A public consultation on the proposed cycling improvements for East St Helen Street and the junction by the Abbey Gateway was held today in the former Magistrates’ Court. A second opportunity to meet the designers will take place on Tuesday in the Roysse Room from 4 pm to 7 pm.
A steady stream of visitors came to study the plans and speak with the project representatives. Among those most vocal were residents of East St Helen Street – where a new cycling contraflow is proposed, local conservationists, and cyclists keen to see better routes through the town.
The proposals, initiated by the cycling charity Sustrans and designed by Oxfordshire County Council, were generally welcomed by those supporting more active travel. However, they also prompted a range of concerns. Some East St Helen Street residents questioned the safety of the design for both cyclists and pedestrians, and how it might affect the character of this historic street. Conservation-minded visitors raised worries about changes to the junction’s appearance — including the addition of several new crossing points and belisha beacons — and how these might impact views towards the Abbey Gateway and St Nicolas Church. Others felt the plans did not help pedestrians, saying that many people cross High Street and Stert Street elsewhere and may not use the proposed new island. Drivers, too, voiced concerns about traffic flow.
Discussions were lively showing how challenging it will be to balance all the competing interests.
Details and the online consultation can be found at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/eaststhelenstreet
There is no data from surveys or otherwise about how people cross bridge street / high street / the triangle bit near Fat Face
The 3 pelican crossings already there should be factored in and the whole area looked at as a whole. Options could include move the pelican near Costa closer to Fat Face.
the majority of east st helen st is simply not wide enough to include a cycle lane, unless the parking is to be removed, whoever drew up this plan has obviously not been to the street
Why are you surprised? I have tried to discover how many people on the Highways Committee have any driving or riding qualifications bey on the L-pate test with little success: my guess is fewer than the knuckles on a finger. I talk regularly to roads police officers and they are not impressed by many of the traffic planning decisions made by our councillors.
Sorry :
” how many qualifications beyond the L-plate test”
Pass Plus, advanced driving course with IAMSmart or RoSPA, emergency response course.
Should also have added motorcycle course with IAMSmart, RoSPA and emergency services.
Apologies to bikers.
One good thing about Abingdon is that it has a National Cycle Route that passes through it.
Hopefully these plans will upgrade the cycle route so that you can actually cycle along it. Thereby offering massive improvement in accessability for families, and people who commute through and into the town.
Contraflow cycle routes are common, and safe, but to improve accessability to less confident cyclists, children for example, I think there should be some extra visual clues to drivers to alert them to oncoming traffic, and the drivers responsibilities when sharing the road.
Coloured paving on the existing contraflow on St Mary’s Wharf, and the proposed extension of this contraflow would help.
What will happen on Eas St. Helen’s street when cyclists meet a Co-op lorry on its way to do a delivery?
the lorry will probably have to give way knowing the world we live
Do you mean that the traffic heirarchy where professional drivers of large vehicles should be attentive to the needs of vulnerable road users?
It’s not as if it would make any difference to the delivery time at the store 200 yds away.
The proposal includes passing spaces.
As HGV drivers are skilled, attentive, and on the whole respectful, there will not be any problem.
It’s not dissimilar to when HGVs meet any other vehicles on a narrow road.
Would you believe Tim that many of us lorry drivers, l have a HGV one and PSV licence, are actually attentive to the needs of vunerable road users.
HGV and PSV licence holders are extremely well qualified and experienced and deserve our admiration for the way they deal with the rest of us. Thanks for the reminder, Steve2.
Steve
For the reasons that you outline, along with the provision for passing spaces, delivery vehicles should prevent these proposals that make Abingdon more accessable.
I dont like these discussions being set up as cyclists vs drivers. Most cyclists also drive, many drivers also cycle.
There is a clear problem here about a national cycle route not linking up properly.
There is also a clear problem with the solution proposed that the road doesn’t appear wide enough to accommodate a car/lorry plus 1 or 2 cyclists, plus impacts resident/business parking.
It would be more productive to try and think of solutions that recognise both of these issues than debating the relative driving merits of different individuals many/most of whom will be behaving responsibly most of the time.
In terms of solution I wonder if we should be looking at closing east st helen street to traffic apart from for access for residents and to the businesses, then leaving the main use of the road as a cycle lane. There are other routes to gain access to wilsham road and west st helen street.
In the heirarchy of the King’s Highway pedestirans come first.
Also, l was simply making an observation about a HGV meeting a cyclist on East St. Helen’s Street. We should all be looking out for each other on the roads, but experience shows that there are idiots on the roads and every single one of us make mistakes. No one is perfect, although l’ve met a few who think they are.
Local councillor Nathan Ley has made an excellent video explaining the changes and the rationale for them:
https://youtu.be/9k4VjunZhqQ?si=LQtlOaBs4UOHJ19v