Oxford 'climate lockdowns' and '15-minute city' - can anyone local explain their views on this?

[unsureatthispoint]

This news has been published in several media outlets and being talked about ATM.

Road blocks stopping most motorists from driving through Oxford city centre will divide the city into six "15 minute" neighbourhoods, a county council travel chief has said.

And he insisted the controversial plan would go ahead whether people liked it or not.

Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for travel and development strategy, explained the authority's traffic filter proposals in an interview in The Sunday Times.

He said the filters would turn Oxford into "a 15-minute city" with local services within a small walking radius.

Mr Enright said: "It is about making sure you have the community centre which has all of those essential needs, the bottle of milk, pharmacy, GP, schools which you need to have a 15-minute neighbourhood."

The aim is to reduce traffic in the city centre and make city living more pleasant, but critics say the plans will negatively affect businesses and the city centre's economy.

Here's the link

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23073992.traffic-filters-will-divide-city-six-15-minute-neighbourhoods-agrees-highways-councillor/

Are local people aware of this and what's their take on it?

I consider it a human right to breathe clean air

Siobhan interesting to hear re Cambridge, thanks.

Electric cars pollute less! It’s just that many ordinary folk cannot afford them. We are not going to get anywhere by being overly judgemental on drivers or car makers. Maybe you would like to provide the batteries and charging infrastructure needed for electric cars? Seems no one else can. We need business in this country by the way. They employ people!

You would think that was an uncontroversial statement, but it seems it is not.

electric cars still produce fine dust from the tyres.
they still are (potentially) dangerous for other road users.
they still clog the roads.

I used to live in Oxford, the city centre is tiny.

If you read the actual plan it is certain jusnctions that will be blocked at peak times.

You can always use the ring road it's just routes threou the city centre.

I lived there in the early 90s, there were already electric busses from the station.

There was also a large park and ride.

Electric cars won’t clog anything at the moment. Sales have stalled and there are not that many on the road when compared with petrol/diesel cars. @greenacrylicpaint We cannot run our economy without transport and certain freedoms. If you wish to live in the middle of nowhere and walk everywhere, great. However you need food and all sorts of other services based on others using transport. So I would think about that rather than worrying about tyres!

What would you like to see happening re vehicles please?

If 15 minutes cities means that people live within 15 minutes walk of most regular amenities then vehicle use will be dramatically reduced as it needs to be.
It is perfectly possible to go for weeks without getting in a car, if one wants to.

thanks.

What would you like to see happen for people who need a vehicle for work, shopping, (can't always meet the minimum spend for delivery) medical appointments, visiting friends?

I'm going to imagine that you exempt those with disabilities or mobility issues etc from any extra charges.

Did you read my post which said that if 15 minute cities mean people live within 15 minutes of regular amenities they would need to use their cars less?

Anyway as an example 30 years ago my grandmother was doing all her shopping by bike in a town a lot hillier than Oxford.

It is perfectly possible in Oxford to get to the hospitals by bike, foot or public transport, I know this as I have done all 3.

It is hugely controversial locally, the street furniture that has been put in place has been vandalised several times.

Good. Good!

Um, yes, I read your post.

You don't want to answer my questions, I guess.

"Did you read my post which said that if 15 minute cities mean people live within 15 minutes of regular amenities they would need to use their cars less?"

Most people would be happy to not need to use their cars but we're not set up like that so then it's just a massive inconvenience.
I'd be happy if my work, kid's schools, shops, restaurants, parks, football pitches, swimming pool, friends, family all lived 15 minutes walk away and we used the car occasionally for days out and holidays.
But as it stands, except for the primary school, none of that is close by and it's not as if everything will be restructured soon so it is.
It then feels like such a restriction and an attack on a way of life that was fitting to our personal circumstances.

The first post you replied in part answered your question and my 2nd gave further examples.

Most people could use their cars far less. 25% of journeys are under 1 mile. In 2021 18% of those were by car. A staggering 67% of journeys between 1 and 5 miles are by car.

It was ever thus. When I was at Primary School we walked the mile and a half each day. The vast majority of students lived closer and were driven.

So what do you propose for people needing vehicles for work e.g. plumbers with equipment to carry.

Someone driving a person to hospital if patient can't use public transport.

Someone driving to shops because they can't carry shopping home and can't meet minimum spend for delivery.

do you want to charge people for travelling outside their allocated zone

etc etc

I am failing to follow your logic.

Saying people need to use their cars much less, makes life better for the plumber travelling to jobs as there would be less congestion, makes life better for someone who needs to drive to a hospital appointment, for example it is much easier to get to Birmingham Children's hospital now the traffic is reduced as a result of the cities clean air zone.

I'm asking if you want the plumber to pay.

can someone else tell me if my questions aren't clear enough?!

@EmmaEmerald
You are trying to have a conversation with someone who probably doesn’t have a car and doesn’t need to go anywhere much . A sort of 15 minute hermit. Most of us cannot operate like that. We have elderly parents, jobs, go shopping once or twice a week. We don’t have a Pashley bike with a shopping basket for a daily loaf of bread and some cheese - that’s been brought to the shop by road transport. We don’t have time to walk 3 miles to school and back with sports kit and books for Dc. We actually do live at a faster pace where saving time is key.

Questions are clear.

What would you like your plumber to pay?

Mine just walks round, but obviously that isn't practical in all situations.

Life is so much more enjoyable when you slow down, listen to the birds singing (if you can here them above the traffic noise). It makes everyday like a holiday.

Thank you.

So your fast paced busy life means others have to suffer? Because you've constructed a life dependent on cars? Because you won't entertain the thought of having shopping delivered, waiting to until you reach minimum spend? Are you not willing to make any concessions?

Are you asking me, apologies if not.

I have neither a car nor a fast paced busy life. But I appreciate that others do and I find it strange that some people aren't willing to consider practical matters for people who, in many cases, are the most essential workers in our society.

That's on top of a general demonisation of drivers, and a general thoughtlessness about how ordinary people live their lives. It won't be the well off who have problems paying for a congestion charge or the use of a particular route.

I can see that many people are keen on these ideas. I'm not trying to start a row. I was asking questions to find out how the supporters of such schemes would like the schemes to work, and who they think should pay.

I thought I could try and have a chat about it, where we have a respectful exchange of ideas. But no one seems keen on that idea, so I'll leave it.