barriers obstructing cycling in Oxford

There are a lot of obstacles or barriers on cycle routes, in and around Oxford. These may

• make it impossible for some people to cycle a route all
• make a route so difficult or uncomfortable that some people won't use it
• create hazards that endanger people cycling

Here I look at three examples of gaps that are too narrow, all of them on high use cycle routes in Oxford. Cycle Infrastructure Design, LTN 1/20 is quite clear on this: "Where bollards are placed in cycle tracks a clear width of 1.5m is required for access by the full range of cycles." (There are 1.1m wide tricycles being ridden around Oxford, and many larger cycles are around 0.8m wide.)

Barracks Lane (National Cycle Route 57)

The left-hand gap here is 0.87m and the right-hand one 0.98m, which are further reduced by the 0.05m "wings" on the central bollard. This is dangerous.

"A friend clipped one of these brackets that are either side of the bollard in the dark, fell off her bike, and broke her elbow. The bollard itself is marked with reflective stickers, but the brackets aren't, and are invisible at night." [September 2025]

and

"This is far from the first time. I passed there some time last year(?) and there was a group of student aged folks waiting for an ambulance because one of their number had done exactly this. Suspected shoulder area fracture, iirc."

The wooden bollards on either side could be removed, and the central black bollard replaced with a wooden bollard.

the eastern end of the Marston Ferry Rd cycle track

The effective spacing in the three left-hand gaps is about 1 metre. As well as being too narrow, the existence of three gaps creates uncertainty about who should use the middle one — I have observed near-collisions when people attempted to cycle through it from both sides at once. And people sometimes cycle on the footway, where there is a much more comfortable gap. There are perhaps 3,000 cycle movements a day here.

The two black bollards could be replaced by a single central wooden bollard.

the eastern end of Holywell St

The spacing between the bollards is 0.97m. An ordinary bicycle can fit through with a bit of care, but larger tricycles can't. I once followed a friend with an ~80cm wide child trailer through here, and she managed ok but someone less confident might have to avoid this route.

The easiest fix here is probably to remove the gate and replace it with a single central bollard which can be unlocked when necessary.

There are also many barriers and obstacles that obstruct pedestrians. These egregious chicanes on either side of the Cherwell School south lane were removed after I suggested that to the local councillor.