are already where large lorries routinely are breaking the 7.5 ton weight limit. This is not acceptable to the local residents. Furthermore, if you intend to close roads to traffic, then you need to bring back bus transport to the area, as you should do so elsewhere. I am not a car owner and use public transport or walk 95% of the time. There are nearly 45 businesses in Walton Street, all of which require large lorries for their deliveries. Restaurants, flower shops and grocery stores all require routine deliveries by large lorries (in the case of the florist, the lorry is a huge piggy back lorry). Some years ago, it was proposed to block the west end of Leckford Road. Although I thought this might be a good idea, my neighbours did not. How many more unworkable schemes are you going to create? Congestion charging would be the way to go, and charging for parking at work. If you did this, then you would need to increase the parking at the Park and Ride. Resident (Oxford, Neither St Bernard's Road and Leckford Road (among others) are likely to be seeing an increase in traffic as a result Leckford Road) of this closure. How closely is this being monitored, and what changes if any to the current traffic calming measures are envisaged? The proposal speaks blithely about the 'side roads to the west of Woodstock Rd' but these side roads are bound to see increased traffic as a result. The earlier good work preventing them from being rat-runs is in danger of being undone. Resident (Oxford, Neither The county council must decide which are to be the main routes into Jericho for commercial vehicles. This Observatory Street) should definitely not include Observatory Street because it is too narrow. So Observatory Street should have clear signs at the Woodstock Road entrance saying "resents only" or similar. And the figure 20 in a circle should be painted in a number of places on the surface of Observatory Street to indicate the speed limit as well as 20 signs on several lamp posts in the street. If the council can afford to do all the work at the end of Walton Street where it is closed, it can afford to do this in Observatory Street. There should also be a devise for measuring the number of vehicles going down Observatory Street before and after the Experimental Order comes into force on 1 November 2019. If Walton Street is to remain closed before then, please can you let me know by what authority?

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I suggest that there is also a device, something like a cattle grid, stretching across the full width of Observatory Street, including the pavements, that prevents cyclists cycling the wrong way down the street, as they are a serious danger to themselves and to vehicles going in the legitimate direction. Resident (Oxford, Neither I appreciate the present calm of Walton Street, now the road is blocked off and can see the benefit to Walton Plantation Road) St residents. However, it means that all traffic wanting to access the area from the south now use Little Clarendon Street or the residential roads off Woodstock Road. These used to be quiet, but I have seen an increase in traffic there since Walton Street has been closed. Resident (Oxford, Neither I am neither in favor or opposed to the proposal, but I do think that if it is to go ahead, the closed areas Richmond Road) should be marked more clearly, additional roadwork clutter should be removed and pedestrian safety needs to be considered. Currently the cross-walk between the Worcester College entrance and the area leading to Gloucester Green is very difficult to cross without a light. For both directions of traffic there are blind corners and it is hard to see when is safe to cross. This is a major problem. Resident (Oxford, St Neither So far, scheme has generated much increased traffic using St Bernard's Road. To continue, it is essental Bernards Road) that: 1. Improved signage on St Bernard's Road shows 20mph and weight limits. 2. Signage is installed on Woodstock Road, including junctions with Observatory St and Little Clarendon St, to show Walton St/Worcester St junction is closed. Resident (Oxford, St Neither It might be beneficial to those who work, live or study in Jericho, but it will probably increase traffic on Marys Road) Beaumont street and St Giles/Woodstock road. Resident (Oxford, Neither Improving air quality: surely this just moves the poor air quality a bit further north; and also residents at the Walton Crescent) southern end of Walton St will use more fuel and pollute more in order to drive south? I don't see the logic.

Would it be possible to have an 'exit only' at the Walton St / Worcester St / Beaumont St junction? And somehow prevent non-residents from using it by making Little Clarendon a 'no left turn' for any south-bound traffic? Resident (Oxford, Neither Surely problems relieved by this measure will be transferred to the side streets - particularly Leckford, Warnborough Road) Farndon Road? Resident (Oxford, Neither While open-minded on the experiment, I am concerned: Warnborough Road) 1. Whether a proper traffic survey was conducted before the closure, against which the patterns evident during the closure could be measured. 2. That much of the burden of the experiment and any permanent closure will be borne by the residents of a few roads, notably Observatory Street, St Bernards Road and Leckford Road. 3. That the experiment is longer than necessary. Why as long as 18 months? 4. That notice of the experiment and of this consultation was far too short 5. That, to save money and disruption, the proposed traffic-calming works at the junction of Farndon Road

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and Southmoor Road should be at least suspended until a definite decision has been taken whether to make the road closure permanent Resident (Cumnor, Neither I work on Walton Street (at the Press) and walk from the Osney area daily. The closure doesn't affect me a Appleton Road) huge amount

Certainly having the road free of traffic as a walker is lovely, however, my frustrations are with the cyclists who are currently moving from cycling on the road to the pavement, which is quite narrow in parts. That is quite hazardous and there is no clear signage. Personally, I think they should be dismounting, as it is not a shared pavement. If it is going to remain closed for a period of time, then perhaps the road can be redesigned to make that more cyclist friendly so that they don't occupy the pavement?

The road closure does provide me with an inconvenience if I wish to park at my work place in the evenings, as I now need to make a diversion to get there/back. Perhaps it could be closed during the day and open at night? True that may be difficult logistically Support

Oxford Resident (Oxford, Support It will reduce rat running. Adelaide Street) It is quieter with this closure It will improve the quality of life in this area. Resident (Oxford, Support Walton Street is much quieter and therefore safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Altogether it is a more Adelaide Street) pleasant environment to be in. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Adelaide street) Resident (Oxford, Support I am a local married homeowner and driver. Albert Street) 1. We like the idea of reduced traffic and air pollution, but have observed that congestion appears to have been displaced elsewhere, eg Botley Road, St Bernards Road. What plans are there to measure improvements? 2. We received no notification of the extended closure after the road repairs were completed, and this extends by several minutes trips to the shops on Botley Road by car. We would like to see better communication, and traffic survey results. 3. We are also open to trials of one way systems or better traffic regulation by lights at the junction.

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4. If closure goes ahead, we would like to see provision for bicycle access eg narrow bike openings and space for bikes to turn onto Beaumont or Worcester st. This would visibly encourage cyclists. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Albert Street) Resident (Oxford, Support I'm a radical supporter of Walton Street Closure. Alfred Street) The only reason I avoid going to Jericho and spend time there is that it's just a road with cars which stops me enjoying my time in this area.

Many times I walked long and thought that the simplest improvement can be done in Oxford was just closing the roads that are not meant to be roads, but streets for people. By this I mean for walking, spending time with children, with friends, grow flowers, riding roller skates and many many other things that can't be done in the current state.

It's worth mentioning, that simple sitting outside with a cup of coffee can't be done if the cars just passing by you. Ruined. Resident (Oxford, Support As a pedestrian (every day, on my commute to work) walking on Walton Street is much improved. I am not Appleton Road) sure of the knock-on effects elsewhere (e.g. LCS or Beaumont Street) but I haven't noticed significant changes in the traffic there. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Bainton Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Bainton Road) Resident (Oxford, Support I am hugely supportive of the proposal. The closure provides a safe route for cycling that connects North Banbury Road) Oxford with the town centre and railway station. This, I believe, will encourage less car traffic in the town centre area and improve cyclist safety. Resident (Oxford, Support It's made Walton St quieter and safer for cycling Banbury Road) Resident (Oxford, Support This makes the cycling experience in Oxford so much better. Banbury Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Restricting vehicular traffic in Oxford is essential to creating a sustainable and world class city. This proposal Barns Road) is strongly support and I would urge further restrictions such as this city wide. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Belvedere Road) Resident (Oxford, Support I find the Walton Street area much improved since there has been less traffic. If the road closure remains in Bickerton Road) place I will be able to visit the local shops and restaurants/cafes more often with my family. I believe the

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closure would make it the most pleasant place to spend time in central Oxford due to less traffic and air pollution. We previously avoided it because the pavements are busy and narrow and the road is very busy and difficult to cross with young children. Resident (Oxford, Support I cycle along Walton Street to take my daughter to school and to go to work. It's felt a lot safer and less Botley Road) 'smelly' (as my daughter puts it) exhaust fumes since it's been closed to transit traffic. Anything to persuade people to leave their cars at the P&R is worth doing. Resident (Oxford, Briar Support I have cycled on Walton Street several times since the road has been closed to traffic and it is a much Way) improved experience. People can walk and cycle freely in the street and the whole area is much quieter without the noise of traffic. I fully support the Experimental Road Closure on Walton Street, which will have an impact on traffic levels across Jericho, not just in Walton Street itself. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Bridge Stree) Resident (Oxford, Support I have noticed that since the roadworks for the sinkholes have started, with Walt9n Street Close day off, it Brindley Close) seems to have reduced the logjam at the Beaumont St, Worcester St, Walton St junction. The traffic flows better at peak times. Resident (Oxford, Support It's been so much better with the road closed. Safer for cycling and walking, reduced pollution, less traffic, Brindley Close) fewer vans and lorries ploughing through, much nicer atmosphere. I'd love it to continue! Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Brindley Close) Resident (Oxford, Support I have lived in this area for decades and have always been a cyclist. Walton Street is battered and polluted Burgess Mead) and was always too narrow for the traffic it was expected to support. The street has many older and attractive properties which deserve preservation. The pavements are narrow and at present pedestrians, many drawn by the pubs and restaurants, constantly step into the road. Cycling at the Worcester College end was always difficult. The basic problem in Oxford is too much vehicular pressure on a very small city centre, and there will be acute problems until the volume of traffic is overall reduced. The side roads off Woodstock Rd will suffer from added traffic unless a reduction occurs. If a cycle entry and exit is allowed at the Worcester St end, this will encourage cycling as a proper means of transport. Some residents would be placated if this was also made possible for taxis, but this may not be feasible. Resident (Oxford, Support It provides a cleaner, quieter, more pleasant environment for residents (of whom I am not one) and traffic Burgess Mead) flows better down Beaumont St and from the station.

