Oxford is one of the few true ‘cycling cities’ in the UK, with 17% of journeys to work by bike in 2011. Sustrans and WSP worked together to develop a vision for Oxford to become a world-class cycle city.
The challenge
Oxford is one of the few true ‘cycling cities’ in the UK, with 17% of journeys to work in the city being made by bike in 2011. There is an aspiration for Oxford to become a world-class cycle city comparable to the great cycling cities of Europe.
Oxfordshire County Council commissioned a study to answer the following questions:
- What should the vision and ambition for cycling in Oxford be?
- What is the role of cycling in the economic growth of Oxford?
- What role has cycling to play in meeting objectives to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and to create a better place to live and work?
Sustrans’ solution
Sustrans and WSP worked on the following themes to develop a vision:
- Cycle demand analysis
- National and international best practice
- Review of existing transport policies and plans
- Audit of principal roads in Oxford
- Stakeholder engagement and expert panel workshop.
The final output was a 20-page vision document, attractively designed for a general audience and a more detailed technical report. We drew on our own experience in Oxford, and other cities across the UK, to analyse existing policies and propose improvements.
We convened an expert panel with academics and leading practitioners from Oxford to support this process, as did an earlier piece of work led by Sustrans and local cycle campaigners.
