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JCA Notices

The cafe is back

Our popular Saturday morning cafe is running again

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Jericho Pantry

The main purpose of the Pantry is to make food that would otherwise be thrown away accessible to people who live locally who can make use of it.

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Life drawing classes

Explore your creativity -- all levels welcome. 

Local artist Mike England holds life drawing classes at the community centre.

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Join your local association

The JCA represents residents on local issues, organizes events, and runs the community centre. Membership is FREE.

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NEWS ITEM

An end to the civilized calm

A more gentle pace of life for cyclists and pedestrians

Walton Street set to reopen as Councils present new proposals for restrictions

Posted - September 19, 2019

The inadvertent, and extended, experiment in closing Walton Street to through traffic is due to finish this weekend. The extraction of the recently discovered line of voids has been finished and the final re-surfacing work and reinstatement of the road humps is currently scheduled to be completed on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September.

Cutting off traffic into Worcester Street has frustrated many drivers, and for some residents has lengthened journey times for cars and taxis to work and to school. But for others it has been a more pleasant experience, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, as a blissful civilised calm descended on Walton Street.

Indeed, some local residents wondered why this closure could not be permanent. One suggestion along these lines is to make Walton Street one-way from the current traffic lights to Little Clarendon Street. In fact, this would then actually remove the need for traffic lights at that junction. Also, more of the street could be paved in the level, pedestrian-friendly fashion as it is alongside the Jericho Tavern.

For the longer term, the City and County Councils have just announced plans to tackle congestion on all routes into the City. Among other things, this would block cars by introducing a ‘bus gate’ in Worcester Street perhaps, or Hythe Bridge Street (see map below). This would be similar to the one operating in High Street, denying access to cars for at least part of the day, but permitting entry to buses, taxis and cycles, and maybe vehicles with Blue Badges

Combined with another bus gate in Oxpens Road, this should deter through traffic, including along Walton Street, and redirect cars to the ring road. The works for the proposed changes could be funded by a new ‘workplace parking levy’ on commuter cars coming into Oxford – through which employers would pay an annual charge for each parking space they provide. The plan also includes other measures to speed up bus traffic and reduce air pollution.

The new proposals, to be implement by 2023 to 2025, were presented on September 18 for the City by Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, who is Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainable Transport, and himself a Jericho resident.

“Since Walton Street was closed for repairs a few weeks ago everyone who lives in Jericho has noticed that the whole area is quieter, cleaner and more pleasant – and there hasn’t been any sign of the chaos that some might have predicted. It’s an example of two things that we think the Councils’ plans will deliver; first much nicer places to live and work, and second that change isn’t something to be feared, but welcomed.”

Full information on the new proposals is available on the County Council website where you can also give your views.

There would be bus gates in Worcester Street (or Hythe Bridge Street) and Oxpens Road, aiming to make it unattractive to head towards the city centre rather than the ring road.