NEWS ITEM

Walton Street stays closed

But online consultation now open

Walton Street residents had a letter from the County Council saying that Walton Street would reopen once the works had finished. In fact, however, the works have been completed and the street has stayed closed to through traffic—and will probably remain closed for at least 18 months.

The process has started with a two-week preliminary period of consultation which will end at 4.00 pm on October 18. Assuming there are no material objections, the County Council will then proceed with an ‘experimental order’ to maintain a barrier at the Beaumont Street end. This will also mark the start of a formal six-month period of consultation during which other adjustments might be made. The experimental order could not last longer than 18 months. At that point the County would have to decide whether or not to make the closure permanent.

Many people in Jericho welcomed the closure enforced by the roadworks saying that it made for a much cleaner and quieter environment. Traffic flows in Beaumont Street were also smoother with the traffic lights switched off. If the closure is permanent, cyclists and pedestrians in particular will benefit from a safer street that has less traffic. There are however, also local objections concerning longer car journey times.

The County Council sees this trial as having the key benefits of:

• Improving air quality in the direct area
• Reducing traffic congestion in the local area by removing the signalised junction of Walton Street/ Worcester Street
• Helping to create a safer environment for cyclists and pedestrians within the city
• Reducing “rat running”

200 letters were delivered on October 4 to properties in the immediate vicinity of the proposals and an email has gone to to key stakeholders. The latter include the bus companies, for example, university colleges and cyclists and pedestrian groups.

But there is also an online questionnaire that anyone can complete at this stage if they have views on this closure. This is available on the County Council website by clicking HERE.

You can also email christian.mauz@oxfordshire.gov.uk

There have been some vigorous opinions on this measure, for and against. So if you too feel strongly about what should happen, now’s your chance to get your views in early. The consultation closes at 4.00 pm on October 18.

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There is also another traffic consultation. The County Council is also still keen to have feedback on ideas being put forward to drastically reduce congestion and pollution across Oxford, and deliver better public transport, pedestrian and cycling access. These would include, for example, a bus gate in Worcester Street or Hythe Bridge Street, similar to the one in High Street.

More details on this in an earlier Jericho Online posting—An end to the civilized calm

You can see also more about this, and comment online via the Connecting Oxford webpage until midnight on 20th October.