Road safety measures costing £1.9m are being requested by city councillors considering plans for the £20m Children's Hospital in Oxford.

It is hoped that the three-storey unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, will be built by December 2005, offering specialist care for children and a focal point for innovative paediatric research.

But residents living in Sandfield Road and Staunton Road are concerned that the new Children's Hospital building, combined with relocated head and neck services, will increase traffic in the area, particularly on Headley Way.

They would like to see cycle lanes from London Road to Summertown, particularly the length of Headley Way and Cherwell Drive.

They also want a safe walking route between the two areas, with crossings at every junction. In a petition to the council's strategic development control committee, which will consider a full application tomorrow to build the new hospital, a residents' spokesman said: "We are extremely concerned that we have seen no evidence of improvements so far, and demand that the features are implemented immediately."

As part of the plans to build the new Children's Hospital, there will be 200 extra patient and visitors car parking spaces at the Camel's Head area.

The planning application also contains proposals to improve on-site pedestrian, cycle and public transport facilities.

Colin Cook, executive member for planning, who is on the committee, said: "Residents do have genuine concerns and quite naturally want new traffic measures, which will be implemented by the county council."

David Edwards, transport and planning manager for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The £1.9m for traffic improvement measures, principally for bus services, has been agreed."