Busy Plain junction set for big changes (From The Oxford Times)
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Busy Plain junction set for big changes
7:20am Friday 3rd August 2012 in News
By Damian Fantato, covering Summertown, Jericho and North Oxford. Call me on 01865 425429
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Graham Jones negotiates the Plain
A MAJOR junction in East Oxford could soon change to make it more cycle-friendly.
The Plain – where traffic from Magdalen Bridge, St Clement’s, Cowley and Iffley roads converges – has long been considered an accident blackspot for cyclists.
And the city council is proposing to spend £35,000 on a series of high priority improvements.
This will include altering the entrance to Cowley Place to make space for a cycle lane between Iffley Road and Magdalen Bridge.
Changes will also be made on the approach to the roundabout from St Clement’s so cyclists can bypass queuing traffic more easily.
Graham Jones, who represents St Clement’s on the city council, said: “This is the busiest pinchpoint for Oxford’s cyclists, with four major traffic flows converging.
“Lack of lane discipline on The Plain is shown by cyclists and drivers alike – so something more radical is needed.
“It could be a cycle lane linked with pedestrian lights-controlled crossings, or shared road space as proposed for Frideswide Square.”
The alterations form part of an £800,000 council scheme to help make the city a better place for cyclists.
A total of 57 projects across the city have been listed to be carried out.
Colin Cook, the city council’s board member for city development, said he was working with Oxfordshire County Council over some of the improvements. He said: “It is dangerous for cyclists so we are trying to give them a fair crack of the whip.
“The Plain is quite a significant junction and I can see how a cyclist who is not assertive would be intimidated by it.”
Cash will come from a number of different sources.
The council will spend £100,000 from its capital budget in each of the first two years of the scheme followed by £50,000 in each of the following years. It then plans to spend £10,000 from its revenue budget in each of the four years of the scheme, with an additional £500,000 coming from Section 106 money which is paid to the authority by developers to help with infrastructure within communities.
Comments(15)
al_oxford
says...
9:28am Fri 3 Aug 12
sablond oxford
says...
9:50am Fri 3 Aug 12
Why bother with the lights? The number of cyclists that go through pedestrian lights (thinking that they don't apply to them), they won't pay attention to these one either!
Also in the dark cyclist without lights are virtually impossible to see whatever junction they are at!
Yes cars can be at fault but cyclists should obey the laws too!
Bartsimpson_uk
says...
10:24am Fri 3 Aug 12
fat Barry
says...
10:58am Fri 3 Aug 12
Anyway you're back now, that's good.
Bartsimpson_uk
says...
11:37am Fri 3 Aug 12
Wanchai
says...
6:41pm Fri 3 Aug 12
I hope the council know what they're doing. If they get it wrong and make a cycle lane that is slower to travel along than the main road, cyclists will just stick to the road.
davyboy
says...
8:11pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Whopper w/o Pickle Cornmarket St
says...
4:01am Sat 4 Aug 12
al_oxford wrote:Are you having a larf, the queue of traffic from the plain stretches back for a mile to South Parks Road during rush hour, your comment is as rational as me saying that McDonalds sells gourmet food that knocks spots off The Ivy.
What really needs to be done is the approach from Magdelen Bridge to be reduced from two lanes to one. There is rarely any queue of traffic there anyway. Reducing to one lane will eliminate the threat to cyclists when crossing lanes to go down Iffley or Cowley roads.
oxfordcan
says...
1:02pm Sat 4 Aug 12
EMBOX1
says...
3:19pm Sun 5 Aug 12
Maybe its time for a complete rethink on this junction?
museli
says...
4:37pm Tue 7 Aug 12
Wanchai wrote:I agree - neither The Plain or the rail bridge should worry a confident cyclist. There is too much emphasis on changing road layout and not enough on proper training and law enforcement for road users.
Is The Plain actually a blackspot for cyclists? Or are people just intimidated by it. Similarly the Botley Road rail bridge mentioned in earlier article - it's frankly not dangerous to cycle under but could be seen as dangerous due to proximity of walls and lack of a lane on one side. I struggle to say this but perhaps Bart is right and nervous cyclists should have training to give them the confidence to tackle the Plain etc.
I hope the council know what they're doing. If they get it wrong and make a cycle lane that is slower to travel along than the main road, cyclists will just stick to the road.
museli
says...
6:36am Wed 8 Aug 12
Kingston Road Crusader Ox2 6EG wrote:Welcome back Peter! I think Jones is just returning his signaling arm to his handle bars as one does in such situations.
By the way is Jones stationary on this busy roundabout for this picture, or just cycling one handed around it? Either way he is not looking at the road or aware of the UPS van behind him. not the safest of things to be doing, and typical of the cyclist mentality.
Abartonresident
says...
12:56pm Wed 8 Aug 12
Parveez
says...
7:07pm Wed 8 Aug 12
Cathena says...
8:46am Fri 3 Aug 12
It would help if a lot of the cyclists approaching the Plain bothered to look over their shoulders before they change lanes. Motorists are also at fault sometimes but some cyclists just charge into whichever direction they want to go regardless of other road users.