As well as looking at the problems that we face at the current time we need to consider the challenges and opportunities that we are likely to encounter in the future.
Around 47,000 additional homes are proposed to be built in Oxfordshire between now and 2026. Even greater levels of development are proposed for neighbouring areas such as Swindon, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury. Inevitably, this will create problems for our transport systems and require new or improved transport facilities.
Equally, some complex transport projects can take a long time to deliver. It is not unusual for major local road schemes to take 10 or 15 years to get through the processes of planning, design, and construction. If we are to consider major projects for the future we need to be thinking about them now.
Our plans for the longer term can be divided into two broad approaches: developing the county’s road network to cope with traffic growth, and finding ways to reduce traffic growth so that the existing network is not overloaded.
Measures to control the increase in traffic on the county’s roads include schemes and initiatives to encourage people to walk or cycle more for those journeys where this is a realistic alternative, or to encourage greater use of public transport. In particular, buses are likely to play an increasingly important role in the county’s transport system. We’ll be looking for ways to make bus travel more reliable, more comfortable and more convenient, for example by extending our Premium Routes network and investigating remote Park & Ride services into Oxford from Abingdon, Witney and Bicester.
Even if we are successful in controlling traffic growth, there will be some need for improvements to parts of the road network. Some of the more major schemes that are likely to be needed include, amongst others:
- Improvements to the A415 between Abingdon and Witney, including a bypass for Marcham;
- Continuing improvements to the A40 between Witney and Oxford;
- New or improved road links to support major new developments.
For these and other similar schemes we’ll carry out full local consultation as the plans are developed, both on the need for the schemes and, if they proceed, on their route and design details.
