Bicester - Can we have our town back please, Mister?

Now, I've just driven home through the rain, up Middleton Stoney Road away from Bicester Town Centre.  Rainy days are nothing out of the ordinary, of course, it's what makes this a green and pleasant land. I wouldn't say, though, that today was too pleasant for the poor person standing on the Bicester side of the road, waiting to cross at the new Pelican Crossing that's been installed. Soaked to the skin is not a great way to set you up for the evening, but that's what they must be now, because of the poor thought that went into the planning or preparation of the crossing. There is a natural 'dip' in the road there, and the poor drainage that dogs roads all across the area (Bicester isn't alone in that problem) means that even a relatively small session of moderate rain creates a small lake. Anywhere down the road, I'd suggest that isn't acceptable given the work that's been done, and continues to be done, on making this an experimental test-bed - sorry, that should read Garden town - but the fact it is EXACTLY where the only pedestrian crossing is sited, strikes me as just poor planning and/or execution.

Not only that, but between the planners and whoever plans out public Transport, they have decided to site a bus-stop near the crossing.  No, that's not correct - it's immediately next to the crossing. So, if a bus has stopped there, vision for drivers coming in the direction I was tonight is badly compromised should there also be anybody waiting on the town side to cross the road. Surely a little forethought would help in just moving the stop some 20 yards closer to town?

But it doesn't end there. The mysterious traffic-calming bumps that suddenly appeared like molehills (originally without markings to highlight them, but we'll let that pass) are probably a good idea. They're certainly better than the road-narrowing that was originally mooted, or intrusive traffic islands as are used in surrounding villages. However, when you then add in cycle lanes in either direction, but without a widening of the road, you are creating an environment that will end in injury, damage and possibly worse. The two measures are to be applauded, but not combined. The natural tendency of some drivers to try and avoid the bumps by steering either to the kerb, or to the centre of the road, means an accident is waiting to happen. Why not take the opportunity to widen the road on the Kingsmere side?

It strikes me that planners are paying no attention whatsoever to Bicester residents when it comes to traffic planning and infrastructure, and are just steam-rolling on (pun intended) to enable house-building and commercial developments first, without ensuring simple things like this, and Doctors' Surgeries, and schools, and on and on, are put in place and committed to in a structured way to avoid stretching the existing resources up to and beyond their limits.

We need councillors who will do just that - listen - and involve residents in decisions that impact on those residents daily lives.

Now, who's looking forward to negotiating the A41 approach into Bicester in October for Black Friday, now the new "Supersize" Tescos is about to open?