CYCLISTS want cars banned from more of Oxford's roads after criticising "questionable" £1.35m improvements to a roundabout.

Simon Hunt, chairman of Cyclox, said changes to The Plain failed to "tap into potential demand" and would not succeed unless more of the city centre was closed to motorists.

His comments came as Oxfordshire County Council revealed the number of cyclists passing through the revamped junction rose from 10,800 per day to 11,500 between 2013 and 2016 – a six per cent rise.

Work carried out in early 2015 widened approaches to the five-arm roundabout and added an extra lane for cyclists to make it safer.

Council transport boss David Nimmo Smith said yesterday he was "pleased with the results".

But Mr Hunt accused the authority of "weakness" and called for a "step-change" in efforts to encourage cycling.

He said the large amounts of east-west through traffic on The Plain intimidated many cyclists. He called for Longwall Street to be closed to cars to help reduce it.

Mr Hunt added: "This is quite a small increase that did not really tap into potential demand for cycling.

"For £1.35m, it is questionable whether it was worth it. Some of what has come out of it is good, but it will not produce the step -change that is needed.

"We need to reduce the vehicle volumes going through the roundabout and the most dramatic way to do that would be to close Longwall Street to traffic."

Oxford Mail:

  • FLASHBACK: Traffic jams at The Plain in January 2015.

A new Local Transport Plan for Oxford approved last year pledges to put cycling and walking "at the heart of" travel in the city. As part of that, so-called 'cycle super routes' would segregate cyclists from other road users and traffic levels and speeds would be cut on the busiest routes.

A bus gate is also proposed to restrict car access to Longwall Street by 2025 and to prevent westbound traffic from going beyond The Plain by 2035.

But Mr Hunt claimed the county council was "not acting" on the plan.

He said: "Major engineering projects like the one at The Plain, and also Access to Headington, will not improve things for cyclists and pedestrians in the way the Local Transport Plan says they should.

"The opportunities are not being grasped and it represents a weakness in attitude from the council.

"It must look at some restraints on private motor vehicles. That is a difficult political decision to make but it is one that has to be made.

Oxford Mail:

  • DISAPPOINTED: Simon Hunt, chairman of campaign group Cyclox. 

"The Oxford Transport Strategy in the 1990s blocked off Cornmarket Street and Queen Street to traffic, which at the time was a very dramatic move, but most people now agree it was the right thing to do.

"Now, three decades later, we need an equivalent step-change."

Oxford City Council also called for cyclists to be given "higher priority".

Its executive board member for planning, Alex Hollingsworth said: "It has been our view for more than 40 years that higher priority should be given to pedestrians, cyclists and bus users when it comes to allocating Oxford's limited road space.

"We will be looking at this closely as we review our local plan."

But Mr Nimmo Smith, the county council's cabinet member for transport, rejected claims it had not been ambitious enough.

Oxford Mail:

  • The Plain before it underwent works in early 2015.

He said: "This scheme was about making the roundabout safer for cyclists. We are not looking to ban traffic from going through The Plain and if you blocked off Longwall Street you would effectively be putting up a barrier in front of people travelling east or west through the city.

"It is always a question of balancing the different needs, but I do not accept that the council is not being ambitious enough."

A county council spokesman added: "The Plain is a key junction acting as a gateway to the city for a large proportion of the city’s population.

"It is encouraging that initial monitoring has shown an increase in cycle movements through this junction."