Monday 16th July 2012

Police oppose Oxford ring road speed limit cut

Thames Valley Police says pulling limit on A40 from 70mph to 40mph is potentially dangerous

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A40 Oxford ring road: currently 70mph, could become 40mph

Recent plans to cut the speed limit on part of the Oxford's city ring road from 70mph to 40mph have, perhaps unsurprisingly, not been universally popular. But it's with whom the scheme has met with resistance that's intriguing; it's not just from Oxfordshire County Council, but now also from Thames Valley Police.

As part of Oxford City Council's proposal to build up to 1,200 houses alongside the Barton area of the A40, a new 40mph speed limit has been proposed to create an 'urban boulevard'. Since some of the new houses are planned to directly face the dual carriageway, three pedestrian crossings are also proposed, linking the houses to the city on the other side.

Thames Valley Police has been reported in the local press as saying that a 40mph limit would be inappropriate for a dual carriageway and that it simply wouldn't be possible to enforce the limit effectively. It has also voiced concerns over pedestrian safety, suggesting that people could find it hard to judge the speed of oncoming traffic - especially if that traffic is flowing at a variable rate.

The issue could turn into a power struggle between the City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, which has responsibility for speed limits in the area. The county council has suggested that 50mph would be a more appropriate figure for a dual carriageway and has estimated that placing pedestrian crossings on the A40 would lead to an extra six accidents per year.

But these questions of safety, a cynic might suggest, might actually be secondary to noise considerations. There is of course a desire to build as many homes in the area as possible, but a limit higher than 40mph might require houses to be moved back from the road so as to accommodate barriers to mask traffic noise.

But whatever the real reasons for the call for the 40mph zone, it's refreshing to see both police and local authorities campaigning for the often apparently mutually exclusive causes of safety and decent-speed traffic flow.

The scheme undergoes a public planning enquiry this week.

 

[thewheelman]

I hope common sense prevails

[Quacker]

I drive on that road regularly and I have to say that 40mph is ridiculous. Certainly around Oxford the road is long, mostly straight and wide. Its by no means an accident black-spot so why fix what isn't broken?

The counter argument about pedestrians not being able to judge the speed of oncoming cars is not a particularly strong one mind, as there are very rarely pedestrians anywhere along it, let alone trying to cross over it.

[200bhp]

Why cant they just build a pedestrian bridge over the road?

[Mabbs9]

When a bypass has houses built along it and the speed limit is reduced, it is no longer a bypass. It will become another congested road, requiring a bypass.

Great thinking, Oxford City Council.

[Riggers]

Quacker said:

I drive on that road regularly and I have to say that 40mph is ridiculous. Certainly around Oxford the road is long, mostly straight and wide. Its by no means an accident black-spot so why fix what isn't broken?

The counter argument about pedestrians not being able to judge the speed of oncoming cars is not a particularly strong one mind, as there are very rarely pedestrians anywhere along it, let alone trying to cross over it.

That's an argument against the 40mph plan - police say that some traffic will be travelling fast, some slower, so it's difficult to judge

[alfaben]

Its a joke already the congestion the speed drop to the 50 area causes, so to go for 40 is even more of a silly idea...

[varsas]

Quacker said:

very rarely pedestrians anywhere along it, let alone trying to cross over it.

There might be a few more if they build 1,200 homes alongside it at least I assume that's the argument. I heard they want this new development to be linked with the tow and seen as part of it, hence the need for crossings.

[Don Gilham]

At least the Poltice are seeing a little sense, unlike the dimwits in government (not I did not capiialise the name).

I would think that a great many accidents on rural roads are cause by frustration at not being able to overtake people who drive at 40 mph !!!

[suffolk009]

"Urban Boulevard". Yeh, nice one.

Perhaps the North Circular should be renamed Boulevard Autour du Nord. Or, maybe we could have the Boulevard de Emme Vingt-cinq.

Aren't Oxford City Council notorious for their anti-car views?

[forzaminardi]

If they must build new houses there, why not do it properly, building great big sound-deadening baffles, making it extremely difficult for pedestrians to get access to the road and build pedestian bridges so people can come and go as they please without hving to worry about traffic or hindering the same traffic's flow?

