Oxfordshire County Council have opened a consultation to understand public opinion on allowing cycling on Sheep Street on an experimental basis for 18 months.

Bicester BUG fully supports this proposal and asks that our members and followers join us in offering support to this very important experiment.

Why are we supporting this?

In order to reduce traffic congestion in our town, we must make cycling a safe and convenient choice for all users. This means anyone, of any age or confidence level should feel comfortable cycling from their home, to any destination in Bicester.

There is currently no safe route from North Bicester to South Bicester.

The impact of this is most apparent at peak times, when so many local residents drive, or take a lift, to our local train stations and schools.

By simply permitting cycling on Sheep Street, everything changes. Not only do commuters have a safe route to reach onwards transport, but less mobile people have the option to use the shops and facilities on Sheep Street too.

What about Manorsfield Road?

Manorsfield Road does not represent a safe alternative to Sheep Street. For families, and less confident users the carriageway is not suitable as it is also a Bus Station and too busy.

Their option is to use the narrow pavement, which is designated as a Shared Path, but this stops abruptly and due to the Bus Shelter creates a far greater pedestrian conflict than on Sheep Street.

What about safety?

Firstly, pedestrians will maintain priority, there is no suggestion of creating a segregated track that pedestrians would need to cross. Cyclists will be required to travel at a safe speed and leave plenty of space, just as on any of the other shared paths around Bicester.

We believe this will be much safer than the current situation, for all users. Sheep Street is much wider than the Shared path on Manorsfield Road and there are no Bus Stops where people congregate or may step out unexpectedly from a Bus.

What about Friday Market?

We believe the only way to truly assess the impact of cycling on Sheep Street is to start by permitting cycling at all times. It's important to remember that pedestrians will maintain priority and that the permitted times can be changed at any time, without notice, during the 18 month experimental period.

What if it doesn’t work?

This is all just a temporary experiment, permitted by law, which must be limited to a maximum of 18 months. If, at any time, there is deemed to be an unacceptable risk then the experiment can be altered or scrapped immediately. So, abuse it and lose it. There’s an incentive to cycle safely!

What do I need to do?

Simply follow the link below and answer a few questions, it only takes a few minutes and every member of your household can respond. If you’re not sure what to say, feel free to use the answers on this page for guidance.

Consultation:

Respond to Consultation