You had a scowl like a Klingon beauty queen

[venta]

Probably of no interest to anyone who doesn't live in Oxford. Possibly of not much interest to anyone who does, either :)

Walking along Cornmarket yesterday evening, we overheard someone saying "But what is it ? Is it art ? No, it's bollocks."

They were talking about the extremely peculiar benches which have appeared. There's several of them, on both sides of Cornmarket. A sort of upright, with chrome and wood benches down one side, and chrome and wood... things down the other. The things are nearly benches, but are too high, and utterly the wrong shape. Does anyone know what they are ? Or possibly why they are.

If there's anyone in the area with a camera who can provide a photo, that'd help immensely here :)

And this morning, on Cowley Rd, I observed in the window of the empty shop opposite Boots the plans for the Cowley Rd redevelopment. Which were actually quite interesting. They seem to be based round making it a more people-orientated and safer place but - get this - seem to have finally noticed that reducing parking and slapping down sleeping policemen doesn't actually make the cars go away. From a quick skim through, it actually sounded like they might make a sensible job of it. Brief summary of what I can remember:

• Put crossings in places people want to cross. This applies particularly to the zebra down by the Plain. Move/ditch some of the traffic islands which make it difficult for buses to get through.


• Stop people parking too close to junctions. Mark out proper bays where people can park.


• More cycle lanes/signs warning motorists to watch out for bikes.


• Impose 20mph speed limit. (Hardly relevant in the day at present, but people go along like bats out of hell at night)


• Put the bus stops closer to the places people want to go - like Tescos - and make them long enough for more than one bus at once.


• Widen pavements where possible, and make sure bike racks don't block pavements.

All pretty common-sense stuff, you'd think. There's also a plan to have some form of symbolic 'gateway', to be decided with local artists, at either end of the main shopping part of the road. This is supposed to make motorists more aware that they're entering an area of a slightly different nature. I'm imagining them doing something similar in principle to the big gateways at either end of Mumblemumble Street (Gerard ?) in Chinatown in Soho. I rather like this idea. Cowley Rd is a good place, and I think it should be celebrated.

I was planning to recommend everyone go to http://www.eastoxford.com and have a look at the plans, but it appears that that site has expired :( Have a look if you're on Cowley Rd, though.


Oh, and Joe Jackson is great. I sporadically forget this, but am currently remembering.

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

All pretty common-sense stuff, you'd think

Actually I disagree with quite a bit of it...

Put crossings in places people want to cross

On that kind of road it won't make much difference. Whenever traffic is very slow, people will cross anyway.

Stop people parking too close to junctions.

This is already illegal. Why not try actually prosecuting the people who do it ?

Mark out proper bays where people can park

These already exist, so implicitly this is: "allocate more parking". Or, to put it another way: "reduce pavement space". (Can't reduce the road space because it's already as narrow as it can be and still get buses up it.)

More cycle lanes/signs warning motorists to watch out for bikes.

As a cyclist I'm dead against this. Cycle lanes invariably get blocked by things and then the motorists are surprised when the bikes leave their lane.

Impose 20mph speed limit.

WTF for ? Yes, people go too fast down that road, but they're not sticking to 30 !

Widen pavements where possible

See earlier comment (Taking space from the road ? There isn't any spare !)

The relocation of bus stops is the only bit I like the sound of, in fact !

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

The relocation of bus stops is the only bit I like the sound of, in fact !

Amusingly that was the only one which stood out to me as pointless. I can't imagine the money spent changing this will actually be worth the net effect (e.g., there is a bus stop near Tescos. It isn't right outside the front door, but it isn't exactly a five minute walk away either).

[venta.livejournal.com]

It isn't right outside the front door, but it isn't exactly a five minute walk away either).

In fairness, you're not an elderly person struggling to carry their shopping a few yards.

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

Then they should recycle the elderly to make space for wider pavements!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Cardinalsin for East Oxford MP!

[venta.livejournal.com]

On that kind of road it won't make much difference. Whenever traffic is very slow, people will cross anyway.

The traffic usually isn't slow by the Plain, and people cross where they want to cross instead of on the rather poorly placed zebra.

This is already illegal. Why not try actually prosecuting the people who do it ?

They do this. They're very keen on parking tickets in East Oxford. It presumably doesn't help. Besides if you're trying to turn out of a junction and can't see the oncoming traffic because some silly sod's parked in the way, it's not very consoling to know they might be prosecuted for it.

I'm not usually keen on those concrete blob things to stop parking, but think they could do some good in some places.

These already exist, so implicitly this is: "allocate more parking

The do in some places. Other places are double-yellow. Presumably new bays are intended to clarify the places which are neither, and also boundaries close to junctions.

See earlier comment (Taking space from the road ? There isn't any spare !)

Obviously, they can't widen them everywhere. I was meaning that since they appear to be aware of all the various problems (not enough pavement, not enough road, etc) that I thought they might manage to make the best use of available space.

There was some weird plan to create a 'community space' somewhere near Tesco that I think will flounder due to lack of space. What people want and what there's space for isn't always practically reconcilable.

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

As a cyclist I'm dead against this. Cycle lanes invariably get blocked by things and then the motorists are surprised when the bikes leave their lane.
Or you get the situation they had when they first put a cycle lane down Abingdon Road, whereby they introduced a lovely cycle lane but neglected to leave enough width of road to fit, say, a car.