Hundreds of cyclists sign petition to redesign 'potentially lethal' Oxford junction

Nearly a thousand people have signed a petition asking Oxford Council to redesign a junction at Hythe Bridge near the railway station, saying it is ‘potentially lethal’ for cyclists.

The petition, begun on change.org and signed by 822 people at the time of writing, asks that
says that “there are far too many cyclists to be safely accommodated in the "waiting" area in the middle of the crossing.

“Fast-turning lorries and cars swing round from two directions into Hythe Bridge and miss cyclists by inches.

“It is also not clear when it is safe for bikes to cross over into George Street.

“Could the Council look at alternative ways of keeping safe  the hundreds of cyclists who travel from the station and Botley Road to town.

“One solution might be to copy the lights on the corner of the High and Longwall: low-level traffic lights designed for cyclists, giving a few seconds before cars and buses are given the go-ahead.

“This enables bikes to move to a wider part of Magdalen Bridge before buses can overtake them.

“The same arrangement could work on the Hythe Bridge Crossing with cyclists crossing over to George Street before 4 wheeled traffic starts to flow in three directions.”

This area of Oxford has been long disrupted by the works to improve Frideswide Square, outside the Saïd Business School.

Recently, temporary traffic lights have been causing long tailbacks on the Botley Road.