Oh, I know the answer to that - because we're in the UK and therefore do everything in a half-arsed way.

[davidf4]

Building houses right next to this ring road is obviously not desirable to road users (backed by the police here) and not desirable for the potential residents, of what I assume will be those hideous three story houses, packed together without proper gardens, casting shadows over each other and looking like a set of prison blocks.

So who is it desirable for? The council no doubt, who want more housing rate money, and the developers who want to ring the last penny out of the land they’ve acquired (probably cheaply because it’s next to the road).

These idiots are starting to get on my nerves. They’ll pack hundreds of houses onto a postage stamp, without any thought about the damage that will be caused to surrounding communities because of extra stress on local services, schools, hospitals, the road network, employment, etc, etc.

[BMWill]

this is ridiculous. oxford city council seems determined to make driving round oxford as unpleasant as possible. the main a420 that goes into oxford used to be a double lane road. now, there's only one lane for cars each way and one reserved for buses (which seldom come as frequently as advertised).

speed limits in oxford have been falling steadily for a few years now. pretty much everywhere off the main roads now sports a 20 mph speed limit. the ring road being reduced to 40 is ludicrous. also, the money would be better spent de-chaving barton. building these extra 1200 homes will bring more traffic to an area that has been given a ridiculous amount of traffic due to the council's new bottle neck procedures

[ukaskew]

Near the A303 in Wiltshire tthere is an NSL road that inexpicably drops to 50mph when it turns into a dual carriageway, then reverts to NSL when it merges back into one lane. It is by far the most widely ignored limit I regularly travel on, the majority of drivers will drive to a speed they feel is safe, so it's completely pointless setting an artificially low limit.

[Marwood79]

forzaminardi said:

If they must build new houses there, why not do it properly, building great big sound-deadening baffles, making it extremely difficult for pedestrians to get access to the road and build pedestian bridges so people can come and go as they please without hving to worry about traffic or hindering the same traffic's flow?

Oh, I know the answer to that - because we're in the UK and therefore do everything in a half-arsed way.

Very sensible points. I agree this has 'lowest-cost option' all over it.

Although I recently moved house and during my search I viewed numerous properties close to roads... I was absolutely AMAZED at the difference the speed made to the noise level - 30mph = unnoticeable; 40mph = slight nuisance; 60mph = no way. Completely invasive.

[gaz9185]

All this tinkering with speed limits, sleeping "coppers", chicanes, speed humps. and the forest of sineage - what cost all this - can be solved with one simple solution. Everybody has to have and use a pedal car.........just think also of the other benefits: the environment and health improvements!

[samoht]

Mabbs9 said:

When a bypass has houses built along it and the speed limit is reduced, it is no longer a bypass. It will become another congested road, requiring a bypass.

Great thinking, Oxford City Council.

This.

See also the Purley Way Croydon 'bypass', which was created to allow seaside traffic to reach Brighton quickly and easily, but is now an out-of-town retail park, with 30mph limit and close-packed traffic lights.

[jamespink]

Quacker said:

I drive on that road regularly and I have to say that 40mph is ridiculous. Certainly around Oxford the road is long, mostly straight and wide. Its by no means an accident black-spot so why fix what isn't broken?

The counter argument about pedestrians not being able to judge the speed of oncoming cars is not a particularly strong one mind, as there are very rarely pedestrians anywhere along it, let alone trying to cross over it.

I would imagine you would have to be Hussein Bolt to cross using a pedestrian crossing on that double carriageway at "goin' home time"! Suicidal! Oxford County Council have shown themselves to be totally incapable of selecting appropriate speed limits for the counties roads, resulting in endless 30MPH "strings of villages". They will doubtless come up with a blanket 20MPH proposal shortly...

[otolith]

BMWill said:

oxford city council seems determined to make driving round oxford as unpleasant as possible.

Of course they are, look at who the councilors are;

http://mycouncil.oxford.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?...

[RemyMartin]

The word Oxford and s go hand in hand.

[AAGR]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Oh sure - and how many houses would have to be abolished ? Be reasonable ....