Will Oxfordshire’s traffic policies work?

It’s hard to disagree with safer streets and cleaner air. But will these filters and ZEZ work?

Why do we have to change people’s driving?

Can’t we have the fast buses and safe cycling and then people will just drive less without the filters and charges?

Let’s find out.

Roads are a bit like suitcases.

Illustration of an overflowing suitcase

Got a big bag? You’ll probably fill it up.

Illustration of a road full of traffic

The easier we make it to drive, the more people will do it. We fill the roads we have. If it’s two lanes, we’ll fill them. If it’s six, we’ll fill those too. It’s not quite a law of physics, but it’s turned out to be true in every city, worldwide, since cars became common.

The opposite is also true

Illustration of people riding a bus
Illustration of people walking over a bridge full of pedestrians
Illustration of a woman and a child riding bikes together

The faster, more reliable, and more affordable we make buses, the more we use them.
And the safer and nicer we make walking and cycling, the more we walk and cycle.

But, right now, we’re in a vicious cycle.

None of us want this.

Illustration of vicious cycle where "cars are the default way to get in and out of Oxford" leads to "More traffic" which leads to "Slower buses, horrible walking and cycling" which leads to "People see driving as their only option" and back.

To create a better cycle, we need to make a change.

Illustration of positive cycle, where "more people walk, bus and bike for some journeys" leads to "less traffic", which leads to "faster buses, safer and nicer walking and cycling", which leads to "people feel like they have other choices" and back

Traffic filters will help kick off the positive cycle by reducing traffic.

We’d love to start with faster buses and nicer walking and cycling first, but there isn’t the road space to do that!