Transport in Oxfordshire – the Big Picture

Oxfordshire is leading the way with forward-looking transport policies, reducing car-dependence and increasing the attractiveness of alternative modes.

Andrew Gant is the Liberal Democrat Councillor in charge of transport at Oxfordshire County Council (OCC). What did he tell the Oxford Clarion about the big transport picture?

Measures Being Implemented in Oxfordshire

The measures being implemented in Oxfordshire include Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, traffic filters, a Zero Emissions Zone and a Workplace Parking Levy.

The traffic filters are operated with cameras, and private cars are not allowed through them. All locations will still be accessible by car, but drivers may have to take different routes to avoid passing through the traffic filters – or travel by another mode.

The aim is to make driving through the city centre less convenient. By discouraging driving, other modes such as buses and cycling become more attractive.

Too Much Traffic

Andrew Gant told the Oxford Clarion that Oxford already has more traffic than its streets were designed for, and the population is expected to grow by 15% this decade.

‘We can manage this growth but only if we have a plan.

We can move many more people around in tight spaces if lots of them are on buses, bikes and on foot – but we simply cannot provide reliable buses and safe streets if everyone drives, all at the same time, to the same places.

Continuing growth in car traffic, when alternatives exist, has consequences for all of us – in terms of safety, the economy, educational attainment, recruitment and retention of staff, access to services, climate, the air we all breathe, our physical and mental health, and the vibrancy and attractiveness of our public spaces’.

Predict and Provide vs Decide and Provide

Gant explains that councils used to predict increases in car use and build more roads to cope. Now they have realised that however much new road space you build it will always fill up.

Instead OCC’s approach is to work out what kind of community they want children to grow up in and make it a reality.

‘If we actively choose policies which we know will make buses reliable and fast, and make cycling safer and more pleasant, people will have genuine non-car options.

It’ll take time and adjustment, it won’t always be easy, but it’s long-term thinking – solving the problem at the root, not sticking our head in the sand’.

What is OCC’s Plan?

OCC’s plan is to make best use of limited space, getting each type of road to perform best for the people who use it:

• residential and urban streets are for people – for neighbours to chat and kids to scoot to school; quiet and clean air are prioritised
• trunk roads, ring roads and radial roads are for getting around, including buses moving large numbers of people

‘Providing good alternatives [to the car] is key: if parents feel it is safe for their kids to walk and cycle to school because there’s a well-designed route then parents will let them do it’.

LTNs make residential areas more pleasant, and traffic filters will remove some through traffic from the city centre. The filters will speed up buses and make them more reliable.

‘I do understand that change causes nervousness.

I have had more conversations than I can count which begin with residents expressing anxiety, even hostility, about what they think the impact will be for their own lives. When I explain the detail of operation, including permits, exemptions, hours of use and other aspects, worry turns to reassurance and fears are assuaged’.

‘The filters will require all of us to think about how we use our cars. 40% of journeys are under two miles: do you really need to drive for that journey? Could you try another way?

Does your convenience trump the needs of others around you? Is your car actually the most convenient choice?

A car is a big, fast, intimidating, dangerous piece of kit. It makes me angry and sad to see drivers parking in bike lanes used by schoolchildren, or on crossings provided to help the elderly, partially-sighted, wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs, just to save themselves a few seconds as they nip into Starbucks or Sainsbury’s, when there is lots of safe, decent parking laid on for them just a minute or two’s walk away.

We shouldn’t have to engineer in costly measures to stop people doing this, but if we have to, we will’.

Vision for Oxford

What is Andrew Gant’s vision for Oxford?

‘Picture Oxford with buses that turn up on time, excellent Park & Ride services and safe cycling options for those that would like to try that. E-bikes bring more locations within commuting distance.

This will provide more options for getting to work at our schools and hospitals so that local roads don’t grind to a halt, while safeguarding the travel needs of patients, disabled people, health workers and carers’.

Delivering Change

Delivering change requires political will and consistency.

‘There’s a well-trodden series of steps to delivering real change: first people want the nice outcomes, then become understandably nervous about how this will be done – it’s really hard to imagine change!

Finally a policy is in place, and once it is working well and people adapt over time they see it improving their lives.

The middle stage is the hard bit: the key things are to explain and engage tirelessly, to work forensically on the detail of the policy and get it right (including, yes, compromise where necessary), to keep your political consensus in place and to stick like a limpet to the fundamental, underlying principle and objective.

Day-to-day pressures come and go. The vision does not…Change isn’t always easy, but it’s usually worth it’.

Colleagues in Other Places

‘One of the best parts of my job is talking to colleagues from other places, in the UK and abroad, and learning from each others’ experiences.

I would say, help us get this right. If you think we can help you, that’s great. And let’s talk about the bigger picture, about the direction of travel nationally and internationally. Let’s talk about getting people moving and how that can help the NHS, climate change and fuel security’.

‘It’s a huge encouragement and support to know that there is a committed and principled body of support behind our vision, covering individuals in all political parties, activist groups, the voluntary sector, innovative businesses, and people who simply take the time to drop me a supportive email. I call it the coalition of the willing’.