Jericho Connected

Our traffic filters warning sign audit continues. There are practically no warning signs about the lack of access to Westgate without a permit along the entire length of Abingdon Road. The one sign that hints at this (without saying so) is hidden behind a series of large trees. – at South Hinksey, England

We're now on the final approach to the Hythe Bridge Sreet OCC toll money spinner. Precious little warning about the £70 fining checkpoint..until seconds before you reach it. Do OCC active travel officers actually drive? – at South Hinksey, England

How to encourage park and ride usage, OCC style. Push most Westgate shopping traffic down one road that's also the main park and ride bus route into town. Don't build a bus lane under a pinch point, despite being offered an exta lane. Fine motorists who don't follow one route. – at South Hinksey, England

Let's take a carriageway look at the traffic filters signage in the run up to one of OCC's most lucrative fining locations - the Hythe Bridge Street filter. When will OCC stop pretending the warning signs (or lack of) are adequate, especially in a city popular with tourists. – at Oxford, England

One week ago, we captured congestion levels around Oxford's private schools in their final full week of term. Now, most have broken up, days before their state school equivalents do. This comparative data capture allows us to quantify individual sources of congestion in Oxford.

Had OCC ever bothered to discover the causes of traffic and congestion in Oxford (mainly hospitals, private schools and LTNs), this scheme could have been rolled out a decade ago as a carrot-based alternative to the stick-based traffic filters, for a fraction of the cost.

OCCs' grand plan for fixing the congestion problems they worsened is revealed! No, they're not going to admit they screwed up, and reverse course (obvs!). But they may put up some signs and fiddle with traffic lights phasing. Maybe introduce a staff car park tax. That'll help!

To be clear: were not critising the existence of private schools in Oxford. Rather, were seeking to correctly identify the main sources of congestion in the city. Which OCC failed to do for a decade. If OCC still doesn't know what causes congestion, its "solutions" won't fix it.

The experiment is now running. Oxford's state schools, used mainly by the city's residents, aren't broken up. Oxford's private schools, which can have gigantic catchment areas, are starting to go on half term. So let's see what happens over this week, especially from Wednesday.

Someone's going to have to recuse himself from the traffic filters decision if he carries on like this...

There are some OCC councillors, and officers, who will see this as a win. Safe in their taxpayer-funded jobs, they actively dislike visitors to Oxford, and will be happy if they "go elsewhere". They'll not care that visitors help keep Oxford's retail sector afloat for locals.

It's great to see how Oxford's traffic filters scheme has comprehensively freed up access to the city's hospitals. 🧐 P.s. isn't the traffic filter signage factually wrong for most of the day? Cars can use MFR unhindered, whenever the filters aren't operating. – at Oxford, England

Next week, we get to re-run / validate our previous experiment, which examined the effects of private (not state) schools on Oxford's weekday traffic hotspots of Banbury / Woodstock Road and Iffley Road. Private schools tend to break up a few days earlier than state schools.

Oxfordshire County has even screewed up side roads on industrial estate around Botley Road with its madcap traffic filters - on a week day afternoon. Are visitors to stone masons and cash and carries expected to lug away their purchases on back packs and bikes? Apparently so.

Despite umpteen reports of Oxfordshire residents recieving PCN fines for passing a traffic filter - despite having a valid permit - OCCs' social media channels conspicously give: A) no hint that anything's gone wrong. B) no hint of an apology. C) no instructions on what to do.

Going well then.

Whose bright idea was it to launch a msin road closure scheme, a couple of week before a marathon causes a whole bunch of extra road closures? – at Wolvercote, England