THE OXFORD PAPER Thursday, September 28, 2017 No.59
theoxfordpaper.co.uk
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Weekly leisure guide for in & around Oxford
Out& About
Your guide for your leisure time in & around Oxfordshire
‘I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading’
Bi-Pride flag flies over New look for junction to Taking to sky for charity town hall Page 5 improve use Page 13 jump Page 18
Jane Austen would have enjoyed Henley Liter ary Festival and so can you
The ramblings and discontents of Jeremy Hardy
‘Travel changes need to be made for Oxford to prosper’ By Eva Astreinidou ‘BETTER transport choices’ are on the agenda for Oxford with proposals for new charges and networks to help tackle congestion and poor air quality. A £100,000 research project will be launched over the next few weeks to fi nd out whether plans to introduce transport solutions, which would include workplace parking charges and a congestion charge, should go ahead. Initially, 1,500 local businesses will be asked to take part in a survey to better understand car-parking use at their workplace and determine whether the plans are feasible. Based on the results of this, residents and businesses could be consulted on the changes as early as February. Speaking at a meeting yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth said that doing nothing in the way of travel solutions is ‘not an option’. He said there needs to be a ‘mobile shift’ in travel, to include improvements to cycling and pedestrian routes. Other changes could include new locations for park and ride, more connectivity and app technology on roads, and even tunnels allowing rapid transit below the city centre and quicker journey times. He added: “As a driver, I am well
aware that I am part of the traffic problem every time I get in my car. “We have to act now if we are to ensure the city and whole of the county continue to prosper with better transport choices in place in the future. “We want to look at new ways for buses, cars and cyclists to share road space, and improve pedestrian routes.” Representatives from Cowleybased BMW have said previously that they are concerned the workplace parking levy could add to its already ‘significant’ operating costs. A spokesman said the company would respond accordingly to any future public consultation that is held. Proposals for the ‘ambitious improvements’ were published in the Oxfordshire Transport Strategy in 2016 which forecast job growth within and outside Oxford could result in a 25 per cent increase in journey time from 2011 and 2031. Without improvements to the transport network and changes of travel behaviour, this could result in around 13,000 more commuter car trips each day. The project also concluded that congestion, as well as lack of affordability in housing, could otherwise lead to a recruitment crisis. No further detail has been given about the areas that would be affected by either the workplace parking charges or congestion charging.
If you want to get ahead, get a hat... Making sure they stood out in the crowd were this group of walkers who were among thousands taking part in the Oxford Memory Walk on Sunday in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. For more pictures see pages 8&9. Picture: Kirsty Edmonds
ASHFOLD SCHOOL A leading independent prep school for boys and girls aged 3 – 13 years set in thirty acres of beautiful grounds on the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire borders For more information, please contact our Registrar, Fiona Grainge T: 01844 238237 E: registrar@ashfoldschool.co.uk www.ashfoldschool.co.uk @AshfoldSchool
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