Guest post by Owen McKnight (Oxford Pedestrians’ Association)
There have been dramatic improvements in infrastructure across East Oxford in the last few years. This is a timeline of specific changes in the OX4 postcode area (which covers East Oxford, Cowley, Rose Hill, Littlemore, and Blackbird Leys).
2019
- January: Thames towpath resurfaced
- November: Raised table installed at junction of Cornwallis Road/Littlehay Road/Rymers Lane
2020
2021
- January: Decision: Yvonne Constance decides to implement the Cowley Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)
- March: Cowley LTNs: trial begins with installation of bollards and planters in Church Cowley, Florence Park, and Temple Cowley
- March: School Streets: six-week trial begins at East Oxford Primary School and St Christopher’s CE Primary School
- March: Parking: Streetpod BikeBays installed at eight locations between Cowley Road and Iffley Road
- June: School Streets: trial begins at Larkrise Primary School
- December: Decision: Liz Leffman (standing in for Tim Bearder) decides to implement the East Oxford LTNs
2022
- January: Cowley LTNs: cameras installed at Bartholomew Rd and Cornwallis Rd bus gates
- March: Parking: Florence Park Controlled Parking Zone commences operation
- May: Quickways: 20mph speed limits introduced on Church Cowley Road, Cowley Road/Oxford Road, Donnington Bridge Road, Iffley Road, and London Place (St Clements)
- May: East Oxford LTNs: trial begins with plastic bollards and planters in Divinity Road, St Clement’s, and St Mary’s LTNs, including contraflow cycling on Howard Street
- May: Quickways: Iffley Turn junction remodelled opposite Cornwallis Road(photo from Google Maps)
- July: Decision: cabinet votes unanimously to make Cowley LTNs permanent
- July: Quickways: parking removed for continuous cycle lanes on Donnington Bridge Road and Iffley Road
- July: Marsh Road to Rymers Lane path resurfaced
- August: Quickways: parking removed for continuous cycle lanes on Cowley Road and Morrell Avenue
- August: Quickways: parallel ("tiger") crossing installed on Marsh Road (photo from Oxford Pedestrians Association)
- August: Rymers Lane to Campbell Road path resurfaced
- September: School Streets: Larkrise primary school scheme made permanent
- September: Campbell Road to Iffley Road path resurfaced
- October: Quickways: wands installed to protect northbound cycle lane on Iffley Road at James Street
- November: Decision: cabinet approves traffic filter plan, including filters on Hollow Way and St Clements
- November: The Plain: cycle markings remodelled
- December:Rail: City Council funds Full Business Case for reopening Cowley branch line
2023
- January: School Streets: ANPR camera installed for Larkrise Primary School, replacing volunteer marshals
- March: Cowley Marsh Recreation Ground: new shared cycle/pedestrian path
- March: Cowley LTNs and East Oxford LTNs: plastic bollards replaced with timber bollards (photo from Cyclox)
- April: Parking: loading restrictions approved at the Plain [not yet implemented]
- June: Parking: Donnington Controlled Parking Zone commences operation
- June: Decision: Andrew Gant decides to modify Cowley LTNs by replacing bollards with ANPR cameras on Crescent Road, Littlehay Road and Littlemore Road.
- August: Experimental bus lane in St Clement’s (modified in October to effectively become cycle lanes)
- October: Decision: cabinet votes to make East Oxford LTNs permanent, with an additional filter at Jeune Street and bollards replaced by ANPR cameras at Divinity Road, James Street and Magdalen Road.
- October: Decision: planning committee approves Donnington Playing Field/Recreation Ground cycle path
- October: Decision: Andrew Gant approves an ANPR camera to enforce the no left turn from Cowley Road into Iffley Road at the Plain [not yet implemented]
- October: Telraam traffic counters stop uploading data
- November: Flower Lane mural unveiled (photo from Oxford Pedestrians' Association)
2024
- March: Blackbird Leys development approved despite all-around concerns about the proposed cycling infrastructure
- April-May: six of the modal filters in East Oxford switched to ANPR control, and taxi/PHV access allowed.
- May: trial School Streets schemes start at St Mary and John, Tyndale and New Hinksey primary schools.
- June: consultation on options for traffic calming in Westbury Crescent.
- July: bollards put into Jeune St, changed to two-way
- July: working replacements for Telraam traffic counters
- September: an extra bollard some cycle parking plug the holes in the modal filter on Barnet St
Fingers crossed for the traffic filters!