£9.1m scheme to reduce congestion in Botley Road expected to start in spring

Oxfordshire County Council is planning to overhaul the route from the Eynsham Road junction to Binsey Lane.

The improvements being consulted on include upgraded junctions at Eynsham Road and at Seacourt park-and-ride, new cycle lanes and shared pedestrian and cycle paths, and new pedestrian and cycle crossings.

Consultation took place throughout the year and concluded on December 19 when councillors agreed to go ahead with the proposals.

City councillor Colin Cook said earlier the new scheme was starting at the 'wrong end of the road' and would remove parking spaces outside businesses including sandwich shop Country Grains and bike shop Warlands.

The owner of the launderette in Botley Road is also opposing the removal of parking spaces.

Once the consultation has been concluded a timetable will be set out for the work to start in the spring.

READ AGAIN: £9m Botley Road scheme starts at the wrong end

The council website said earlier: "Following completion of the formal consultation any unresolved objections will be reported to the cabinet member for environment’s decisions meeting on December 19.

"Subject to the outcome of the decisions meeting, construction is currently scheduled to start from spring 2020.

"We will listen to and communicate clearly with residents, road users and businesses helping us to minimise disruption as far as possible."

The key changes that will be brought about by this project include:

• Bus priority measures to improve bus journey times and reliability along the route.
• Major cycle improvements to create a safer and continuous route along the corridor. This includes changes to several junctions along the route, notably changing the layout of junctions to encourage a reduction in the speed of vehicles using them, and providing additional cycle lanes to provide a clearly marked space for cyclists.

• More consistent and improved pedestrian provision, including additional crossings.
• Road surface repairs and improvements which will improve the condition and ride quality of the road to the benefit of all users.

READ AGAIN: Botley Road to get new ANPR cameras at park-and-ride

Highways managers said it was vital to upgrade Botley Road because it was recognised as being a very slow route in and out of the city centre, 'facing daily congestion problems and poor journey experiences for road users'.

The project aims to encourage greater use of more sustainable modes of transport - buses, cycling and walking, ease congestion on the route, reduce bus journey times so buses have an advantage over general traffic, provide a safer, more continuous and attractive route for cyclists and pedestrians, and reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.

The council said the scheme could also 'unlock economic growth and job creation opportunities by benefitting development sites with improved access and additional capacity'.

READ MORE: Botley Road launderette boss slams parking bay plans

It added: "These improvements will be further enhanced with future proposals such as Connecting Oxford and Network Rails proposed widening at Botley Rail Bridge."

Changes to the design proposals resulting from the initial consultation include additional cyclist facilities at the Eynsham Road junction, and a pedestrian refuge added to the west of Church Way.

There will also be changes at Seacourt park-and-ride to clamp down on drivers using the park-and-ride lane from the A34 Botley interchange to beat the traffic queues.

The council has revealed plans to turn the lane leading to the park-and-ride into a bus lane watched by number plate-spotting cameras.

It is just one of many new locations in the city where the council plans to create camera-monitored bus lanes.

For years commuters have been beating Botley Road morning queues by driving from the Botley Interchange in the left lane and pretending to use the park-and-ride, but then coming straight back out again.

Some drivers do not even bother to pretend and just push into the traffic queue.

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Thames Valley Police has carried out a number of spot checks over the years to catch drivers breaking the rules but there has never been permanent camera enforcement.

Now the council has revealed plans to extend the Botley Road bus lane across the entrance to the park-and-ride so it runs continuously from West Way to just past Waitrose.

The authority also plans to put up new number plate-identifying cameras to catch queue jumpers in the act, and land them with a fine – expected to be £60.

County council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: "Work is scheduled to start in April 2020, beginning with the Seacourt park-and-ride junction in coordination with the city council’s work on the facility. In advance of this, during March, there will be some statutory works being undertaken (gas, electric etc) and other minor enabling works.

"The overall Botley Road improvement scheme was approved by the cabinet member for environment.

"A recommendation on parking amendments was approved and a 20mph limit is to be extended further to include Waitrose frontage – a consultation will be needed on this change.

"We will be working with representatives from cycle groups to further inform the detailed design.”