Robert attended Oxfordshire County Council's public consultation in Cassington Village Hall to look at the proposed transport improvements to the A40 Corridor, where he discussed them with OCC Leader, Ian Hudspeth.
The proposals include detailed design and plans for the proposed Eynsham Park & Ride and A40 Bus Lane scheme, which are proposed to be built by March 2021. These proposals include an eastbound bus lane from the proposed park and ride towards Oxford and short sections of westbound bus lane, as well as upgraded cycling facilities on the north side of the A40.
The consultation also shines a light on further potential improvements to the A40 beyond 2021, including improvements to highway capacity by extending the A40 dual carriageway at Witney to the proposed Eynsham Park & Ride.
There is also a proposal to improve bus journeys from Oxford by extending the westbound bus lane, and to widen the Duke’s Cut Canal and Wolvercote Railway bridges to enable the eastbound bus lane towards Oxford to travel over these pinch points and towards the Wolvercote roundabout.
Improvements to cycle routes are also proposed: a new path from the A40 cycle route to National Cycle Route 5 on the Oxford Canal Tow path is proposed, as well as seeking to provide the long distance dedicated walking and cycling route from Eynsham to Botley along the B4044 that Robert has campaigned for over the last two years.
In early December, OCC will be holding a series of exhibitions in Eynsham and Witney - but everything is available online here.
Robert said: "There's a lot that we'll want to see in order to relieve the A40 congestion that is a huge blight on West Oxfordshire. I want to see an integrated transport network: this includes bus links to improved rail services, including a redoubled Cotswold Line with more frequent, more reliable trains to take people off the road wherever possible. But I also want to see improvements to the A40 itself for those who have to use it, with public transport solutions and cycling infrastructure, too. And this is reflected in the proposals that we see displayed here. There's more that we'll want, of course, but this is the biggest step forward for the A40 in a generation I would suggest that we take what is on offer, and I will keep pushing for more.
"But I want to know what constituents think. I would urge everyone to have a look at the consultation papers, submit your own response - but also email me with your thoughts and I’ll reflect these in my own consultation response. It is vital that OCC clearly understand what we want to see."
