03 November 2009
Source: LocalGov.co.uk ()

Oxford Circus X-crossing opened, but is it first?


Nick Appleyard and Arun Marsh

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has opened Europe’s busiest diagonal crossing at Oxford Circus.

Oxford Circus diagonal crossing
The new crossing allows pedestrians to reach all points with one trip

The £5M scheme, led by Westminster City Council and funded by Transport for London, has also created 70% more pavement space in a new layout that was designed to handle the 38,000 pedestrians the high street gets at peak periods.

All railings and barriers have been removed in order to make the area clutter free and provide more space.

Half a kilometre of both Regent Street and Oxford Street will also undergo redesigns including wider pavements and new lighting.

While the mayor was lauding Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing as the inspiration, Wandsworth LBC cllr James Cousins pointed to a crossing closer to home.

The idea was first implemented in the UK on Balham High Road in 2005.


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Mr Cousins said: ‘It’s slightly galling to hear Oxford Circus praised as a “a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old fashioned common sense” when actually that’s what Balham is – Oxford Circus is just a copy.’

 



Your comments

This looks fantastic and a benefit to all pedestrians. Is it really more confusing for a guide dog than the old arrangement? I don't think so!

Henry Peacock, Transport Planning group, Lancashire County Council, Added: Tuesday, 1 June 2010 02:32 PM

Not so good for partially sighted pedestrians though and I guess a Guide Dog would be really confused! It looks as dangerous for visually impaired people as the "Notorious" Shared Streets concept

Richard Sturgess. Access Officer. Fareham Borough Council,Gosport Borough Council, Building Control Partnership., Added: Friday, 6 November 2009 02:39 PM

I think the 'concept' originated in the US and was known as the 'Barnes Dance' named after Henry A Barnes, a traffic commissioner in the early 1950's. Though it sould be noted that he didn't invent this idea.

Steve Holder, Principal Consultant, WYG , Added: Friday, 6 November 2009 08:29 AM

We have a crossing here in Winchester (Andover Rd/Stockbridge Rd/City Rd/Station Rd) where all the lights go red at once so pedestrians all cross at once. But the red phase is too short to allow diagonal crossing so it is very frustrating for everyone. HCC: please copy Boris and Balham!

Chris Holloway, local resident, Added: Thursday, 5 November 2009 07:17 PM

Mr Parker is correct regarding the US being first. I well remember some VERY scary time-lapse film showing it in operation! Also I think the idea has been tried in Oz or NZ? (mind you they walk on their hands down there, do'nt they - sorry, only joking !! )

Peter Monk, retired Consulting Engineer., Added: Thursday, 5 November 2009 05:59 PM

It's worth remembering that the diagonal crossing at Balham was unpopular at first, even though it evidently works very well. As remember, it was refurbished after a Living Streets 'walking audit' of the town centre. The changes to Oxford Circus are a huge improvement, long overdue, and beautifully implemented (as far as I can tell). It's a really complex site because of the mix of pedestrians: shoppers with bags, stressed commuters, lost tourists. (I live in Balham and work near Oxford Circus.)

Sam Dutton, Senior Engineer, BBC R, Added: Wednesday, 4 November 2009 09:49 PM

I thought the first ones were the "Barnes Dance" crossings, introduced into New York City, by Traffic Commissioner Barnes in the 1940s Jeremy Parker

Jeremy F. Parker, retired electronic engineer, Added: Wednesday, 4 November 2009 01:42 PM

How on earth could anyone spend ?1m on marking out a road crossing and changing a few light sequences? And how much did the ridiculous Japanese topping-out 'ceremony' cost? Just appalling and so typical of Westminster! Thanks to localgov.co.uk for covering this ridiculous anomaly when the rest of the media have cowered in the corner for fear of upsetting BoJo. Wandsworth leads the way - as usual.

Ian Freeman, freelance journalist, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 08:46 PM

The West End attracts 200 million visitors a year and the engineering involved in developing and building the Oxford Circus crossing, which handles 38,000 pedestrians an hour at its peak, is nothing like the relatively simple crossing suitable for an area like Balham. Also, we never claimed it was the first - the Japanese got there around two decades before us both.

Martin Low, City Commissioner for Transportation at Westminster City Council, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 03:56 PM

I'm extremely flattered that W'worth council is so impressed by our new Japanese-inspired diagonal crossing that its members wish to draw parallels to Balham. But with all due respect, the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo has far similar challenges in terms of handling huge numbers of pedestrians to Oxford Circus, than Balham.

Martin Low, City Commissioner for Transportation at Westminster City Council, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 03:56 PM

Happy to be of service gents - thanks goes to James Cousins' tweeting for the heads up!

Arun Marsh, assistant content manager , LocalGov.co.uk, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 01:01 PM

Ian, the BBC et all are clearly just reprinting Johnson's press release. Expecting most journalists to do their own research these days is clearly asking too much.

Dave Cross, www.sw12.org, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 12:54 PM

Funny how the BBC and other media have chosen to completely ignore this - clearly scared of upsetting HRH Boris!

Ian Freeman, freelance journalist, Added: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 12:49 PM



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