Comments for Oxford Blog https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford from downunder to dreaming spires Thu, 21 Mar 2024 08:30:02 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 Comment on Sydney public transport by Pertinax https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2024/02/sydney-public-transport/comment-page-1/#comment-847226 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 06:39:18 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=13222#comment-847226 Planning to selectively build around train stations. But there are problems with strata laws which mean developers don't want to risk invest. It's only medium-height 5-8 story apartment blocks. And you are only building on 5% of the suburb, locking up 95% as low density for the NIMBYs. Councils are now on the warpath and throwing up anything they can to stall or stop development. This approach failed in The Bay Area. It also hard to plan development and transport until WFH has found an equilibrium.

Epping via Chatswood and Strathfield were running at 110% of capacity before COVID-19. That's why they are duplicating them with Metro lines.

Auckland on the other hand declared 20 km around the CBD open for development, where people want to work and live, and they reduced housing costs by 13.5%.

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Comment on our footways are falling into (the) cracks by danny https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/12/our-footways-are-falling-into-the-cracks/comment-page-1/#comment-845801 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 14:14:13 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12973#comment-845801 I'm all for less anti-pedestrian timings on crossings, but that's a different problem - and in requiring reallocation of space/time from motor traffic, one that's more difficult politically. In contrast, the changes to footway policies I suggest should not be so hard.

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Comment on An East-West foot-cycle route for Oxford by danny https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/08/an-east-west-foot-cycle-route-for-oxford/comment-page-1/#comment-845799 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 12:40:16 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12792#comment-845799 Even the Dutch don't plan for unaccompanied five year olds cycling any significant trips! (Maybe around the local woonerf.) But five year olds cycling alongside adults is more plausible, and it is interesting looking at the bottlenecks to 8-80 cycling on a route from Botley to East Oxford. The route I describe could be laid out to support inclusive cycling (the big/hard changes would be relocating the bus station and putting a bus gate on Longwall), but that leaves Botley Rd to the west and the Plain to the east.

One of the worst bottlenecks here, the railway bridge, is in the process of being rebuilt with 4 metres for walking and cycling in each direction. The Thames Bridge would need a new pedestrian bridge on one side, leaving 11m for a 5.5m central carriageway, 2m for the other footway, and 3.5m for the two cycle tracks. With some of the narrow stretches of road the best we can do (barring some serious compulsory property acquisition) is probably an Iffley Rd style Quickways treatment. If we can get enforced 20mph speed limits and a general reduction in motor traffic I think that's actually close to 8-80 accessible.

At the other end, there are a lot of ideas about the Plain...

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Comment on An East-West foot-cycle route for Oxford by Brian https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/08/an-east-west-foot-cycle-route-for-oxford/comment-page-1/#comment-845798 Mon, 01 Jan 2024 11:01:34 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12792#comment-845798 I am a frequent visitor and applaud this initiative. As a segregationist I would ask what route would you plan if the TdF was going from McDonalds on Botley Rd to beyond the Plain and also if later 5 year-olds (unsupervised) were taking the same route for a week. You would be allowed to ban any cars, buses, pedestrians you wanted and you had a budget of say £100M to make the route safe, continuous, and non-stop. Personally I like cycling down High St until I get near to Carfax - then it is buses, buses, buses.

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Comment on our footways are falling into (the) cracks by linda warman https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/12/our-footways-are-falling-into-the-cracks/comment-page-1/#comment-845754 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 18:54:44 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12973#comment-845754 Enforcement seems essential

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Comment on our footways are falling into (the) cracks by Rick Tanner https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/12/our-footways-are-falling-into-the-cracks/comment-page-1/#comment-845746 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:39:36 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12973#comment-845746 Also I'd add - zebra rather than pelican crossings wherever possible. And shorter waits where pelican crossings are used. Why do we have to wait so long to cross the entrance to the Westgate carpark?

And the lack of any sound on some pelican crossings. How do blind people know they can cross?

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Comment on our footways are falling into (the) cracks by Rick Tanner https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/12/our-footways-are-falling-into-the-cracks/comment-page-1/#comment-845745 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:36:18 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12973#comment-845745 Agree with all of the above. The issue of who is responsible is highlighted by current issues of the Abingdon Road. Where the County and City have different responsibilities where a listed wall could collapse, and the pedestrians are excluded from the pavement. Interesting judgements about safety where a wall could collapse so pedestrians have to step into the road to be "safer". And it is now over 3 months.

Similar for the Pipe Bridge (closed almost 3 years). Not safe to walk over, but safe to go under on a boat or foot!

Utilities need to repair leaving a good surface. But they also need to show the same priority to reopen that would be shown for roads.

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Comment on our footways are falling into (the) cracks by Hazel dawe https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2023/12/our-footways-are-falling-into-the-cracks/comment-page-1/#comment-845736 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 13:20:11 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=12973#comment-845736 Yes, yes, yes.
As to pavement width, I was shocked at the lack of enforcement when I moved here.
In Kent a lovely highways officer when alerted by me would I identify the landowner responsible and send them a strict legally worded letter instructing them to trim back any encroaching vegetation so that pedestrians could enjoy 'the full width of the pavement.'

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Comment on traffic filters: Hythe Bridge St + Marston Ferry Rd by danny https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2022/05/traffic-filters-hours-and-exemptions/comment-page-1/#comment-844515 Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:27:46 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=11683#comment-844515 The current proposals for the traffic filters would exempt all vans, so delivery drivers shouldn't be affected - indeed, they should enjoy much faster trips through the city centre.

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Comment on traffic filters: Hythe Bridge St + Marston Ferry Rd by Paul https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/2022/05/traffic-filters-hours-and-exemptions/comment-page-1/#comment-844514 Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:16:04 +0000 https://wanderingdanny.com/oxford/?p=11683#comment-844514 As a supermarket delivery driver, often providing an essential service to the less mobile members of our community
How are these further restrictions going to lmpact us ? The job is becoming increasingly difficult with so many road restrictions
Coming into play. How about including us along with the taxi drivers for some sort of exemption??

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