However, as a cyclist, it is currently VERY DIFFICULT to turn right at the end of Walton St because the traffic flows non-stop. If this arrangement is to become permanent and if cyclists are allowed to use Walton st this must be addressed.

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Resident (Oxford, Support The closure has made walking and cycling in this area much more pleasant and attractive, and has not made Burgess Mead) driving any slower. In fact, at many times of day it seems to have made driving faster. Group/Organisation Support The committee of Jericho Community Association welcomes the trial period of closure of Walton St. This will (Oxford, Canal Street) enable local residents to appreciate the impact of closure and discuss as a community the pros and cons. One knock on affect that needs to be addressed is large delivery lorries, eg for the Co-op, now having to turn round to get out of Walton St - using Gt Clarendon St to make a 3 point turn, which is dangerous, especially with nearby primary school and health centre. Shouldn't Oxford ban large delivery lorries from residential areas? Apart from this, Walton St is transformed for the better. Wonderfully quiet, air quality improving, no queue of traffic. Little Clarendon St also wonderfully quieter. Neighbourhood much safer for local users and visitors. Resident (Oxford, Support The reduction in traffic throughout Jericho has been very pleasant and the impact on the through traffic more Canal Street) generally seems to have been largely positive with the traffic flowing much more freely round Beaumont Street/Worcester Street. There is a need to find a way to enable more vulnerable pedestrians to cross Beaumont Street at the junction. Resident (Oxford, Support The street - the whole of Jericho, really - has felt so much freer and friendlier since the closure. It's also been Canal Street) far easier to cross Worcester St and Beaumont St (the A4144) near the corner safely. Thank you ever so much for considering making the situation permanent. There've been some motorbikes sneakily using the bike lane past the barrier, though; it'd be great if you could guard against them! :) Group/Organisation Support We feel that residents in Jericho will be pleased to take the opportunity to consider carefully the implications (Oxford, Canal Street) while the road is closed. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Canal Street) Resident (Oxford, Support I'm a bit concerned about the side streets, like Observatory, becoming congested, but still think it's a worthy Cardigan Street) proposal. Also will it clog up the end of Beaumont Street in front of the Ashmolean and Randolph? Resident (Oxford, Support Perhaps leave it open for private hire vehicles? Cardigan Street) The risk of this is of course increasing traffic on Observatory St and St Bernard's Rd, so you'd want to monitor the impact there. Resident (Oxford, Support This is a great idea that I fully support. If successful, the Council should consider implementing similar Catherine Street) restrictions at other locations around Oxford, such as Divinity Road, Lime Walk, Rymers Lane, and Oxford Road (Littlemore). Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Chalfont Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Chalfont Road)

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Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Charles Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Clive Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Initially I was surprised when Walton Street was shut for so long over the summer, and a little bit concerned, Crabtree Road) but I have found it vastly improves my journey to work. Walton Street is so much nicer, quieter, and cleaner to walk down. The pavements are narrow and uneven, and fewer cars mean it's safer to walk on the road; people with pushchairs have found it much easier; and it's altogether a nicer street. When I cycle, it's fantastic not to worry about cars coming into the middle of the road to go over speed bumps (and as an aside - the new road surface is wonderful! My handbag used to fly out of my bike basket when I went over potholes, and now it is great to cycle on). It would be great to still have cycle access at the Beaumont St end. Thanks! Resident (Oxford, Support The closure of Walton Street has transformed Jericho. Walton Street is the key thoroughfare for this Cranham Street) residential area and now much quieter, cleaner, and safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Oxford has struggled to make its streets more civilized and pedestrian-friendly but this simple, effective measure has shown what is possible. It should be seen as an important step towards generally reducing car traffic in the centre of Oxford. Resident (Oxford, Support The traffic on Walton Street seems often to be of a 'rat-run' nature. It adds time and inconvenience to Cranham Street) journeys in the area and air pollution too. The area has been greatly improved over the period during which the Street has been closed. Resident (Oxford, Support I am so happy with the results of the current closure because of road works. Since I walk everywhere it has Cranham Terrace) improved the quality of my daily life significantly, as I shop on Walton Street and walk into town along Walton and Worcester Street most days. So I really hope that you can make it permanent. I have spoken to a couple of local businesses about it and they are okay with it as long as other things (buses) are improved. I think it will actually bring more people to use local businesses as it only strops people using Walton Street as a cut through going north, it won't deter people from visiting Jericho, esp as it will a lot nicer with less car and lorry traffic.

It is such a wonderful initiative by the Council. Thank you so much for it! Resident (Oxford, Support I live in Jericho and I drive, cycle, walk through the area everyday. Initially I was irritated about the closing of Cranham Terrace) the road (even though I was under the impression that it would open again eventually). However, I gradually realized that the closer did not change the traffic on St. Giles and Beaumont street very much. The long queue on the end of Walton street would often to dissuade me from choosing that route at certain times of day anyway. Keeping the main artery flowing through the area seems to be working to keep through traffic moving. Reducing the through traffic through the neighborhood of jericho is a good thing for quality of life and

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the levels of car related pollution. The traffic filters into the area via many different routes now as no one route is better than another. An automatic bollard could be introduced at the end of Walton street for emergency vehicles and the opening of the street for major events (St. Giles fair).

Conversely it may be possible to have one way traffic on Walton street from Beaumont street to Little Clarendon Street. This would allow traffic to flow into the area without disrupting the flow of traffic on Beaumont Street and without the need for a light if the only way to enter Walton Street is by coming from the direction of Hythe Bridge Street. This would be accomplished by introducing some 'street furniture' at the corner of Hythe bridge Street and Beaumont Street. I think the addition of a zebra crossing the middle of Beaumont street would assist the safe flow of pedestrian traffic through the area without the need of stopping traffic with a traffic light.

In my opinion this inconveniences those using the area for through traffic but only causes a minor inconvenience for residents moving in and out of the area. When you balance that inconvenience with the increased quality of life achievable by making the street safer and more pedestrian friendly I think overall this is a great initiative to try out for an extended period in order to study the outcome thoroughly before making a permanent decision. Business (Oxford, Support I would be highly in favour of this as both a resident and local business owner in Jericho. Cranham Terrace) Would love to see Walton as a pedestrian and cyclist only street.

The current traffic on Walton is too much for tiny Jericho. Everyone I know in the neighbourhood is a cyclist and would prefer safer streets with fewer cars. At the moment the pavements are too small for the number of pedestrians, and the roads too narrow for cyclists and cars to move safely together. The traffic is also noisy and the air quality poor.

Every local persob I've spoken with is highly in favour of this plan. As business owners and residents, we would all LOVE to see Walton closed to traffic and open to pedestrians and cyclists! Resident (Oxford, Support As a who frequently travels by foot and bike along Walton Street, from Elizabeth Jennings my observations the experimental road closure has had a significantly positive impact on the local Way) community. Maintaining this closure will continue to reduce congestion and make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists. This will simultaneously encourage more foot traffic in Jericho, which in turn will help local businesses.

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Resident (Oxford, Support I would be interested in the closure being daytime and earlyish evening only, because I believe there is Farndon Road) evidence that streets are safer for pedestrians at night if there is some vehicle traffic. 24 hour closure is fine for streets north of Little Clarendon Street because there will be late traffic to the cinema and restaurants. South of it there's a short area in which a walker could possibly be alone after, say, 22.30. A timed closure, e.g. from 8 am to 8pm or 10pm, along the lines of the High St could be an answer. Resident (Oxford, Support My support is conditional on cyclists being able to use the full length of the road, including the junction with Farndon Road) Beaumont St and Worcester Street and some arrangement for them to exit safely from that junction; and for the barrier to be opened at times of stress such as the St Giles Fair and if there is a major incident on the ring road. Consideration should also be given to re-phasing the traffic lights at the bottom of George Street to allow more time for traffic coming from the north to avoid serious congestion in St Giles and Banbury and Woodstock Road. Difficulties at the moment are exacerbated by the road works on Botley Road. It will only be possible to assess the impact of the closure of Walton St once these are completed. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Farndon Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Excellent way to reclaim streets for people who want to travel in an environmentally friendly way ie walk or Frenchay road) cycle, without feeling subservient to through-traffic in the form of cars and vans. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Frenchay Road) Resident (Oxford, Support This is completely unsuitable as a through route, and is far better closed to through traffic. Better for Glanville Road) residents, traders (although many may not yet realise it), and for visitors. Resident (Oxford, Support Although I do not live in Jericho, I'm based on Walton Street for work and walk along the route every single Grandpont Place) day. I have greatly enjoyed the lack of traffic and pollution. In the morning, traffic fumes along Walton St are at substantially high levels. It is also a very narrow street, with parking on the side, which means it is quite dangerous for bikes too (I do not cycle because of that). The street takes a substantial amount of people at rush hour due to big employers based there. I would LOVE it if the road could be closed to all motorised vehicles (except residents of course), at least as a trial. Resident (Oxford, Support I think it would help the traffic flow on Beaumont Street and quieten down that part of town, which was Great Clarendon usually absolutely chocker block with traffic. Well done for thinking of doing this, I wish you all the best, Street) Group/Organisation Support I think the closure has significantly increased the quality of the area: quieter, cleaner, and less stressful. (Oxford, Great Clarendon Street) Resident (Oxford, Support Keep junction closed but put in a pedestrian crossing. Great Clarendon Street) Otherwise totally wonderful - less traffic fumes, smoother traffic flow. (I am a car user myself for work.)

