Introduction

Our Association, SENDRA, represents the residents of an area of the city which is a direct neighbour of the Westgate re-development and which is directly affected by the proposals for the new and amended pedestrian crossings.  

We find the documents presented with these proposals very inadequate – the drawings appear to be incomplete and those that are provided lack clarity and the supporting text does not help us to understand the proposals.  

We have made a series of comments on the proposals and because of the weak presentation  we have also asked a number of questions.  We will very much appreciate a response to the questions.  

 

Westgate Development proposed new and amended pedestrian crossings – Oxfordshire County Council consultation (closing date May 20th 2016)

The proposal¹

The following new and amended signalled and zebra crossings are proposed (in order of interest to SENDRA):  

• Thames Street – a new signalled crossing approximately 10 metres south east of its junction with Blackfriars Road
• On the proposed new public highway between Speedwell Street and Castle Street – a new zebra crossing constructed on an extended flat top road hump (road hump to be 100mm height with ramp gradients of 1:20);
• Castle Street / New Road junction with Bonn Square – an amended zebra crossing layout

¹ Notice has been given by Oxfordshire County Council under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Highways Act 1980 to provide as part of the Westgate development

Comments on the proposed Thames Street signalled crossing

 

The Plans 0006 (Drawing 4) and 0008 (Drawing 6) (both labelled as revisions 102) show a new ‘toucan’ crossing² which appears to be at the site of the existing pedestrian crossing some 10 metres to the south-east of the Blackfriars Road junction with Thames Street.  This enables pedestrian and cycle crossing between the south side of Thames Street and the north side of Thames Street.

Comment 1a: It needs to be confirmed that a linked toucan crossing is provided for pedestrians and cyclists between the south and north sides of Speedwell Street, as Speedwell Street will be carrying two-way traffic including buses, taxis and also commercial vehicles gaining access to / egress from the Building 1A service entrance on Speedwell Street.  Such provision is essential.

Comment 1b: It is assumed that the ‘toucan’ crossing³ is proposed because it facilitates continuity of the national / local cycle route – we very much support this.   

Comment 1c: Toucan crossings are normally 4 metres (13 feet) wide, instead of the 2.8–metre (9 feet) width of a pelican crossing or puffin crossing.  The dimensions of the ‘toucan’ crossing are not provided in the consultations document / drawings.  The dimensions should not be less than 4 metres wide.  

Comment 1d: Please also confirm that on the proposed ‘toucan’ crossing a “green bicycle” is displayed next to the “green man” when cyclists and pedestrians are permitted to cross and that a red bicycle and red man are shown at other times and that before the lights for vehicles go back to green, a steady red and amber are displayed.  

Comment 1e: Please confirm the type of crossing proposed across Old Greyfriars Street and across the access to the service entrance to the Westgate on the south elevation of Building 2.

² The labelling ‘toucan’ appears on the ‘overview’ drawing

³ A ‘toucan’ crossing has special provision for cyclists

Comment on additional issue: Thames Street / Blackfriars Street traffic light removal

 

Comment 2: we understand that the traffic lights at the junction of Blackfriars Road and Thames Street are to be removed.  We believe that even with traffic flows along Thames Street and Speedwell Street (see Comment 1a) interrupted by the ‘toucan’ crossing(s), we consider that difficulties will be encountered by traffic from the direction of the Ice Rink  turning right from Thames Street into Blackfriars Street and traffic turning right from Blackfriars Street into Thames Street.  We recommend that the traffic flows around this junction are carefully monitored with a view to re-installing the traffic lights if shown to be required. We would appreciate it if the monitoring arrangements and evaluation could be shared with us.

Comment on the proposed new public highway between Speedwell Street and Castle Street – a new zebra crossing

 

Comment 3: Plan 0005 (Drawing 3) (revision I02) is incomplete as it does not show arrangements for crossing Thames Street.  The ‘overview’ drawing shows a Thames Street crossing general location (on the southern side of Thames Street it is approximately at the junction of the Castle Mill Stream footpath and Thames Street). It is also noted that the existing pelican crossing at the Ice Rink on Oxpens Rd. will be removed.

This proposed crossing will be heavily used by pedestrians enroute to / from the City of Oxford College and the Ice Rink and, it should be noted, from the imminent medium / high density mixed-use development on Oxpens. It appears that on the northern side of Thames Street the pedestrian crossing traverses the entrance / exit to the underground car park and it is suggested that this will be a dangerous crossing for pedestrians: the junction is complex even without the proposed zebra crossing.  Plan 0005 (Drawing 3) (Revision I02) shows a pedestrian crossing across Speedwell Street travelling to / from the new crossing traversing the car park entrance.  It is assumed (but not clear from the documents provided) that all these crossings are ‘zebra’ crossings.  It is doubtful if the ‘general rule’ that pedestrians have the right of way at a zebra crossing will be readily accepted at the difficult access point to the underground car park and across the very densely used Speedwell street with a high frequency of bus movements. Perhaps light controlled pedestrian crossings would be safer?

Plan 0005 (Drawing 3) (Revision I02) also shows a cycle waiting zone across Thames Street at the point where vehicles will be turning into the underground car park.  Does this mean that this junction is light controlled? A plan which shows the whole junction west of the area shown in Drawing 3 would be very helpful.

We have no comments on the proposed Castle Street / New Road junction with Bonn Square – an amended zebra crossing layout

 

 

Oxford, Controlled Parking Zones – Removal of the fixed Permit Expiry/Renewal date from each Zone

 

We have no comments on these proposals other than to make the general point that cycle use along the bus link road is on the one hand welcomed as cycle access demand needs to be met, but will this route be safe for cyclists?

 

Submitted by SENDRA Chair

May 17th 2016.

 

UPDATE

Further comments from Malcolm and Elaine Ryder

 

We cannot express our concern strongly enough about this proposal for the following reasons.

Blackfriars/ Thames St interchange – traffic lights are an ESSENTIAL requirement at this junction because:

a) VISION : if turning right into Thames Street, you cannot SEE the traffic coming from the right properly until it is almost on you. This has happened to us on several occasions as we ‘inch out’ to turn right…traffic comes speeding down Thames Street despite any speed limit.

b) CYCLISTS/PEDESTRIANS: this is such a busy junction where cyclists and pedestrians cross the top of Blackfriars Road – a pelican crossing is ESSENTIAL – cyclists must dismount – a toucan crossing would result in a ‘free for all’  where pedestrians/cyclists will be weaving in /out of the cars, trying to concentrate on entering Thames St.

c) CARS – a significant number of cars come to this junction to turn into Thames St from many parts of the estate and the traffic lights are an essential means of enabling the traffic to move  – without traffic lights, serious congestion will occur.

The ‘part’ re-instatement of Old Greyfriars Road plus the extension of Speedwell Street along Thames Street to John Lewis’, will significantly increase the volume of traffic that we will have to traverse.

d) BUSES/TAXIS/DELIVERY vehicles – these will increase the traffic foot fall on an already dangerous stretch of road – another reason why a pelican crossing is essential. In addition, it is unclear whether there will be a mixture of pedestrian/cycle track along Old Greyfriars Street

Primarily our concern is the safety impact of the situ if there are no traffic lights – from our experience over the last months – we are convinced that without a pelican crossing there will be ‘ an accident waiting to happen’ – this junction cannot be ‘compared’ to other junctions as it has its own unique problems which MUST be taken seriously.

(Malcolm and Elaine Ryder 30/04/16)