Cyclists urged to peddle fund ideas (From Oxford Mail)

Cyclists urged to peddle fund ideas

7:00pm Monday 12th November 2012 in News By Oliver Evans, covering Banbury. Call me on 01865 425271

Buy this photo » Richard Mann

CYCLISTS are being asked to give their views on how more than £70,000 of council cash should be spent on minor road improvements.

Oxford City Council has set aside £77,000 for schemes like changes to cycle lanes and junction markings and better signage in three city areas.

They are from Rymers Lane in Cowley to the city centre; Barton to the city centre and Littlemore to the city centre.

The consultation, open until November 27, seeks ideas for “simple improvements” that can be “achieved quickly and at modest cost”.

Executive board member for city development Colin Cook said: “Clearly with the really small amount of money we have got, there is not a great deal we can do.

“It is about trying to improve things like road markings and removing barriers both physical and psychological, things which discourage people from using their bikes.”

Yet he said changing the layout of junctions – which have to pass a series of expensive legal hurdles – was out of the question.

“If we can encourage more people on to their bikes it brings benefits in terms of congestion and peoples’ health.”

The council has £32,000 for cycle lanes and markings, £20,000 for the removal of “obstructive barriers” and £25,000 for signage improvement.

Richard Mann, of Oxford cycling campaign group Cyclox, said the group wanted to see cycle lanes continue over all junctions.

The junction of Ferry Hinksey Road and Botley Road and Abingdon Road and Weirs Lane would be a prime candidate, he said.

He said: “The thing cyclists in the particular want is smaller improvements to fill gaps in the cycle network.”

Mr Mann also backed the removal of pedestrian barriers in an alley by Folly Bridge, saying they leads to queues on to Abingdon Road.

All work will need the permission of Oxfordshire County Council, the county’s highways authority.

The cash is part of the council’s four-year £800,000 “cycling city” project, revealed by the Oxford Mail in May this year.

Other planned projects include £30,000 on clearer or coloured cycle paths in the Barns Road area and extra signs in Rymers Lane, Cricket Road and Ridgefield Road.

To respond to the consultation visit tinyurl.com/c8vtef8 or call Stephen Smith on 01865 252770.