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Resident (Oxford, Support This is our main route to school and we cycle every day Hamilton Road) Resident (Oxford, Hart Support Broadly in support but concerned about the increase of traffic through Jericho that uses local roads as a U Street) turn to head back North. A need for proper signage to be erected in the greater North Oxford area. Resident (Oxford, Hart Support I lived in Jericho for many years and still visit as my kids do sport there and my wife works there. Walton Street) Street traffic was always the worst thing about Jericho. Closing it to traffic is a brilliant idea! Resident (Oxford, Support I am strongly in favor of more road closures to create low-traffic neighborhoods in Oxford. This closure on Hawkins Street) Walton Street will create a more pleasant neighborhood, improve health by reducing pollution in the area, and help to achieve Oxford's goal of becoming carbon neutral. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Hayfield Road) Resident (Oxford, Support The experimental closure to cars and delivery vehicles has helped alleviate 'rat run' traffic. Hodges Court) However, the current barriers prevent cyclists from using this route without getting off their bike. My support is conditional on cycling being allowed through the Worcester Street junction, as this is a critical cycling route connecting north Oxford to the city centre. Cycling should be encouraged as much as possible. Resident (Oxford, Support I'm delighted that you are considering this experimental closure. I cycle along Walton Street and Plantation Holywell Street) Road twice a day on weekdays with my two young children. These journeys have felt much safer in recent weeks, since there have been restrictions on motorised vehicles using this route. Resident (Oxford, Support I work in . Traffic on Little Clarendon St is up slightly with the closure, but not enough to Howard Street) have a major impact. Walton St itself is vastly nicer to walk or cycle.

If the closure is made permanent, I would hope to eventually see redesign of Walton St to reallocate space to footpaths, and traffic calming to reduce traffic speeds to cycling speeds. Specifically, I would like to see continuous footpaths across all the minor road entrances on Walton St, and full-width sinusoidal speed humps and carriageway narrowing to reduce motor traffic speeds. Resident (Oxford, Support We need more of such openings of streets for non motor traffic all over Oxford. Hugh Allen Crescent) Resident (Oxford, Islip Support I cycle to work in Walton Street everyday and often walk and shop there at lunchtime and socialize there in Road) the evening. I think restricting Traffic would be a great benefit to the street. Resident (Oxford, Support I think it's a great idea! I've seen a lot of drivers complaining on the Oxford group, saying the resulting Juxon Street) congestion negates the air pollution benefit. I noticed a difference when they resurfaced it though. I wish it was all access only. It would improve things for cyclists, pedestrians, and local businesses. Drivers should just accept it and deal with a slight detour. We want Jericho to be safe, clean, and quieter!!

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Resident (Oxford, Support Since Walton Street has been closed, Jericho has felt a lot less stressful and polluted and just nicer place to Juxon street) walk. I think in general we should be supporting pedestrianised areas to encourage people to cycle or walk more. You are still able to access the houses if necessary but I think it will also help build a better sense of a community in the area too Resident (Oxford, Support Although this will add extra time to any journey I take by car out of Oxford to the South or West, I think the Kingston Road) reduction of traffic on Walton Street and Kingston Road will be a great benefit. So the inconvenience will be compensated in other ways. But I think there should be a cycle lane, so that cyclists can join the bottom of Beaumont Street. This can be done without traffic lights, cyclists can use the pedestrian crossing if necessary, or just merge with traffic up Beaumont St to their left. Resident (Oxford, Support As a cyclist, I find conditions vastly improved: Kingston Road) Traffic slower, more considerate. Less/no 'rat running' by commuters at peak periods. I feel safer on the bike. Should have been done years ago. . . Resident (Oxford, Support Great idea. And hopefully this would also prevent tourist coaches using the road in the summer. It's good for Kingston Road) residents of the area, but since the road has been closed I think the traffic flows much better down Beaumont Street into Hythe Bridge Street, so closing it permanently would potentially be a win win situation! And if less traffic overall is driving in this area, the side roads maybe wouldn't experience an increase in traffic either. Resident (Oxford, Support I am definitely in favour of trying this out. Indeed I think smart technology and further road closure should be Kingston Road) used to really bring down traffic in the centre of Oxford.

Cars use Walton Street as a rat run to go north and South and there is a constant flow of cars up to Kingston Road and surrounding streets.

My only concern is the knock on effects on those streets like Leckford Road and Kingston Road as cars will inevitably use these roads to access Walton Street. Especially lorries. We see enormous trucks go past regularly delivering flowers to Daisy's. But I should imagine much less traffic will go down Walton St once people know it can't be used as a through-route.

Please make sure that you provide excellent signage so that we don't get a situatation of cars trying it on and then having to reverse at the bottom of Walton Street.

I am also concerned about an unintended consequence which is even more speeding on Kingston Road.

Kingston Road is part of the 20 mph zone and the lighter the traffic the more people speed - this is because

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when there's oncoming traffic you have to slow down to let people pass; faced with no oncoming traffic, someone wanting to speed has no obstacle in their way. There are speed bumps but these are narrow and shallow and are completely ineffective in slowing vehicles down.

Given all the budget spent on improving traffic flow and many other road improvements, money has not been spent on Kingston Road to stop the speeders. Resident (Oxford, Support I am hugely in favour of this proposal - with the caveat that I believe there is no reason not to extend the Kingston Road) proposal to include Kingston Road as well (which is basically just a continuation of Walton St). This would help reduce the risk of drivers attempting to use the Kingston Road/Walton Street route as a cut through and then having to divert up some of the even more minor roads that link KR/WS to the Woodstock Road. If you close Walton Street but not Kingston Road, it'll just lead to heavier traffic on e.g. St Bernard's Road and long queues up Kingston Road as traffic has to be redirected back to the Woodstock Road. Resident (Oxford, Support I feel very strongly that is should remain closed. Cars use Kingston road as a rat run, exceeding the speed Kingston Road) limit often. The pollution is horrible. It feels safer and cleaner shut. The road is often narrow and is not suitable for HGVs or a lot of traffic Resident (Oxford, Support I fully support closing Walton St. Kingston Road) I would go further. You should turn Walton St and all roads north from it (Kingston, Haycastle, Bainton) into a cycle zone. Put gates across the road, all along this route, so only bikes can get through, cars can come down side roads from Woodstock Rd for access. And allow parking on both sides to further restrict and slow traffic, now there's no longer any bus along this route.

Woodstock and Banbury roads are unsafe for bikes.

In general, to be clear, although I have a car, and drive regularly, I want you to inconvenience cars, and prioritise bicycles. Increase urban density and prioritise active transport. That will improve quality of life, air quality, health, and journey time, for everyone. Resident (Oxford, Support I fully support this move. It has eased the traffic on our narrow road (which is often used as a short cut by "rat Kingston Road) run" cars travelling way above the speed limit), making it safer for pedestrians (especially the many children walking to and from school) and cyclists. As a regular car user I support this proposal and am happy to occasionally have a minor inconvenience in my car in order to have a safer, quieter, less polluted environment for other road users (pedestrians and cyclists). It is so important for the future of Oxford and the wellbeing of the population that the council takes bold moves such as this to reduce car use and make cycling and walking safer and easier. Bravo!

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Resident (Oxford, Support I have written to brilliant to propose that a dedicated cycle route is created from Pear Tree Park Kingston Road) and Ride to the city centre - via Elizabeth Jennings Way, Bainton Road, Hayfield Road, Kingston Road to Walton Street. Along these routes would be (one way?) local traffic only with rising bollards to stop through traffic. The congestion in Oxford is now too severe to ignore, as well as the air pollution, and plans must be made to allow people of all ages to SAFELY cycle about the city. Kingston Road was closed to through traffic for many months and it was agreed at the annual street party to be a much safer and more pleasant place to live as well as far more cycling along the route. I am very happy to collect a petition from MANY local residents to support this scheme if it will help enable this proposal to be considered in more detail. Thank you please do not hesitate to email me if you think I can help further. Resident (Oxford, Support I support the closure for the following reasons: Kingston Road) - I live on Kingston Rd, and although it's North of Walton St, we have definitely noticed a big reduction in the rat run speedsters during rush hour and other times, making it safer for our children who walk and cycle to school. Some traffic on Kingston Rd used to be well over 30mph (in the 20mph limit), but since the closure, the traffic is now a lot more respectful of the limits, I suspect due to being local residents.

- The volume of traffic has also been reduced which is of course a good thing too to reduce the pollution from cars and make cycling into town safer.

- We regularly visit the shops and cafés of Walton St and Little Clarendon St and that experience has become a lot more enjoyable, especially when sitting outside.

Please continue with the closure as everyone I talk supports it and we're excited to see Walton St flourishing as a result. Thank you! Resident (Oxford, Support I support the experimental closure. Kingston Road) However, have grave concerns that cars are speeding over 20mph limit. I suggest that someone from the traffic department comes to the road, checks the speed of motorists and hands out speeding fines, which will motivate drivers to start sticking to the limit. Resident (Oxford, Support Less traffic in Jericho and Walton Street , less pollution and fewer speeding cars making it safer for cyclists Kingston Road) and pedestrians particularly children Also consider making wider footpaths on Walton street to help people with prams and buggies and encourage an outdoor cafe culture

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Resident (Oxford, Support Less traffic pollution and traffic congestion Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Much quieter and reduces bottleneck round Worcester - v important for bikes Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Restricting traffics in Walton street improves safety, air quality, the streetscape , traffic flow elsewhere and Kingston Road) helps meet climate change targets.

Our household does not own a car and uses car clubs and car hire instead. This is s very doable lifestyle that could be more actively promoted Resident (Oxford, Support The recent closure for roadworks has been very welcome. Traffic has noticeably decreased, making it more Kingston Road) pleasant and safer to walk and cycle into town. We are particularly keen to have a safe cycle route for our two children and making Walton St much less busy is a big step forward (although speeding and parking on double yellow lines still needs to be enforced). All neighbours we have spoken to have welcomed the closure. Resident (Oxford, Support The reduced traffic along Walton Street, and to a lesser extents its continuation, Kingston Road (where I live) Kingston Road) is very positive. Much less noise; fewer lorries; fewer speeding vehicles in a narrow road, which has lots of primary school children walking along it (going to Barnabas or Phil & Jim).

