Pause at the gates

Earlier this year, the City and County Councillors put forward a proposal to introduce temporary bus gates to assist Oxford’s recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. One of these would been around Worcester Street and Hythe Bridge Street. The proposed bus gates would, it was hoped, enable quicker, more frequent buses on less congested roads and create an environment safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

This idea was of particular relevance to Jericho. A bus gate could replace the barriers currently closing the end of Walton Street, since both would serve the same function of cutting out most through traffic.

Originally, the temporary gates were planned for September, now they will not appear any time soon since the County  Council has decided not proceed with the temporary bus gates “both in recognition of the split of local opinion and in consideration of their likely impact upon the council’s wider strategic transport strategy”.

The split of opinion refers to an online survey carried out in July which produced 7,262 responses. Overall, 50 per cent of respondents thought the bus gates were a good idea while 46 per cent were against them. These respondents were however from across Oxford and beyond, so were not just referring to the gates that would affect Jericho.

Levels of support for the proposals differed markedly by age. The younger the residents the more likely they were to support the idea. The groups more likely to oppose the proposal were businesses, schools, and people with disabilities.

However, even the gates do not appear immediately, they are still on the longer-term agenda as part of the broader Connecting Oxford programme.

In the survey residents were also asked about the reallocation of road space for other purposes. Of the respondents, 71 per cent agreed with the idea of more space for cycle lanes, 61 per cent supported expanded pedestrian areas, and 56 per cent more space for alfresco dining.