A cycle route in North Oxford will receive £50,000 worth of improvements.

Oxfordshire County Council has unveiled plans to upgrade the route, which connects Jericho to Marston, by altering two crossings in Banbury Road and Woodstock Road.

Ian Hudspeth, the council's cabinet member for transport, said: "This is a sensible proposal which I had no hesitation in approving.

"It is the way forward and we are excited about the work being completed soon so that cyclists can start to benefit."

The route runs from the Waterside development near Port Meadow to Marston via Frenchay Road, Staverton Road, Belbroughton Road, Charlbury Road and Marston Ferry Road.

Work on improving the route is due to start at the end of this year and be finished within a month. The two pelican crossings - one near the Banbury Road junction with Belbroughton Road and another in Woodstock Road near the junction with Staverton Road - will be upgraded to toucan crossings.

Cyclists are not legally required to dismount their bike at toucan crossings, as with pelican crossings.

Signs along the route will also be improved and paths on the west side of Woodstock Road - between Frenchay Road and Bainton Road - will be converted into shared footpath and cycle paths.

Mr Hudspeth added: "At the moment it is a bit hit and miss with the cycle track going on and off the pavement."

Ros Weatherall, a member of Oxford's cycling group Cyclox who lives in Jericho, said: "I am always pleased to hear money is going to be spent on cycling, but I could think of plenty of other areas in Oxford which are in greater need of improvements to cycle routes.

"There are places like Cowley Road where it is incredibly dangerous to ride a bike, but I don't think the situation is anywhere near as bad in North Oxford.

"We welcome this spending, of course, but I think there are other issues which need to be addressed if we are to really get more people on their bikes in the city. The volume of traffic is probably key to this."