The flow of traffic through past Worcester College is now greatly improved, now there is no longer such a severe problem of the tailbacks where Walton St and Beaumont St meet.

Overall, the current shutdown at the end of Walton St has been a great improvement. Resident (Oxford, Support The volume of traffic on Kingston Road has been noticeably lower and the air quality has improved. It feels a Kingston Road) lot safer for children, especially in the areas where there is room only for one vehicle, as a number of cars tend to race down these. I have spoken with neighbours, they are all delighted at the change, and traffic into town is no worse than it was before. Resident (Oxford, Support Traffic flow between the north and the south &east of the city centre via Beaumont Street seems to be Kingston Road) flowing as well as I can remember when Walton Street was open. Thanks. Resident (Oxford, Support Very impressed by the lessening of air pollution, lower traffic volumes and safer cycling environment afforded Kingston Road) by the recent Walton Street closure for road works. Please go ahead and close the street for a further 18 months to see if would be a good permanent solution for our road problems. Resident (Oxford, Support Walton Street is a busy, active street with lots of pedestrians and cyclists. The pavements are at various Kingston Road) points narrow and pedestrians are often forced to step into the road to pass one another. Restricting vehicle traffic would be extremely beneficial in terms of safety, air pollution and general environmental enhancement.

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Resident (Oxford, Support Walton Street is clearly a rat run for traffic going to North Oxford, which could more appropriately use Kingston Road) Woodstock or Banbury Roads. The cars using it for this purpose travel too fast, play loud music, create additional air pollution, make traffic worse for those trying to access the homes and businesses in Walton Street and Kingston Road, such traffic does not need to use Walton Street. A traffic policy which allows access to residential users, business users and deliveries only would enhance the quality of life and leisure in Jericho. I strongly support the proposal. Resident (Oxford, Support We are a residential street in Victorian conservation area and there are regularly blockages caused by too Kingston Road) much traffic in traffic slowing chicanes. This must be causing an increase in air pollution and seems inappropriate in this residential area. Cycling can be challenging as traffic queues and swerves

The traffic in Beaumont st seems to flow more easily now. Resident (oxford, Support No comment. Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Kingston Road) Resident (Oxford, Support I travel to work along Walton Street by bike, and it much quieter and safer since it has been closed. Though I Laburnum Road) also have a car, I support any measure that discourages car use in the city centre.

I'd suggest taking measures to make it easier for bikes to navigate the closed junction during the trial. Resident (Oxford, Lark Support I cycle up and down Walton Street twice a day with . I fully support anything Hill) that will make the streets safer for children on bikes. I also reckon this proposal will help to reduce air pollution and will make Walton street a much more pleasant place for pedestrians. Resident (Oxford, Lark Support Walton St and Kingston Rd feel far safer than before for cyclists and pedestrians. As a driver it has not Hill) affected me very much (there are other, easier ways to get to where I need to go by car in Oxford). I suspect it has also helped to deter unnecessary car journeys from Jericho/north Oxford and reduced car journeys into the city centre. Resident (Oxford, Support I try to use my car as little as possible, and go everywhere in the City by bike. The closure has made Walton Leckford Place) Street (my main route into the city centre, and I often shop at the Co-Op there) so much safer. Also, thank you for the new road surface - huge improvement! Resident (Oxford, Support 1.It is critical that the trial closure be evaluated both quantitively and qualitatively. Leckford Road) 2.Councillors and OCC staff who live in the affected area / roads should declare their interests and not be

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part of the trail design or evaluation - i.e. their influence should be as any other resident. 3.Deliveroo scooter drivers routinely ignore all traffic signs and regulations - how will they be prevented from using the restricted part of Walton street as a short cut? (one idea is a cattle grid or uneven road surface not navigable by 2 wheelers.) Resident (Oxford, Support In the current period of closure, traffic on Kingston Rd has reduced, making it a safer environment for Leckford Road) children. ( I have a child at SS. Philip & James school who walks to and from school.) Resident (Oxford, Support Really enjoying a quieter Walton Street- greatly enhances neighbourly interactions as more tranquil and Leckford Road) pedestrian friendly. Still use all the local amenities but with more confidence and enjoyment.

Thank you Resident (Oxford, Support The impact of the recent roadworks has not been as bad as I had anticipated. Now that people are used to Leckford Road) the flow, the situation is altogether better. The pressure on Walton Street has lifted. There is less pollution. Walking and cycling are more pleasurable. Traffic is funnelled onto St Giles where it belongs. The bottleneck turning into Worcester Street remains, but this has always been the case and can surely be solved by traffic light phasing.

Over the course of time this could be transformative, creating a wonderful non-car zone around a significant area of the town which is already largely residential and pedestrian. Heavy through traffic does nothing to enhance this area. Shop footfall loss will be minimal over time as people adjust. Jericho and the surrounding area will become even better places to live and breathe.

A thought for the future. This could become a model of best practice - and even a pioneering electric car zone in due course. Resident (Oxford, Support Traffic-calming measures are much needed and welcome. Closing off the rat run through Walton Street (to Leckford Road) avoid St Giles/Beaumont Street) seems to have reduced traffic somewhat.

However, all access traffic to Jericho and Waterside is now pushed into other streets, especially Leckford Road. We have spotted many HGVs ignoring the weight restriction, buses, and highly polluting vans. Flanking measures are needed to keep some of this traffic out or at least distribute it evenly among all side roads. Resident (Oxford, Support We have noticed a considerable reduction of traffic from cars and trucks (trucks are not supposed to use our Leckford Road) street but often we'd see 14 wheelers from Co-Op or other companies glide by) and I think that the air is slightly less toxic. We still suffer from people idling their diesel engines while sitting in their cars on our street, but the reduction of traffic has been beneficial nonetheless.

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Resident (Oxford, Support As a cyclist who regularly uses this route to travel between home and station this will be a wonderful Linton Road) improvement, and may encourage me to use my bike to collect my Resident (Oxford, Support I often cycle to and from the station, and it would be great to be able to do so via a car-free street. Linton Road) Resident (Oxford, Little Support No comment. Clarendon) Resident (Oxford, Support Is anything else being done to reduce traffic in the area? The road closure is currently just funneling Lytton Road) everyone down St Giles past the Randolph, backing up the whole. While this isn't a problem as such on a bicycle or motorbike, the air quality is worse. It can be especially bad when the Coaches and buses all line up the roads next to the Ashmolean.

Will Walton Street be further pedestrianized/cycle friendly? Currently as a pedestrian we are still stuck to the narrow paths blockaded in by tall houses or tall college walls which feels very encroaching.

If these could also be addressed, then the road closure makes even more sense. Resident (Oxford, Support I lived in Jericho for many years before moving to East Oxford and often thought how much nicer it would be Magdalen Road) as a car-free suburb, and how suitable it is for one because of its location within the city (very central, most residents shouldn't need a car) and its layout (entry points only on the north and east thanks to Worcester College and the canal). Closure of Walton Street to through traffic would be a great start and I hope the experiment goes marvellously. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Maidcroft Road) Resident (Oxford, Support As someone who has lived and worked in/on the edge of the city centre for 25 years (as do those on and Marlborough Road) adjacent to Walton Street), has never owned a car and walks, cycles or uses public transport to get about, this closure is welcomed.

For far too long motorised traffic - moving or stationary - has dominated and defined our streets, to the detriment of the majority.

This closure may well inconvenience a few, but it will bring cleaner air and a better cycling and walking environment to many/all. Resident (Oxford, Support Since the closure, I have started using Walton Street to cycle to work. It makes my cycle journey quicker and Marston Street) more pleasant. I also benefit from the quieter environment and cleaner air on Walton Street, by my place of work.

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Resident (Oxford, Support I strongly endorse the restriction of motor vehicle access to Walton Street. This is not a road closure - this is Meadow Lane) a street opening. I often travel to Walton Street for shopping and entertainment and I will be more likely to do so if there are fewer cars.

The reinstated pedestrian crossing on Worcester Street needs a frequent and long-lasting pedestrian phase. Crossing the road to Worcester College has for a long time been a frustrating and unpleasant experience because of the long wait. Resident (Oxford, Support This would make shopping, eating, and biking in Jericho much more pleasant Mere Road) Resident (Oxford, Support It has made the road much less dangerous for pedestrians, much less polluted, and has made crossing into Mount Street) Worcester college a much more pleasant experience! Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Navigation Way) Resident (Oxford, Support It would be great to have less traffic, pollution and noise in Walton Street. Thank you for taking this initiative! Nelson Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Nelson Street) Group/Organisation Support No comment. (Oxford, Nelson Street) Resident (Oxford, New Support The closure has transformed Walton Street. I regularly use it to commute to work and frequently walk along it High Street) during the working day to get to meetings. Prior to the closure it was frequently clogged with traffic, often as far as Little Clarendon Street. It made it a very unpleasant environment for non-car users (and presumably not so great for those in cars), especially with regard to air pollution. It was often used as a route for large coaches, which were a tight fit in such a narrow street and therefore dangerous to cyclists. This is exactly the sort of measure that the Council needs to be taking to manage road use in Oxford. I strongly support it being made permanent. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Oatlands Road) Resident (Oxford, Support Traffic flow better along Walton Street. Our Street no longer evening taxi rate run. However, major problem is Observatory Street) over weight large lorries now access business in Walton Street via our road which is unsafe from a weight & narrowness situation. Resident (Oxford, Support The road closure doesn't affect my cycling commute, so I am fine with it. Paradise Street) unknown (Oxford, Support Anything that can be done to improve air quality and unclog the Beaumont Street corridor, leading to the Rail Plantation Road) Station or St Giles will be very beneficial. Maybe the pedestrian crossing, if re-instated, will defeat the free

