Woodstock Road corridor improvements

What  has been implemented

The project has delivered a package of highway improvements along Woodstock Road, from Wolvercote roundabout to St Giles.

The project consisted of two parts: reversing the bus lane under experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) and improving road safety for cycling, walking, and wheeling.

Part 1 – Reversal in the direction of the bus lane

The southbound bus lane between Wolvercote (A40) and Squitchey Lane has been removed and replaced with a northbound bus lane of similar length on the other side of the road. This follows consultation with key stakeholders, including bus operators, and is informed by initial traffic modelling for the planned traffic filter trial in Oxford. 

The bus lane reversal is being implemented as a trial through an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO). 

A six-month public consultation was open on our digital engagement platform Let’s talk Oxforfshire from 28 September 2024 to 28 March 2025. The county council will review the responses and prepare a report to be presented to the cabinet members for highway management at a meeting scheduled for 2026.

The experimental TRO can remain in place for an 18-month duration. A  decision is required by March 2026.

Part 2 – Active travel measures

The second part of the project provided improvements to journeys made by cycling, walking and wheeling, and included:

• New and improved side road crossings, widening pavement space, providing ‘at level’ shorter crossing distances for people walking and increasing the gradient of ramps for vehicles entering the side roads between and including Bevington Road and St. Margaret's Road.
• Extending the off-road cycle path on the western side of Woodstock Road between the junctions of Frenchay Road and St Margaret's Road.
• A new parallel crossing on Woodstock Road just south of Bevington Road.
• A new full-time bus stop clearway on the east side of Woodstock Road just north of the junction with St Giles.
• Local relocation of a marked parking bay (limited stay parking) outside Belsyre Court on Woodstock Road to accommodate an informal pedestrian crossing.

Side road entrance safety improvements were done at the following junctions along the Woodstock Road corridor:

• Field House Drive
• St Margarets Road West
• Bevington Road
• Canterbury Road
• St Margarets Road East
• St. Bernards Street
• Farndon Road
• Observatory Street
• Little Clarendon Street (West)
• South Parade
• Leckford Road
• Little Clarendon Street (East)
• Plantation Road 

Why we are investing here

As a major road in Oxford, Woodstock Road was identified as a route that would benefit significantly from improvements to road safety and bus journey times. By investing now and giving people options other than travelling by car, we can minimise the impact of motorised traffic as the city grows. The changes along Woodstock Road were informed by the county council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and aim to:

• increase walking, wheeling and cycling ;
• make walking and cycling safer;
• improve public transport journey times;
• enhance placemaking; and
• help residents and employees travel in and out of the city more sustainably.

The project also supports the county’s wider transport strategy, including the North Oxford corridor improvements project and the A40 improvement project

How much did the project cost?

The total budget for this project was £3.2m, secured from government funding (Housing and Growth Deal).

If you have any specific questions, please contact woodstockroad@oxfordshire.gov.uk