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Ride supporting safe cycle route cancelled - because road is too dangerous

Campaigners say stance of police and council in Oxfordshire shows exactly why off-road path is needed

A group in Oxfordshire campaigning for a safe cycling and walking route along a busy road have been told by the police and local council that they cannot hold a planned Sunday afternoon ride there next month – because it is too dangerous.

Bike Safe has been fighting for the route on the B4044 between the village of Eynsham and Botley on the western fringe of Oxford for five years now.

The ride along the 5 kilometre stretch of road, which passes through Farmoor, was to have formed part of a Fun Day Out the group is organising in Eynsham.

However, on its website, the group says: “Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police have declared that the B4044 is too dangerous for our planned Sunday afternoon cycle ride, walk or run from Botley to Eynsham on September 11th.”

Far from expressing disappointment, however, campaigners say that the attitude of the authorities reinforces the need for a safe route for people on foot or on two wheels.

They said: “We agree and look forward to the opening of the B4044 Community path which will give us a safe route for cyclists, runners and walkers to travel between the west of Oxford and the village of Eynsham, on Sunday afternoons or any other day or time of the week.”

The Fun Day Out will continue in Eynsham itself however, including the Eynsham Unlocked discovery trail, a Pokemon hunt, Morris dancing, a barbecue at the Queen’s Head pub and live music at The Swan in the evening.

In 2011, Bike Safe produced a video showing why they believe the path is needed.

In the past, the two MPs whose constituencies the road runs through – Nicola Blackwood, who represents Oxford West and Abingdon, and former Prime Minister David Cameron, the member for Witney – have expressed support for the plans.

But despite Mr Cameron promising a “cycling revolution” while he was in Number 10 Downing Street, his own constituents are still left waiting for what they maintain is an urgently needed route.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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15 comments

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ChrisB200SX | 7 years ago
2 likes

Ah, so it's the road that's dangerous, not the motorists using the road? I like how the video shows buses and trucks crossing the double white line illegally, both driven by professionals who should know better and obey the law while doing their job.

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Awavey replied to ChrisB200SX | 7 years ago
0 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:

Ah, so it's the road that's dangerous, not the motorists using the road? I like how the video shows buses and trucks crossing the double white line illegally, both driven by professionals who should know better and obey the law while doing their job.

Though technically you would be allowed to do that overtake across the white lines if the bicycle was traveling 10mph or less & I think they chuck in and it's safe to do so too, whether that example meets that criteria I couldnt say

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kitsunegari | 7 years ago
0 likes

I'm sure if this was in central London, the cycle path would have been built years ago.

The road clearly isn't safe for all road users, the speed limit needs to be reduced and the road redesigned.

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Jitensha Oni replied to kitsunegari | 7 years ago
1 like

kitsunegari wrote:

I'm sure if this was in central London, the cycle path would have been built years ago.

And also in the constituency of the parliamentarian who said the UK was starting a cycling revolution a couple of years back, and whose constituency covers the north end of the roa… er.. hang on… 

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racingcondor | 7 years ago
2 likes

If a B road is too dangerous to cycle, ride a horse or walk down I'd argue that it needs a complete redesign.

In this case if it's getting a lot of heavy goods traffic then a narrow, winding B is probably completely inadequate for the use its getting and an alternative needs to be created.

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dougie_c | 7 years ago
7 likes

It's quite simple. The speed limit on that road needs to be reduced until it is safe for all users.

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Al__S replied to dougie_c | 7 years ago
2 likes

dougie_c wrote:

It's quite simple. The speed limit on that road needs to be reduced until it is safe for all users.

It seems there's places along this road that heavy lorries are servicing, plus the buses. Better to seperate cycle traffic and heavy traffic rather than pray to the gods of speed limit adherence and sensible driving

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jochta replied to Al__S | 7 years ago
0 likes

Al__S wrote:

dougie_c wrote:

It's quite simple. The speed limit on that road needs to be reduced until it is safe for all users.

It seems there's places along this road that heavy lorries are servicing, plus the buses. Better to seperate cycle traffic and heavy traffic rather than pray to the gods of speed limit adherence and sensible driving

Most of the vehicles using this road are avoiding the chaos that is the A34 and A40 west of Oxford. They are using it as a cut through between the A34 at Botley and the A40 at Eynsham. There is no reason whatsoever for any HGV to use this road.

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emishi55 | 7 years ago
4 likes

Terrifying. I can't believe that children are cycling on this route. 