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flow of traffic: on that basis I would object to it. White line crossing at the east end of the entry to the market on Worcester Street would permit a safer, less polluting option. Resident (Oxford, Support I strongly support. It had many benefits to the area. Plantation Road) Resident (Oxford, Support We are a family of 4 that lives in central Oxford and pay the pretty high Council Tax that goes with that Plantation Road) privilege. I think the city should be run for the benefit of its citizens first and foremost, and that means removing the dominant advantage that has been ceded to car drivers over the last several decades. The majority of traffic in town is not local. There is a need for commercial vehicles, but private vehicles should be discouraged and penalized. In my experience road users pay little heed to pedestrians at T junctions or crossings and are concerned only to get from A to B as quickly as they can. Things are only going to improve for residence and the environment if schemes like this one become commonplace. Resident (Oxford, Support Very strongly in support of these proposals, in particular fro the perspective of cyclists (of whom I am one). Plater Drive) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Plater Drive) Resident (Oxford, Support From the limited time it has been closed, it seems to have improved traffic flow at the bottom of Beaumont Rawlinson Road) Street. There is always a backlog of cars trying to join the traffic from Walton Street and bikes weave in and out of cars blocking the road. People say that it will increase traffic on Banbury Road, but Banbury Road is a main through road and should be able to cope. Walton Street is not. Cars sitting idling on Walton Street increase pollution for the houses on that street and, because the street is narrow, make it very precarious for cyclists. Resident (Oxford, Support It will help make Walton St the best way to cycle from North Oxford into the city, which helps avoid the Rawlinson Road) terrible and IMO dangerous road surfaces on Banbury and Woodstock Road Group/Organisation Support No comment. (Oxford, Rawlinson Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Rawlinson Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Rewley Road) Resident (Oxford, Support An excellent decision to close the end of Walton Street. The area has been noticeably quieter and more Richmond Road) peaceful over the past few weeks. A huge improvement in my opinion. Resident (Oxford, Support I have noticed a considerable reduction in the amount of traffic in our neighbourhood. I also feel safer cycling Richmond Road) and walking into town. I wholeheartedly support this proposal and hope it will become permanent.

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Resident (Oxford, Support I strongly support the proposed permanent closure of the south end of Walton Street to traffic, on both Richmond Road) environmental and general quality of everyday life grounds. Since the works have been carried out the street has been noticeably quieter, more peaceful and busy with pedestrians. As a relatively frequent driver (car club member) I do not find the changes to have been an inconvenience, and traffic in town seems better too. This is a great idea! Thank you. Resident (Oxford, Support The area has been improved by removing the queuing traffic from the south end of walton street. Richmond Road) Resident (Oxford, Support The proposed closure would be a real bonus for the local community, and would also help reduce Oxford's Richmond Road) chronic air pollution. Resident (Oxford, Support This is an enlightened opportunity to engage with the worsening congestion and pollution problem facing Richmond Road) Oxford. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Richmond Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Richmond Road) Resident (Oxford, Support I would welcome the closure to Walton Street as this would make the street safer and healthier for those who Rymers Lane) walk or cycle on the street. Resident (Oxford, Support The through traffic on Walton Street, especially at rush hour, creates a very dangerous & obstructed situation Salegate Lane) for cyclists. Closing off the South end would make it safer and I would be more likely to cycle in the area as a result. Resident (Oxford, Support The traffic around st Giles and Beaumont st flows much better without the traffic lights at Walton st, also it's School Court) much nicer without the cars. Resident (Oxford, Support Always prepared to trying new things and I am curious to see whether it really does improve traffic fluency, Southmoor Road) especially over the Christmas period and after the building work are finished in Botley Road HOWEVER I also need to be guaranteed that we have an option to revert this decision if it proved to be worse. We need to be clearly listed what criteria this decision is using. I am looking forward to hearing from you, Warmest regards,

Resident (Oxford, Support Anything that makes life harder for vehicle drivers and easier for cyclists and pedestrians is a positive step; Southmoor Road) for the individual, the community and the planet. Road closures and restricting vehicle access makes the healthy option (cycling and walking) the easy option, or indeed the only option. Thank you. Resident (Oxford, Support As both a daily cyclist and sometimes also car driver, this proposal makes total sense. Oxford calls itself a Southmoor Road) cycling city but does almost nothing to make better provision for cyclists and the narrowing of Walton Street past parked cars as it nears the traffic lights has always been very dangerous for cyclists.

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Resident (Oxford, Support As it appears to improve traffic flow and is better for Walton Street residents, I think it is a good idea to close Southmoor Road) the street to traffic. Resident (Oxford, Support Despite various traffic calming measures, vehicles along Kingston Road and Walton Street still regularly Southmoor Road) exceed the speed limit making the prospect of cycling to and from home, particularly with younger children, less appealing. By effectively making these roads access only - residents, shoppers and deliveries, we will hopefully remove some of the element of trying to get there as quickly as possible which encourages dangerous road behaviour. This, in turn, will hopefully encourage more people to allow their children to cycle and play in the area. Resident (Oxford, Support I fully support the closure of Walton Street, I have found the roads in the surrounding area much quieter and Southmoor Road) safer, especially for the children travelling to school at St Barnabas. As an occasional car user, I have quickly adjusted to the closure and already avoided travelling through town due to the congestion. Resident (Oxford, Support I support it but want to make sure North Oxford residents can still access central/west oxford via beaumont Southmoor Road) street rather than having to go around the ring road. If this closure becomes permanant - please consider how you might make the most of it and add some more greenery/trees to the area. The area around the Blavatknik building is especially concreted and needs more trees/greenery. Resident (Oxford, Support I think the road closure has reduced traffic through Walton Street and Kingston Road, both less suited to the Southmoor Road) traffic than Woodstock Rd. It would be interesting to see the effect over a longer time period. Resident (Oxford, Support If Oxford City Council is serious about its declaration of a climate emergency, then a key topic it must Southmoor Road) address is the problem of vehicle transport in the city - whether petrol/diesel or electric. This should start with the inner km (moving on to mile). This is possible and there are many initiatives which could support it - from better public transport to increasing the charges for parking permits (currently the price of a permit for a year is about the same as 1 (ONE) fill up of petrol. AND hugely increased public education.public education Resident (Oxford, Support Increases options for safer cycling, especially for children. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, Support It is certainly worth trying, as the congestion in Walton Street at shop and pub delivery tines and in the Southmoor Road) evening rush hour can be grim. The main problem I assume will be the possible back-up of traffic in Beaumont Street. So let's wait and see. Resident (Oxford, Support It makes absolute sense for this road to be closed at the junction with Beaumont St (except for cyclists and Southmoor Road) pedestrians of course). There have long been problems with traffic queues as well as with people rat running up Walton St and Kingston Rd. Resident (Oxford, Support The current closure has considerably improved the road conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and residential Southmoor Road) car drivers in Walton Street, Kingston Road and surrounding streets. It has not noticeably increased traffic

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congestion in Woodstock Road, St Giles or Banbury Road. Prior to the closure we would usually drive north to the ringroad to access Botley or the Abingdon Road by car so that the closure hasn't fundamentally changed our habits. Resident (Oxford, Support This is a clever proposal which would seem to bring multiple advantages not least by 'de-trafficing' much or Southmoor Road) Jericho and Walton Well .

For some residents - notably those on the Worcester College end of Walton St- this will be a wonderful change.

Well done to Traffic Planners at OCC Resident (Oxford, Support This plan seems well worth trying, and should make the Walton street area more pedestrian friendly without Southmoor Road) any great inconvenience. reducing the queues down Beaumont street would also benefit the environment. Resident (Oxford, Support This proposal has numerous benefits: Southmoor Road) - It would reduce the amount of high levels of emissions caused by queues of vehicles waiting with their engines idling at the traffic lights at the junction of Beaumont Street and Walton Street. - It will reduce the emissions from vehicles in Walton Street caused by them slowing and accelerating at the speed bumps. - This will benefit the health of pedestrians and cyclists who use these roads, particularly children who are most harmed by vehicle emissions. - It will make Walton Street a safer place to cycle. - It will make Walton Street a more enjoyable place for leisure and recreation - if, or example, the pavements can be widened in certain places to allow cafes to use them more readily that would be a real enhancement to the enjoyment of the street.

However, to counter the diversion of traffic from Walton Street onto side streets, creating 'rat runs' and simply moving the emissions to elsewhere, vehicles need to be directed to other suitable streets, e.g. St Margarets Road which is wide enough for two vehicles to pass easily. Resident (Oxford, Support Very good idea. Since the road has been closed it has been much safer for bikes (particularly cycling with Southmoor Road) children) and less pollution.

Still easy to access Jericho via Woodstock Rd. Resident (Oxford, Support Walton Street is now much cleaner, quieter and safer to cycle along! Southmoor Road) The closure has significantly reduced the temptation to use the car for short cross-city-Centre journeys: it

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was usually a mistake to take the Walton Street Route, only to sit in stationary traffic for 10-15 minutes just to get to the Botley road. With the option no longer there, it will help reduce unnecessary journeys and should help to reduce overall car flows through the city. Resident (Oxford, Support We need to drastically reduce traffic and make cycling the safe and sensible choice. I support this for Southmoor Road) reasons of safety, health, community, the combatting the climate crisis, improving air quality. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Southmoor Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Southmoor Road) unknown (Oxford, St Support Great idea. Makes for safer, cleaner streets and prevents Walton Street becoming a racetrack. Bernards Road) Resident (Oxford, St Support I have lived here 10 yrs and with roadblock on Walton/Beaumont St my road is significantly quieter at all Bernards Road) times. However there should be enforced weight restrictions as artic lorries still run up this road as quickly as possible and can make the house shake as they jolt over speed bumps. Cyclists coming wrong way also a safety problem. Jericho Walton St feels more of a local community area without the through traffic, so I support proposal but please stop hgv's using St Bernard's Rd. Resident (Oxford, St Support No comment. Bernards Road) Resident (Oxford, St Support Traffic flow between Beaumont and Worcester Streets is greatly improved by the closure of Walton Street. John Street) Since the traffic light at that junction was never properly in sync with the one at the Worcester/Hythe Bridge Street junction, its removal has made an enormous difference.

