Trams Are Part of Oxfordshire Transport Plans
A "boulevard piazza" is
suggested for the centre of Oxford
City centre trams and a new railway station are included in proposals for the future of transport in
Oxfordshire.
The county council's 'Connecting Oxfordshire' plans are designed to cope with
the growth in population expected up to 2031.
Council Leader Ian Hudspeth said the proposal would "start a debate" on the
county's transport infrastructure.
He added he would not rule out ideas that "might seem fanciful" such as a
monorail around the city's ring road.
• There were 16m rail journeys to or from Oxfordshire stations in 2012/13 and 39m bus journeys
•The A34 carries 70,000 vehicles per day and the M40 carries 102,000 vehicles per day
• Around 180 buses per hour use Oxford High Street
• 80,000 vehicles (including cycles) carry 130,000 people across the ring road in 12 hours every weekday
A new park and ride service for Bicester and a new
Oxford Parkway station at Water Eaton, as part of East West Rail, are included
in the document which the council is opening to consultation.
Suggestions also include a new A40-A44 link road as well as improvements to
the Junction 9 of the M40.
A car-free "boulevard piazza" with trams is suggested for St Giles in
Oxford.
Mr Hudspeth said it would "really give a different feel to the whole city
centre".
"If you don't have the ambition then we'll continue to have a system which
isn't adequate for the future."
He added: "Connecting Oxfordshire is about starting the debate on how we can
work together to make it happen."
Focus Comment Yes it does all seem rather fanciful - especially trams. Since the advent of full size buses that are charged overnight and then run all day without the visual intrusion of overhead wires the age of installing new tram systems is somewhat over and done with. The massive disruption to town and city centres to lay tram tracks can no longer be justified. Guided Busways and Bus Only Lanes are now in vogue and are proving so popular that additional bus services are having to be added.
Save your money Oxford - don't even think about it!
Focus Comment Yes it does all seem rather fanciful - especially trams. Since the advent of full size buses that are charged overnight and then run all day without the visual intrusion of overhead wires the age of installing new tram systems is somewhat over and done with. The massive disruption to town and city centres to lay tram tracks can no longer be justified. Guided Busways and Bus Only Lanes are now in vogue and are proving so popular that additional bus services are having to be added.
Save your money Oxford - don't even think about it!