I campaign for lanes and permeability in London. I used to have ideas about moving back to the countryside somewhere, but this film (excellently made) shows just what life is like outside of London. I know of so many roads like this. It's just so disgusting how thevolume and speed have been allowed to go on and up year after year. And remember that fine tory gov law change that allowed HGVs to travel even faster!

On this road its 50mph!! Its f*cking obscene. 

The statement from one person in th film - "get the cyclists of the road" stuck in my mind.

NO. Don't get them off the road - do soemthing about the f*cking vehicles.

Why are there 50 & 60 mph speeds on these roads.

I came back (by car as it happens) from Newhaven last week into London, writing notes on how many cyclists there were (very few) and the kinds of speeds - and noted an example also of that great  symbol of the speedophile brigade, the wrecked and charred (but still standing) speed camera. 

There must be some kind of action for the rest of the country, like we are trying to bring about in London. A network. A cycling grid - which means, vehicles are not entitled to use minor roads as through-traffic rat runs  (access only).

Thinking about hte HGVs travellig the road in the film, I can hear all the usual "who's gonna put your food on the table" arguments - as if vehicles with several axles grinding and pulverising their way along village roads (tracks not so long ago), as if there's simply no alternative...

Beeching. Who was doing the bidding of the other b*stard. They've got alot to answer for those tories.

Except the one who, for all the flack he's getting now (and also did from me when he got elected) has done enough to mke London something of a safe haven (yes it's B Johnson).

The Netherlands are providing fast routes for ebikes. But surely they don't have the kind of HGV racetrack insanity that has trashed the UK?

Apologies for the rant and lack of clear suggestions/solutions.

 

 

Avatar
WillRod replied to emishi55 | 7 years ago
1 like

emishi55 wrote:

Terrifying. I can't believe that children are cycling on this route. 

I campaign for lanes and permeability in London. I used to have ideas about moving back to the countryside somewhere, but this film (excellently made) shows just what life is like outside of London. I know of so many roads like this. It's just so disgusting how thevolume and speed have been allowed to go on and up year after year. And remember that fine tory gov law change that allowed HGVs to travel even faster!

On this road its 50mph!! Its f*cking obscene. 

Why are there 50 & 60 mph speeds on these roads.

There must be some kind of action for the rest of the country, like we are trying to bring about in London. A network. A cycling grid - which means, vehicles are not entitled to use minor roads as through-traffic rat runs  (access only).

Apologies for the rant and lack of clear suggestions/solutions.

 

Here in Suffolk, the roads are generally not too bad, but it is getting worse as more people move to the area. They are going to build over the fields between my village and the small market town nearby. When they do, the nice straight gravel cycle track will be turned into a winding road littered with parked cars!

Going back to the A-Roads. My mate lives on the A140 which goes up to Norwich and he hasn't cycled for years because it is too bad. The B-roads are normally fine though, despite being pretty similar (60mph limit, single carriageway) but they pass through less populated areas.

 

I think it all comes down to population density and main roads. If there are only small towns and villages nearby, and it isn't a main road between towns, it will normally be a safe road from what I have experienced anyway.

 

Sorry for the long post and ramble  3

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Awavey replied to WillRod | 7 years ago
1 like
WillRod wrote:

Going back to the A-Roads. My mate lives on the A140 which goes up to Norwich and he hasn't cycled for years because it is too bad

The A140 is bad enough to drive in a car,the mix of traffic being the main link road North/South to the rest of the main road network,slow farm machinery,HGV traffic caused by bad planning of distribution centres on former airfields, & an abandon of general common sense for car drivers, you'll be faced with at least one head on near miss per journey due to Mgif overtakes,I'd be utterly petrified to cycle on any of it.

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jimhead | 7 years ago
2 likes

Unrelated to the cycle path but there's a manned toll bridge on this road that costs 5p a crossing for cars. It causes massive tailbacks in both directions at rush hour (not to mention the annoyance of having to find two 5p pieces every day).  The bridge came up for sale a few years ago and the council refused to purchase it despite its relatively low price.

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Leviathan | 7 years ago
7 likes

So cyclists are barred from Motorways, but A-roads are suicide in the country and B-roads are now too dangerous. So we are just left with unlisted roads; but don't expect to go anywhere.

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Flat_out_fred | 7 years ago
3 likes

Welcome to my daily commute!

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HarrogateSpa | 7 years ago
3 likes

I like the video - it presents a very strong case for their cycle path.

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