The congestion also always made it a dangerous place for a pedestrian crossing; far safer for pedestrians to cross where the barriers to Walton Street now are. Resident (Oxford, St Support I do support this proposal, and any attempts to reduce car pollution and congestion. Martins Road) However, I wonder if it will result in an increase in traffic on Little Clarendon Street? With regard to 'rat running' in the area, are you also aware that St John Street is also used for this purpose, as a short cut via Pusey St to St Giles. With regard to reinstating the pedestrian crossing on Worcester Street (at the corner of Walton Street), could

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I suggest that a pedestrian crossing is also considered near the junction of St John Street /Beaumont Street / Gloucester Street. Resident (Oxford, St Support I support these measures to tackle air quality in the city. Moreover, crossing this road as a pedestrian can be Thomas Street) challenging, so I welcome making the area more pedestrian friendly. However, there also needs to be sufficient nudges to move people from cars to public transport, such as more affordable bus fares. Resident (Oxford, Support I have used Walton Street as a rat run but the traffic lights at the end of Beaumont Street really slow both Stone Close) routes down. Resident (Oxford, Support I was stunned the first time I cycled through Jericho from the Waterways, I simply had not realised how bad Stone Meadow) the route had got over the years, Kingston Road had become rather dangerous at rush hour due to cars using it as a rat run, My partner cycles this route daily and it was a background worry for me, I also cycle it regularly as I am self-employed computer engineer. The area is now transformed for the better and is actually pleasent to be in and to cycle or walk through now the through traffic has been removed.

I would ask that the road is kept closed to through traffic with a gate for emergency vehicle access only at Beaumont Street. Resident (Oxford, Support Realistically Oxford is going to have to start restricting access to the city centre for private vehicles - between Summerfield Road) emissions, traffic and population growth, it's basically inevitable. Doing a trial now is a good idea. Resident (Oxford, Support As a I have found that the closure of Walton Street for roadworks has improved Sunningwell Road) traffic flow at the junction with Beaumont Street and Worcester Street. It also makes cycling through Jericho safer and more pleasant. Resident (Oxford, Support I very strongly support this scheme. We use Walton St to cycle our children to school, and the traffic is less, Third Acre Rise) there is less pollution, and there is less dangerous road behaviour now cars aren't using it as a rat run. In addition, stopping through traffic will decrease the traffic numbers on Botley road, meaning this dangerous area for cycling our children to school is slightly improved (though this needs much better plans than those recently proposed to discourage the massively polluting traffic and improve bus and cycle access). Resident (Oxford, Support As a , I have used Walton Street for walking and cycling almost daily for several Tynedale Road) years.

The road closure makes Walton Street much more pleasant, and also the removal of traffic lights on Beumont street makes the main traffic flow much smoother. There was never a very good traffic flow through Walton street anyway, as it wasn't wide enough for two opposing directions of traffic as well as parked cars.

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The pavements of Walton street are often highly congested with pedestrians, as people currently park on the pavements to give more room for traffic. If the road was closed to cars this would no longer be an issue.

The only partial concern I have is that there would still need to be a means for cyclists to safely turn right from Buemont street onto Walton street once the middle lane has been closed. Resident (Oxford, Support 1) The air has been noticeably cleaner Victor Street) 2) There has been no traffic congestion in the local residential area

3) A much safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians

4) "Rat running" has been eliminated. It's clear that much of the volume of traffic previously queueing in Walton Street was 'through' traffic. Resident (Oxford, Support The closure is having excellent results on the traffic going down Walton St AND Beaumont now the traffic Victor Street) lights are no longer working. It makes walking along the street much more pleasant. It does lengthen the time to go to Gloucester Green, West Oxford and the Railway station but I believe the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Resident (Oxford, Support This is an excellent idea, reducing traffic and pollution in our residential neighbourhood. In addition, it will Victor Street) increase cycle safety and improve pedestrian access to the city centre. This proposal has my full support. Business (Oxford, Support All the team are very positive at the difference the road closure has already made with a quieter and cleaner Walton Crescent) (air quality) environment, plus it has incentivised us to go out and enjoy the cafes in the area. At a business level the road closure over past weeks (and thus the proposed experimental road closure) has not affected our business activities. Resident (Oxford, Support I am asthmatic and have found the improved air quality after the closure over the last couple of months a Walton Crescent) great help. The traffic has also been much less dangerous (

Resident (Oxford, Support I thoroughly approve of this proposal. My daughter and I cycle to school/work along Walton Street and there Walton Crescent) is too much traffic and going too fast. which is worsened by pollution. It would be a much nicer place to live without all the noise, fumes and dangers of traffic.

Furthermore we need to encourage people not to drive especially in towns like Oxford in order to mitigate climate change as well as improving the quality of life for its citizens. Resident (Oxford, Support I'm in favour of the experimental closure of Walton Street, as long as the pelican crossing for pedestrians Walton Crescent) outside Worcester College is reactivated.

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Resident (Oxford, Support The air quality in Oxford is so concerning and it's also a great benefit to have fewer motor vehicles going up Walton Crescent) and down Walton Street. Resident (Oxford, Support The temporary closure has greatly improved the local environment in terms of traffic flow and pollution. I Walton Crescent) occasionally use a car, but am happy to accept the minor inconvenience. The proposed closure could helpfully be supplemented by creating wider pedestrian pavement areas on Walton Street where pedestrian flows are very heavy. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Crescent) Resident (Oxford, Support The benefits outweigh the inconvenience but when the other restrictions are imposed (eg closure of Walton Lane) Worcester Street) a different solution will be required. Resident (Oxford, Support Air quality has been greatly improved. Walton Street) Walton Street is much safer for pedestrians and cyclists due to minimal traffic. Previously congestion frequently led to large vehicles mounting the very narrow pavements. Previously gridlocked traffic at peak hours saw vehicles from Beaumont Street to Little Clarendon Street all with engines idling. Walton Street has been heavily used by people outside the Jericho area, avoiding the perceived delay at the bottom of Beaumont Street. Journey time to, for example, Botley Road is really no longer as the traffic moves so freely now along St Giles and down Beaumont Street. Resident (Oxford, Support Already better air, quieter - a great relief. Just as easy to enter and leave Jericho, as the end of Walton St Walton Street) into Beaumont ST was nearly always blocked for some time anyway. Resident (Oxford, Support Already there is a noticeable improvement in air quality. This will continue to improve as satnavs are updated Walton Street) and the number of U turns is reduced. I propose pedestrian prioritisation of all roads West of Walton St - not to ban cars but to blur the line between road and pavement to give pedestrian priority. This is a style of urban road often seen in Germany and seems to work very well. Resident (Oxford, Support As a resident living very close to the affected area of the existing and proposed closure, and only a few feet Walton Street) from the carriageway, I have easily observed the improvement caused by the closure to residents' everyday lives in many ways, all in line with the Councils' transport objectives, and to the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. The experiment of the current closure suggests the proposed closure will secure these benefits too. Resident (Oxford, Support As well as the benefits stated in the preamble, closure will also prevent structural damage to the early 19th Walton Street) century houses along the west side of the street. Since the installation of speed bumps, heavy vehicles using the street - and of course above the 20mph limit - cause the houses to shake, and the soft lime mortar of the brickwork to drop out. Closure of the street will stop this - and perhaps save the county council from paying compensation to house owners who suffer structural damage.

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There does need to be a safe way for cyclists turning right from Walton Street into Worcester Street. Resident (Oxford, Support Beneficial effect on Walton Street) - pollution, especially without thw lights - safety for cyclists - traffic flow onto Worcester Road without lights at Walton St and Beaumont street Resident (Oxford, Support Closing the road has really improved my living experience on Walton Street. I am no longer woken up early Walton Street) and late by morning traffic and taxis, and I feel so much better for it. It has made the area feel more residential, rather than simply a busy throughfare for taxis etc. As an asthmatic, I've also felt an improvement in the air quality In the area around the road. I really hope the closure continues, as it has made Walton street far more pleasant to live on than before. Resident (Oxford, Support During the recent closure of the road we have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of our family Walton Street) life. No longer having a constant traffic jam outside our front door has been such a pleasure. Noise levels have reduced, less fumes and a safer cycling environment for us. We throughly support the experimental closure and hope it leads to a permanent one in the future. Resident (Oxford, Support I am pleased to note that if this goes ahead it will reduce traffic in a very squashed area and make travelling Walton Street) by bike easier and safer. Resident (Oxford, Support I believe that the amenity of the area is significantly increased with the closure of Walton Street. The traffic Walton Street) flow has moderated, the number of pedestrians and bicycles has appeared to have been steady and the moderation in both noise and pollution has been significant, personally. I heartily support the closure, thank the council for taking the time to experiment and hope it becomes permanent. Resident (Oxford, Support I strongly support the plan. The benefit of closing Walton Street to traffic has immediate benefits: it greatly Walton Street) increases the safety of our children, now not having heavy traffic right outside our door; it greatly improves the quality of life, decreasing noice and smug pollution; it eliminates the daily scene of long gracile lines clogging Walton Street; it enables pedestrians and cyclists a safer, more open road. Business (Oxford, Support I wholeheartedly support this proposal for reasons of safety, improvement of air quality and general wellbeing Walton Street) of the residents and business owners on Walton Street and surrounding areas. Resident (Oxford, Support I would like Walton street to remain closed permanently and restrict access for other road users. Walton Street) My reason is due to loud noise we hear sometimes throughout the night which has great impact on us all. There is also a lot of traffic on this road which causes alot of disruption and inconvenience. It would be great to see this road for residential users. I could send my children out to play on the street without too much worry. Resident (Oxford, Support I'm a and I live on Walton Street. The road closure has made Walton Street) s significant difference to noise pollution and environmental pollution and I think is a huge benefit for the city.

