4.3 Transport

Traffic growth in Oxfordshire has matched national levels over the last decade. In Oxfordshire, some 62% of journeys to work are by car, and the average length of journey is increasing - in 2001, 12% of people living in Oxfordshire travel more than 18 miles (30 km) to work, compared to 9% in 1991.

The Government has acknowledged that it is not environmentally acceptable to continue to build roads to cater for projected traffic growth, and that demand must be managed to restrict car travel, particularly in urban areas. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), road transport is the fastest-growing contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for around 22% of CO2 emissions produced in the UK.

The Oxfordshire Structure Plan includes a major review of transport policies throughout the County, and is designed to address the issues of sustainability by reducing car use and increasing public transport, cycling and walking. Such examples include encouraging the co-location of housing, employment and amenities, the support of the East-West rail link between Oxford and Cambridge, and continuous improvements of public transport links.

The Oxfordshire Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 was launched in April 2006, and individual programmes such as the Oxford Transport Strategy contain a vision for transport in the County. The Local Transport Plan's strategy includes:

• Establishing how transport contributes to wider objectives, such as economic development.
• Creating a Central Oxfordshire Transport Area, which closely mirrors the central Oxfordshire sub-region, picking up the key trips within the biggest areas of economic activity and future growth, in particular travel into Oxford and in the Grove/Wantage, Didcot and Harwell areas.
• Providing a series of key indicators, targets and outcomes, closely linked to programme delivery and management.

Particular concerns have been expressed about; the A34 corridor, both in terms of the road and rail infrastructure, congestion on the A40 and within Oxford City - Prime Retail Research in 2005 revealed that Oxford and Cambridge are the worst cities in the UK for traffic gridlock. The impact on the economy of the increasing congestion on this route will be increased by the proposed housing developments at Bicester, Oxford and Didcot.

The same is true of developments of national and international significance on the Harwell Chilton Science Campus. The already congested rail route is likely to be put under further pressure as Southampton Port expands, and may result in an increased level of freight being transported by road. This will require strategic investment in the corridor to make an impact, and the Government's Transport Innovation Fund Productivity strand may be an opportunity to secure funding for this.

Inadequate, poorly co-ordinated public transport systems, particularly in rural areas, are also recognised as causing hardship, and can limit access to healthcare, employment, childcare, and learning opportunities for those without a car. The Regional Economic Strategy has highlighted that investment in a South East-wide sustainable transport network is necessary for continuous economic development, in order to improve quality of life, productivity, and economic success within the international economy.