Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 11h

Seemed to be lot of complexity/people compared to a ballast-based plain line track renewal train.

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 14h

DfT did eventually make the case for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, though it did involve a fair bit of economic heroics. Doing similar upgrades Leeds to Sheffield and Hull is the most plausible next step.

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 14h

You'll be telling me next that Monday is the first day of the week, with a zero index

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 14h

C1 Advanced level?

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 14h

Given how noisy the engines are, not operating to Oxford can probably be classed as a win.

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

Important to realise that there are two things being done here: (1) The standard (but brave!) city-centre trade-off. Some people will complain but more will benefit. And (2) a speculative attempt to manage suburban institutional traffic. Both interesting in different ways 4/4

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

The strangely-central bus-gate at St Clements should speed up the bus from the station/city centre to Brookes/hospitals. The peak-only bus gates should improve the orbital buses (though frankly cycling is quicker). Will this be enough to let us ration parking still further? Bit unclear. 3/

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

It's harder when regular destinations are more dispersed.

Bus+bike can cover the wider city centre. The question is whether you can provide an adequate substitute for trips to big suburban destinations like Oxford Brookes University and the hospitals. 2/

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

If all your traffic is to/from the city centre, the trade-off is relatively simple. Some people are forced to switch to alternatives, but those alternatives are improved by the reduction in traffic. 1/

(Map by @sjgower.bsky.social)

Map of the congestion zones being introduced in Oxford 27 Oct 2025.

1 1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

Reminiscent of Clinton's "it's the economy, stupid"

1

Reposted by Richard Mann

Stephen Gower @sjgower.bsky.social · 2d

I made an infographic map. Oxford's Congestion Charge scheme (from 29th Oct) is not like most congestion charge schemes, because you can get to most streets in the city without being charged. My impression is a lot of people haven't realised this.

A street map of Oxford.

Woodstock Road, Banbury Road and the streets in their immediate vicinity are coloured pink. Botley Road and streets off it are coloured green. Cowley Road, Iffley Road and Abingdon Road and streets off them are coloured blue. Streets in Marston and Headington are coloured orange. The ring road matches the colours at each junction and fades between colours as it goes around. A small area in the middle is coloured yellow, and labelled "Central Permit Area". THe Congestion Charge traffic filters are indicated by black circles circles with white segments, those white segments correspond on a 24 hour clock face with when the filter isn't operational (and the remaining black, when the filters are operational). Crosses mark other filters in the city that are enforced by ANPR but are not part of the Congestion Charge scheme.

Text at the top of the image reads "Temporary Congestion Charge for Cars in Oxford 2025-2026. Any road outside the Central Permit Area can be accessed without passing any traffic filers by using the Ring Road and selecting an approporiate exit junction (matching colours on this map)."

A key at the bottom matches the filter types, with text "Traffic Filters. Hollow Way & Marston Ferry Road 7-9am and 3-6pm. St Cross Road, Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street and St Clements, 7am-7pm. £5 daily permit covers all Congestion Charge filters. Free Permits available. For example for residents, business use, health and car, SEND and disabilty. Congestion Charge permits do not apply for other filters, such as High Street or in East Oxford/Cowley."

Small print reads "Full details at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-travel" and "©@sjgower Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations of highway filters are approximate and for overview purposes only. v1.3"

9 32 81

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

Yes but much larger (it's about 7km diameter).

2

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

They can't even manage hourly to Lille/Bruxelles.

1 5

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 2d

If the UKIP/Reform people are only in it for the money/attention, they are going to find the reality of local govt a bit of a let-down.

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 3d

Labour aren't going to disappear. What we're seeing is more the development of a large english regional party which isn't really competitive in 80% of the seats, with still a classic two-party slugfest in the rest.

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 4d

The Lizzy line stop is however Mary-land

2

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 4d

Mao-zul

1 11

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 5d

BBC News - Council faces legal action over Oxford congestion charge - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reporter didn't mention that the two shopowners quoted are next door to each other, by Longwall junction, or ask if they'd like a wider pavement when there's less traffic.

Council faces legal action over Oxford congestion charge

The county council received a letter on Tuesday from lawyers acting on behalf of campaigners.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 5d

And George Osborne did Modern History.

2

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 7d

Do they all line up with little chimneys and look like a little fireplace?

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 7d

We haven't had a Cambridge man (or woman) since Stanley Baldwin.

Touch and go whether Robert Jenrick or Andy Burnham is more likely to break that run.

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 7d

Giles/George/Both

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 7d

Beautiful data from @benansell.bsky.social - (vertical axis is cultural, horizontal is economic, grey blobs are don't knows)

Labour would clearly be more comfortable in culturally liberal territory: probably better to govern authentically and give the don't knows at least one decent option.

1

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 8d

When CrossCountry and West Coast had joint management, the CrossCountry ops people would refer to the route to Euston as 'the branch line'.

So bound up in the complexities of running trains to all points of the compass, so disdainful of what actually paid their salaries...

1 5

Richard Mann @transportparadise.bsky.social · 8d

You can cycle it at the moment, just not legally...

1