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Resident (Oxford, Support It is much safer and will lead to less congestion and pollution. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support Less noise and better air quality has to be an improvement. As long as I can still buy milk in the Co-Op. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support Living on Walton Street has been transformed while the southern end is closed. The air is much cleaner, the Walton Street) road is no longer clogged with traffic, it is much safer cycling and walking. It is fairly clear that Walton Street has been used a lot for rat-running and it is so much more safer and more pleasant without being clogged with traffic. Resident (Oxford, Support Much better flow of traffic. Much easier and more pleasant to walk around Jericho without dodging cars and Walton Street) breathing in fumes. Much easier and safer cycle routes, and we should be encouraging people to cycle and walk more within Oxford city centre to ease congestion, reduce carbon emissions (given you've declared a climate emergency...), reduce health implications of pollution, and make the city centre a more pleasant place for people. Resident (Oxford, Support My wife and I both support the proposed plan wholeheartedly. Since the road has been closed to through Walton Street) traffic it has improved our day to day lives greatly. We no longer have queues of traffic past the front door ( everyday and there are noticeably less fumes when we cycle or walk the dog. The road strangely seems more vibrant, as it seems like people feel less at risk from traffic and spread out a bit more. If I need to use the car to drive to the south of our town, it does take more time, but I would rather have a quiet and safe road. We have been on Walton Street for ten years and were considering moving out of the centre but this may make us consider staying. Resident (Oxford, Support Our quality of life has improved dramatically with the closure Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support The removal of through traffic and queues at the Walton Street/Beaumont Street junction has: Walton Street) a) improved the air quality dramatically and I now walk along the street into town instead of going along St John Street. If there is hot weather next year, and the trial continues, we may be able to open windows on the street side for air circulation within the house. b) made the street safer for cycling. c) given the street a calmer, more pleasant atmosphere. Resident (Oxford, Support The temporary closure of Walton Street seems to have improved traffic flow, I will be interested to see the Walton Street) results if this ETRO goes ahead Resident (Oxford, Support Walton St. feels much safer to walk near with fewer vehicles utilizing the road. The noise levels are finally Walton Street) tolerable, as residential and College traffic is all that passes through. The environmental impact is also reduced in the area, though I do worry about those who were previously able to drive directly up Walton and into College parking now having to add more time in their car as they negotiate their way up Beaumont and

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down Little Clarendon before coming through on Walton to turn into College. Nevertheless, I appreciate the road being closed and hope it will stay shut off as a thoroughfare. Now, if only the motorbikes would stop illegally passing through the makeshift barricade! Resident (Oxford, Support We are strongly in favour of this road closure. It is a fantastic intervention for central Oxford, and the Jericho Walton Street) area. It frees the area from the polluting traffic queues that developed at the Beaumont St lights. At such times, the road becomes impassable for cyclists, who then ride along the narrow pavements at the end of Walton St. The move is fully in keeping with the pro-bike strategy of the City. It opens up Walton St as a genuinely bike-safe route, protecting residents against the effects of traffic and pollution. The removal of traffic lights at the end of Walton St makes the traffic flow more freely along Beaumont St. The move creates a traffic-free, bike-friendly lower Walton St improving the quality of life of Jericho residents and ease of access for bikes and pedestrians to the City and station. Resident (Oxford, Support We strongly support this experimental closure, but with the following caveats: Walton Street) Our anxiety relates to the ability of emergency vehicles (particularly fire services) to access the southern part of Jericho efficiently.

Also, in the long term and particularly in the light of potential closure of Worcester Street to through traffic, we would suggest that residents with a valid Oxfordshire Parking Permit should be allowed to pass through any CCTV controlled gate in this part of the City. In order to access the South, West or even Eat of the City it will be necessary to divert some 4 miles via Peartree Roundabout. Hardly sustainable?? Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) unknown (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Street)

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Resident (Oxford, Support I cycle or walk along Walton street every day, I think this is a critical step forward and I hope it endures. Walton Well Road) There are too many cars, the pavements are too narrow and it ruins a beautiful street ideal for cafes. Resident (Oxford, Support I think you should tax parking permits to the absolute hilt. All the pricks who live around here think nothing of Walton Well Road) dropping a million quid on a small terraced house, but they pay pennies for permission to park massive SUVs on the street. When I work from home, the cars are still there during working hours! This implies their owners do not need them. Tax the bastards £10k per car per annum for a permit and let's see how much they value them. Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Well Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Walton Well Road) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Wilberforce Street) Resident (Oxford, Support It has made a huge difference to the quality of air and quality of life in the neighbourhood Woodstock Road) Group/Organisation Support At the recent AGM of the South Jericho Residents Association (SJRA) those present were in favour of the (Oxford, Worcester experiment to keep the southern end of Walton Street closed to motor vehicles. This is because the air is Place) noticeably cleaner, the streets are much quieter and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists and there is only minimal inconvenience to local road users. We understand that the streets in north Jericho (e.g. Saint Bernard's and Observatory) have not suffered adversely however we wish that their residents' views are considered carefully if otherwise. Although this proposal is popular with residents we recognise that this road closure may cause inconvenience to businesses in Jericho. However the SouthJRA points out that any objections to this closure by businesses and other parties should be balanced with the legitimate positive weight of interest from local residents. In order to be as representative as possible the SouthJRA has also recommended that residents make their own submissions to the council. We have the following requests: 1) Re-instating the pedestrian crossing across Worcester Street at the Worcester College entrance (we understand this has been agreed already) 2) The emptier roads have resulted some in cyclists, motorbike and remaining vehicles travelling faster. Some extra road signs (e.g. 20 mph speed limit repeaters) might help mitigate this. 3) The design of the road junction, at the point where Walton Street is closed, must allow enough width for wider cycles (e.g. those carrying small children or shopping) whilst preventing cars and vans from mounting the pavement to get through. Our suggestion is that the double barriers should have reasonably wide gaps, maybe 2/3 of the way across, and offset, so that bicycles can 'chicane' across to the other side, allowing

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bicycles and pedestrians to be segregated. An alternative is to place a concrete block on the pavement edge to stop cars and vans but still allow bicycles. Resident (Oxford, Support Great idea. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support I am strongly supportive of the proposed road closure for reasons of safety (particularly children) and Worcester Place) reduction of noise and pollution.

In a broader sense, the proposal is a pivotal step towards reduction of private car journeys within Oxford's city center. This can only be achieved by making streets more attractive to bicycles and pedestrians - the closure of Walton Street to through traffic is an important step towards reaching this goal.

In fact, I strongly feel that it is the city council's responsibility to reduce car traffic for the benefit of everyone (health, safety, well-being). Resident (Oxford, Support Strongly support this closure. The temporary closure so far has made the neighbourhood quieter and much Worcester Place) safer for children, pedestrians and cyclists. As rat-run attempts decline I think these gains will become greater. The occasional inconvenience in having to drive north to go south is easily manageable. Resident (Oxford, Support The benefits of this road closure seem to outweigh the inconvenience of having to drive a little way North in Worcester Place) order to access Botley or Abingdon Road. There is no standing traffic, the road is much safer for cyclists, and pedestrians, the air quality is hugely improved and noise pollution reduced. Resident (Oxford, Support The surrounding area is much more peaceful with the closure. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support No comment. Worcester Place) Resident (Oxford, Support While the road closure in no way addresses any underlying problems whatsoever, it does set a positive Wytham Street) example by creating a habitable, walkable and cycleable area in Oxford and slightly improves the very poor North-South cycling rout options in Oxford. The council should concentrate their attention on the Worcester/Hyth Bridge street junction which currently fails all users in every respect.

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Non-Oxford Resident (Abingdon, Support Good to see traffic reduction to improve air quality Gibson Close) Group/Organisation Support This response is on behalf of the Oxfordshire Cycling Network (OCN), which includes members from 30 (Abingdon, The cycling and supporting organisations in the county. Causeway) We strongly support this experimental proposal. Before the recent closure for roadworks, the street was often used as a 'rat run'. This disadvantaged local residents, exposing them to air and noise pollution and the risk of traffic accidents. It also creates a poor street environment that dissuades people from using the local shops, cafes and restaurants.

The experience of the roadworks closure has been very positive, and we have heard many comments of how much better an environment it has created. This is consistent with other low traffic neighbourhoods created by design or by 'accident' elsewhere. The streets are noticeably cleaner and quieter, and on our visits the shops and restaurants have seemed to be thriving in this improved atmosphere.

Retail business impact The impact on retail businesses is important. Data on civic realm improvement collected by Living Streets in The Pedestrian Pound (revised 2018) shows that schemes typically show sales improvements of 20-30%. However, before implementation, retailers usually take a negative view. This is because they overestimate the number of shoppers arriving by car and underestimate the spending of those arriving by foot.

The report shows in Waltham Forest retailers estimated 63% of shoppers travelled by cars, but it was only 20%; in Bristol they thought 58% arrived by car, but it was only 32% (p58). It cites several reports that show how pedestrians can spend more over a month than people arriving by car (p28).

More data would be valuable on this. We suggest that a study is put in place to track the retail impacts – ideally backdated to before the roadworks. Living Streets could help with this, or one of our local University Business Schools – it would make an excellent project for someone.

