LTNs and cycle lanes cost council almost £4m

LTNs were first installed on six roads in east Oxford and Cowley in May 2022

A local authority has spent millions of pounds on its contentious Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Since 2021, Oxfordshire County Council has spent almost £4m combined on both its LTNs and its quickways cycling scheme in Oxford.

LTNs were first installed on six roads in east Oxford and Cowley in May 2022, and were made permanent in 2023 following an 18-month trial.

The restrictions have proved controversial, with some hailing them as a "proven road safety measure", whilst others claimed they caused "misery on a daily basis".

New figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service showed the council spent more than £3.8m on the installation and maintenance of both LTNs and quickways cycle routes in Oxford between 2021 and 2024.

The total includes £2.5m spent in 2022, which was the year the schemes were first implemented.

Whilst the installation of the schemes was funded by central government, the council covers maintenance costs.

'Excellent value'

Councillor Saj Malik, who represents Cowley on the county council, said the spending was "completely tone deaf".

"We expect the county council to provide the services we pay for but then they tell us there's no money because they waste it on their pet projects like the LTNs," he said.

"In Cowley we're at the sharp end of these transport restrictions and they make our lives a misery on a daily basis."

But Green Party councillor Emily Kerr said LTNs were a "proven road safety measure, cutting pedestrian accidents by around 85% inside and on the boundary roads".

"Given the emotional and financial cost of car crashes, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds per collision, as well as the positive health impacts of the switch to walking and cycling, I think the annual cost to the council of £55,000 represents excellent value for money," she said.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson added: "LTNs make residential streets healthier to live on and safer and more comfortable for walking, wheeling, and cycling."