Cyclox leader Alison Hill explains why Oxford University has temporarily dropped its ban on bikes in the University Parks.
Work is being done to repair the Marston cycle path bridges across the River Cherwell.
These bridges were built over 30 years ago, and both are in urgent need of repair. As a bit of back history to why we have the wonderful and essential Marston cycle path, the University of Oxford congregation approved the lease of land across Marston water meadows to the county council. The county now operates the path and is responsible for the upkeep of the cycle track itself and the bridges on which it crosses the river.
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The bridges, named Lemond and Fignon, have not had much maintenance since the route was created. Refurbishment is now needed to avoid unscheduled emergency closures in the future.
And another aside. In 1989 Laurence Fignon, after 3,285km of cycling and 21 stages plus a time trial, lost the Tour de France by eight seconds to Greg Lemond. This is the smallest margin in the history of the Tour.
And as the bridges are separated by an eight-second cycle ride someone had the whimsical idea of naming them those two rivals.
These repairs were meant to be completed over the summer but the delay in obtaining approvals means that they are taking place once schools are back.
The closure of the route raised concerns from cycling groups, including Cyclox, and from Marston residents.
They worried that the alternative routes across the Cherwell involved either going round The Plain and across Magdalen Bridge which many people are fearful of doing, or going the quieter way along the Marston Ferry cycle path which adds two to three miles to the journey.
As a result of these concerns the county council has negotiated with the University and the University Parks management to allow people on bikes to cross the rainbow bridge (confusingly called High Bridge in all the notices about the diversion, a name no-one recognises) and push their bikes through University Parks from the bridge to Cox’s Corner near Parson’s Pleasure, along the River Cherwell between 7am and 9am and 3pm and 5pm on weekdays starting on September 5 when schools went back.
This is a very welcome concession given that cycling, and even pushing bikes, is not allowed at any time in the University Parks.
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The University Parks authority requested that the diversion be marshalled to ensure that people with bikes keep to the designated route and don’t cycle through the park.
An urgent call went out two weeks ago for marshals, and seventeen people have come forward to help.
This is a two-week pilot to see how workable the marshalled route is, with a decision to be made as to whether to continue with it at the end of the pilot period.
Five marshals met at 7am on the misty morning of September 5, the first day of operation of the diversion.
They were greeted by Councillor Andrew Gant who helped negotiate the arrangement with the University.
The marshals positioned themselves along the route to give directions to cycle riders and request them to dismount and push their bikes over the Rainbow Bridge and along the path alongside the Cherwell River.
On the first morning 62 cycle riders took the opportunity to use the diversion, some heading towards the city centre and Jericho and others heading towards Marston.
That first morning most were commuters but there were six children, and the numbers will increase as more schools go back. There was lots of grateful thanks from cycle riders, and buoyed up with coffee made by the Parks Superintendent, it was a cheerful launch. You can find out more on the county council website, and if you would like to volunteer as a marshal email cllrarailton@oxford.gov.uk
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About the author
Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
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