Other considerations

We are concerned about motorcyclists using the street as a through route, so there should be clear signage and some enforcement to discourage this.

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This should be an opportunity to create a more pleasant street environment, which would also help to emphasise the benefits of the traffic-free status. Given that this is a temporary measure, this could be done inexpensively with moveable 'planters' and perhaps creating 'parklets' – small green spaces or outdoor play equipment. Cycle parking should be added, particularly outside cafes etc.

Walton Street north of Little Clarendon Street is part of National Cycle Route 5 (NCN5). It is a generally quiet route, so reducing traffic on this busy section is very beneficial.

You would expect an increase in pedestrians using Walton Street, and motor traffic in Beaumont Street (less some 'traffic evaporation'). Crossing Beaumont Street can already be difficult and we suggest an improved pedestrian crossing near the junction.

Yours faithfully,

Oxfordshire Cycling Network Resident (Banbury, Support I walk down Walton Street to work every day and appreciate the improved safety, cleanliness and walkability Warwick Road) that comes from the closure of the road to most traffic. Resident (Bicester, Support If the closure became longterm or permanent it would be good to make it usable for cyclists. That junction Braeburn Avenue) was always a problem as a) the lights were too short to allow cars onto Beaumont Street from Walton Street and b) people constantly blocked the yellow box junction. This new arrangement seems to ensure better traffic flow. Resident (Charlbury, Support I commute in from Charlbury to Oxford University Press in Walton St by train and bike. The closure of Walton Hundley Way) Street over the last weeks has been safer, greener and monumentally more pleasing to use as both a pedestrian and a cyclist. Whilst local residents obviously need to use the road facilities, I strongly object to people commuting in by car to the centre of Oxford when the council provide such excellent park and ride facilities. In my opinion, the closure is a great experiment. Some people may be initially cross about the closure but I think they will eventually get used to it. Prior to the resurfacing, the road was congested with cars queuing to leave Oxford creating a lot of pollution. I think the Council should be aiming to push all unnecessary car journeys out of the city, particularly with the major concerns around climate change. This is a positive step in that direction, but more needs to be done to encourage people not to just transfer their journeys to other roads in the area, eg Little Clarendon Street. Businesses such as OUP where I work and the surrounding University colleges should be encouraged to remove parking facilities for staff where this isn't necessary but a perk. I know of people who live 5 minutes away but still drive to park at their OUP designated space. It's preposterous.

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Resident (Chipping Support I work at Oxford University Press. Occasionally traffic builds up down this street and the exhaust fumes can Norton, Burrows be overwhelming from idling engines. Crescent) Resident (Cumnor, Support I LOVE IT! Chawley Lane) I cycle into OUP, and having no motor vehicles on this stretch has been a highlight of my commute. Look forward to more steps in this direction. Resident (Didcot, Support I work at Oxford University Press on Walton Street. The traffic fumes used to be very bad walking to work Church Street) from Oxford train station - so much so, that I would often walk the longer route along the canal path to avoid Walton Street altogether. Since the closure, there has been a big improvement and the air feels much cleaner. Resident (Didcot, Support Traffic along Beaumont Street/ Worcester Street has flowed much better since the closure for road Elbourne) resurfacing in July. These traffic lights didn't flow particularly well, especially in the evenings when right- turning Walton Street traffic would block vehicles coming along Worcester Street and up Beaumont Street. You will need to better blockade the road however, as this morning I saw a car emerging from Walton Street across the pavement at the bottom of Beaumont Street, to turn right towards Worcester Street. More attractive barricades would be a good idea, given the architectural merit of the surrounding buildings, it would be a shame if the current unsightly clutter was to persist. Also need to clarify if cyclists are permitted to traverse the road closure - I have seen several approaching up Worcester Street, mounting the pavement at the drop kerb by the crossing before Worcester College and continuing on the pavement in front of the College and onto Walton Street. Clearer signage and cycle lanes painted through the road closure would make a difference. (FYI, I work on lower Beaumont Street.) Resident (Didcot, Support Makes sense - so long as this doesn't clog up St Giles. 18 months feels like a very long time to trial this, Ockley Brook) however. Will this turn into a pedestrianised zone / will access for emergency vehicles be permitted? Resident (Eynsham, Support Access for cyclists should remain, but closure to other vehicles seems sensible. Chilbridge Road) Resident (Eynsham, Support I fully support the close of Walton Street. A large number of pedestrians - tourists, students, workers and Millers Cottages) residents walk along Walton Street each day and the recent closure has dramatically increased the quality of the air for those pedestrians. The pavements along Walton Street are quite narrow for the volume of pedestrians, so it also increases their safety. Having previously lived in Jericho for over ten years, and worked in Jericho for many years - I have found the road closure has increased an atmosphere of calm, reducing the number of cars rat running through the area. Resident (Grove, Support I support this experimental closure because it will reduce air pollution, noise pollution and risk of accidents Wantage, Main Street) from rat-running for residents. I work as the of St Cross College on St Giles, just a few yards away,

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and the present temporary closure is already significantly improving the quality of life of students and residents alike. For cycling and walking in particular, it is a great benefit - for all from children on the school run to older people getting around their community. Resident (Kennington, Support No comment. Otters Reach) Resident (Kennington, Support This should make for a better street scene in Walton St for residents and business customers. Poplar Grove) It should improve air quality in Walton St. It should improve road conditions for pedestrians cycle users who commute along this Sustrans route. Anecdotal, I cross Beaumont from St Johns St to Gloucester St. during commuting time. For the last few months I have found it easier to cross, needing to wait for a shorter period of time before crossing. The temporary closure point needs to LOOK like a closure, even if left open for emergency vehicles. Resident (Kidlington, Support I work in the area and the road is always blighted with traffic which is invariably stationary and polluting the Primrose Place) area, with increasingly agitated drivers blocking the way for pedestrians and cyclists who move through the area far more efficiently (much to the drivers' apparent frustration). The junction at Worcester College is commonly gridlocked.The pavements are very narrow and given the number of pedestrians that use them, it would be great to have the 'road' turned into a pedestrian/cyclist only zone. Cars can and should use the much more efficient, wider St. Giles' route. Resident (Kidlington, Support I work near Walton Street and use the roads for commuting and leisure both by bike, car and bus. the The Moors) closure has had a very positive effect on traffic flows from St Gilles while Walton Street is a lively as ever with people visiting the shops and restaurants/bars but with fewer cars it is much more pleasant. Resident (Kirtlington, Support I cycle into Oxford daily and have done for several years. Traffic along Walton St has been increasing over Heyford Road) recent years as more and more people attempt to bypass St Giles. This increase in traffic volumes, combined with poor road surfaces and high numbers of parked vehicles had been making it increasingly hazardous to cycle along Walton St. The road closure has made Walton St safe for bicycles again and has not obviously worsened traffic flows along St Giles or elsewhere in the city. I am stongly supportive of extending this experiment. Resident (Marston, Support I work in a building that borders Walton Street (within the grounds of Worcester College, although I am Crotch Crescent) answering this questionnaire in a private capacity). There has been an incredible difference to my working environment since Walton Street was closed. It is much, much quieter and more pleasant. The air quality is noticeably improved on the street. People walking and cycling past are clearly enjoying the difference and have space to pass each other now, rather than walking past an angry and noisy queue of traffic.

I cycle in to work each day from Marston to Walton Street, via Little Clarendon Street. I travel any time between 8am and 9.30am, and home between 2.30pm and 5pm. I have NOT noticed an increase in traffic on St Giles or Little Clarendon Street because of this closure. In fact, traffic flows better out of Little Clarendon

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Street because there isn't a queue on Walton Street.

The traffic on Beaumont Street is also noticeably improved. It flows better and forms fewer queues. There is much less 'road rage' - we have all noticed that there are fewer shouts and hoots of horns. You do need to reinstate the pedestrian crossing however, as the traffic flows so well it can be difficult to cross.

I am strongly in favour of Walton Street remaining closed to traffic. Resident (Marston, Support No comment. Little Acreage) Resident (Sandford on Support I work in Jericho - on Aristotle Lane - and have noticed a noticable improvement since the road works closed Thames, River View) Walton Street which I would fully recommend for future management of the area: - Safer and quicker to get to / from work as cycling is much enhanced - More cyclists out because it is safer - including safer for children / people who are not confident on bikes - Easier for bike-based businesses to move about (Bainton, Ox-Wash etc) and potential for even more such businesses to operate (and reduce to tackling CC) - Less noise, pollution, bad tempers by everyone using the area - Access is still available off the side roads so this has not been affected (I have had to drive to one or two businesses with equipment to unload and simply took another route that avoided the closed off area) - and parking for a short time was easier to do the off-loading because of less traffic overall. Resident (Wantage, Support I work at Oxford University Press on Walton Street and so regularly walk along the street. Since the Wolage Drive) temporary road closure was implemented the air quality along the street is noticeably better and it is much quieter generally. It makes the neighbourhood feel much nicer for walking around. Furthermore the road closure doesn't appear to have impacted the flow of traffic between Worcester Street and Beaumont Street.

I can imagine some people who live on Walton Street or adjoining streets may find the closure frustrating for commuting out of the city, but I think the benefits have been very worthwhile. Resident (Watlington, Support No comment. Church Street) Resident (Witney, Support This could provide evidence to support further road closures in Oxford, congestion levels are increasing and Springfield Oval) it is becoming impossible to travel to and from work reliably. Resident (Witney, Support - Great for cyclists and pedestrians using Walton Street. Valence Crescent) - Requires good provision for cyclists to exit Walton Street onto Worcester St (South, towards station), avoiding conflict with pedestrians. It is currently very difficult now there is no break in the flow of traffic. Resident (Witney, Support No comment. Westfield Road)

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Resident (Woodstock, Support No comment. Manor Road)

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