Apparently the plan is to reduce traffic congestion in the city...
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The Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan is part of a countywide Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP).
The LTCP sets a clear vision to deliver a net-zero transport system that enables Oxfordshire to thrive, protects the environment and makes the county a better place for all residents to live.
It includes ambitious targets such as:
cutting car trips by a quarter by 2030
delivering a net-zero transport network by 2040 and
eradicating road fatalities or life-changing injuries by 2050
Why is it needed?
Oxford is very much a historic city with limited road space. So, to alleviate congestion, the council is looking at how individual car journeys can take a back seat so that space-efficient travel options, like zero-emission buses, taxis, and delivery vans, can become the norm.
Average bus speeds in Oxford have been declining on key routes to and from the city centre and employment sites, with only 8mph achieved between the JR hospital and city centre via Cowley Centre during weekday peaks.
Additionally, certain parts of the city regularly breach the legal emission levels, so the council needs to rapidly reduce carbon emissions from all transport-related activities.
There is also the impact of growth to consider. From 2011 to 2031, 100,000 new homes will be built in Oxfordshire, with at least 15,000 in and around Oxford to help with the city’s unmet housing need. Based on current trends, the increased demand for movement in the area will exacerbate congestion in future years.
What is proposed?
Given the issues highlighted above, the council is looking to put in place measures that ensure buses are fast, affordable and reliable, where people can walk and cycle in pleasant and safe environments, and where high-polluting traffic is unnecessary.
More specifically, the council has put forward a set of 22 actions to help achieve a sustainable and reliable transport system across the Central Oxfordshire area, including some significant transport proposals for Oxford city.
From traffic filters and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) to zero emission zone (ZEZ) and workplace parking levies, here’s just about all you need to know about Oxford’s key traffic initiatives. These traffic initiatives or transport schemes are part of wider proposals to encourage sustainable travel and reduce congestion in the city.
The proposal doesn’t sound like it is so citizen friendly and free. It states that you have to ask permission to go beyond your “zone”? And there is a committee that regulates this. Have you ever seen the movie “Mockingjay: The Hunger Games”? This city hasn’t gone all in yet but personally...how far will these “policies” go if the citizens go along with it now and those in charge think they need to tighten it further. I don’t know...maybe I am thinking too much but I wouldn’t want to do what they are doing. Using their term “Climate Lockdown” sure doesn’t help! When they say lockdown, what does that bring to mind??