Woodstock traffic

Wed 4 May 2022, 10:36

Harriet and Alice, email me at james.styring@charlbury-tc.gov.uk and I will arrange a time to collect and upload your comments. Same goes for anyone else having problems with the map.

Tue 3 May 2022, 09:50 (last edited on Tue 3 May 2022, 10:59)

These roads are residential roads.  People live there and their lives are blighted by the anti-social, law breaking behaviour of drivers who believe little laws apply only to little people. 

Where do most of the permanent, full-time residents of Charlbury live? Outside and on these roads perhaps? Who does the Council most wish to walk or cycle to the centre shops and meeting places? The residents who live slightly further away and who might be tempted to use their own cars? 

I don't often drive on those roads, unlike the 1,000 drivers I counted in 2 hours in the morning and again at lunchtime, but whenever I do I will be driving at 20 mph.  Maybe others will join me?

Now I will spend a couple of hours trying to get this ...**!** interactive map to work so that I can't be accused of "not responding to the consultation".  If anyone else wishes me to post comments on their behalf feel free to email me through the website.  Edit:  I do apologise for being rude about the map.  I have finally logged in and found it straight forward!  My offer to help others make their comments remains.

Mon 2 May 2022, 23:22 (last edited on Mon 2 May 2022, 23:25)

Pelican crossings - at 5-Ways, top of Dancers Hill, entrance to the Ticknell Piece estate & Nine Acres - would be beneficial. A neat idea used in Scandanavia is to equip pelican crossings with speed detection: the lights go to red (for their usual time period) if an oncoming vehicle is speeding.

Mon 2 May 2022, 19:46

If people obeyed the 30 mph limit on The Slade and Woodstock road, there would not be a problem - but they don’t.  So what do you do? The cheap option is to switch the 30 signs to 20 - and hope that the people who obey the new limit bring down the speed of the people who ignore it. Our house is on The Slade and the hardest thing about teaching our sons to drive was pulling out onto the road safely.

More expensive solutions include speed cameras and physical restrictions - such as speed humps (universally unpopular) and staggered entrances to the town such as the Hailey Road in Witney, and Crawley.

I would urge Charlbury residents to obey the current limits - this way following traffic has to as well.  It is a small step we can all take to make the town a better place for everyone

Mon 2 May 2022, 19:17

That’s kind of the point, Jackie. It’s almost impossible to stick to 30 on that stretch, let alone 20mph. Coming the other way, from national speed limit to 30mph, I doubt anybody is anywhere near the proper speed until the bend.

Mon 2 May 2022, 18:14

No, the speed limit on Woodstock Road should not be increased to 40mph, and thank heavens it isn't going to happen. Very few drivers adhere to the 30mph on Woodstock Road as it is and trying to cross the road at the Fiveways junction at busy times of day is a nightmare.  There should be a pedestrian crossing at the Fiveways junction to allow pedestrians to cross safely; a pedestrian crossing would help to slow the traffic too.  

Mon 2 May 2022, 17:47

How long does it take to drive the Slade from the turnoff to Ditchley road to Fiveways at 30mph? 74 seconds. How long at 20mph? 111 seconds. I often hear that it would be pointless to lower speed limits because people would not adhere to the limit, or that it cannot be policed. My answer to that is why do we then have speed limits? I was told some years ago that the Slade could not have a 20pmh limit "because it is a B road" or "because it is a trunk road" or similar arguments. Funny that it is now 20 mph all through Burford. On an A road. Or try London - pretty much every road inside M25 appears to be 20 mph now. 

Mon 2 May 2022, 14:27 (last edited on Mon 2 May 2022, 14:37)

It would be really, really annoying trundling down The Slade, Sturt and Woodstock Roads at 20. They’re large enough to keep at 30 without any issue at all. All it would achieve is more people speeding. A temporary 20mph zone during key school hours would be a good idea, for a short stretch. If anything, the speed limit should go up to 40 on Woodstock Road, but obviously that’s not going to happen.

Agree that the interactive map is dreadful, however.

Mon 2 May 2022, 12:40

I gave up on the interactive map. Same reason as usual, I have a visual disability and that affects my ability to use screens, not just my ability to judge distances when crossing roads etc. 

Mon 2 May 2022, 12:12 (last edited on Mon 2 May 2022, 12:12)

The only places we need a 20mph speed limit in Charlbury are those roads that do not have them - The Slade, Sturt Road, Woodstock Road and Nine Elms.  All the local towns and villages now have them, so can we.  Where there’s a will there’s a way.  The other roads in the town are too restricted to drive as fast as 20mph.  We could perhaps just move the signs to those roads where there is demonstrably more danger and distraction.  Years of data in the Speedwatch data is available.

I can’t make your interactive map work I’m afraid.  I expect others give up too.

Mon 2 May 2022, 11:21

It is needed here James on The Slade!  You’re obviously not a pedestrian !  

Sun 1 May 2022, 17:01 (last edited on Sun 1 May 2022, 18:54)

Not really needed here, apart from the places it already is in place. It would be 20 for the sake of being 20, where there’s little danger or distraction. In Woodstock they have greater footfall who are not used to the place.

Sun 1 May 2022, 15:52 (last edited on Sun 1 May 2022, 16:06)

Please add any comments to our interactive map at https://communitymap.uk/project/charlbury_lcwip - communitymap.uk/project/charlbury_lcwip - all part of the call for submissions for our walking and cycling plan.  See https://www.charlbury.info/news/3882

Sun 1 May 2022, 11:30

Interesting Alex, I think it could work here. Are you thinking about any roads particularly?

Sun 1 May 2022, 08:20

I see that a 20mph limit is being considered for the A44 in Woodstock, according to the Oxford Mail, to improve safety of pedestrians and improve overall quality of environment. How about Charlbury as well?