A new pilot programme aimed at creating safer conditions for walking, cycling and horse riding has been approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet, with quiet lanes set to be introduced in areas where there is strong community backing.
The decision, agreed on 19 May, will see selected roads across the county designated as quiet lanes. These routes are intended to limit motor traffic and encourage safer use by pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and horse riders.
Quiet lanes are designed to discourage through traffic while still allowing access for residents, farms, local businesses and emergency services. By reducing vehicle speeds and traffic volumes, the measures are expected to lower the likelihood and seriousness of road collisions while creating a calmer environment on smaller roads.
Although Oxfordshire already has a number of quiet lanes in place, the council said the new initiative would build on existing Department for Transport guidance by introducing additional safety measures beyond standard signage.
Under the approved approach, quiet lanes will only be considered in locations where there is clear local support and where drivers have access to suitable alternative routes.
Councillor Rebekah Fletcher, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Quiet lanes are about making sure local roads work for the communities that live there, not as cut-throughs for traffic they were never designed to carry.
“This new approach will help us to prioritise walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding, and give us a clear and consistent way to provide quiet lanes where there is strong local support. We will use evidence to make sure schemes are safe, effective and sensitive to their surroundings. By piloting schemes first, we can get them right before any permanent decisions are made.
“I look forward to working with parish and town councils and local councillors on this locally led and innovative programme.”
The council said the new quiet lanes will mainly rely on physical traffic-reduction measures alongside lower speed limits, which will generally be reduced to 20mph.
Every pilot scheme will include:
- physical measures aimed at stopping through traffic, including gates and bollards
- quiet lane signs
- revised speed limits.
According to the council, the impact on driver journey times is expected to be minimal because alternative routes will need to be available before any scheme is introduced.
Work will now begin with parish and town councils, as well as local councillors, to identify possible pilot locations across Oxfordshire.
Each proposed scheme will go through a statutory consultation process, allowing measures to be trialled, monitored and refined before any long-term decisions are taken.
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