10:30am Saturday 26th June 2010
By Thom Airs
A DECISION to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on new ‘smart’ traffic lights at Botley interchange has split opinion.
The Highways Agency spent £450,000 putting in the lights and building a new toucan pedestrian and cycle crossing on the A420 Swindon Road.
The lights went live last week and are intended to ease traffic flow. Some motorists claim they are causing delays during rush hour, but the agency said they had improved traffic.
Teacher Kay Huntley, of Stubble Close, off Eynsham Road, said the lights had delayed her daily journey down the A34 to St Gregory the Great School in Cowley.
She said: “It has added 10 minutes to my morning journey. I have an extra three sets of traffic lights to go through.”
Martin Roberts, 60, of Stone Close, Botley, said he was delayed by 15 minutes driving in from the A420 last Friday.
He said: “Obviously it takes time to adjust the timing of the lights, but it’s surely a gross miscalculation when it causes the longest tailbacks I can remember in 20 years on the A420, other than when there has been an accident.”
However, Andrew Pritch-ard, secretary of North Hinksey Parish Plan, called the new crossing “a real big plus.”
According to the Highways Agency, just under 51,000 vehicles a day use the A34 through the Botley Interchange, of which 16,500 leave the A34.
Agency spokesman James Wright said: “The lights help us manage traffic flow and stop queues building on the slip roads, either on the A34 or A420, which can have safety implications. Local people had told us that they wanted the pedestrian crossings.
“Traffic was running much more freely at the Botley interchange on Tuesday morning, a marked improvement on last week.
“We expect traffic flow to further improve over the next few days as the new traffic lights are calibrated to ensure maximum traffic flow and drivers adjust to the changes.”
Mr Wright added the lights remained on 24 hours a day for safety and consistency’s sake.
County council spokesman Owen Morton said: “The county council supports this Highways Agency scheme and we will continue to work with them to improve access in and of Oxford city centre.”
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