WITNEY is braced to get a slice of money which could see 20mph speed limits and other traffic calming measures introduced in the town.

Oxfordshire County Council has submitted a second bid for £2.38 million from the Department for Transport’s emergency active travel fund.

This second bid also focusses on Oxford and Bicester.

A series of measures are proposed, including 20mph speed limits and ‘filters’ to slow cars on some roads and encourage walking and cycling.

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The council said that there is a high car dependency in the town with 28 per cent of the population commuting less than 1.5 miles but only 18 per cent of these journeys made my walking or cycling.

A proposed active travel corridor follows the most commonly used cycle route through the town and connects into the National Cycle Route 57 and the main Witney to Oxford cycle route via the A40.

The council hopes this particular scheme will improve sustainable connections across a central corridor in Witney and allow more safe pedestrian and cycle journeys, while encouraging a shift away from car journeys.

Walking and cycling measures could also provide an east-west corridor across the town.

This scheme will be a series of measures to slow vehicle traffic and prioritise cyclists and pedestrians, and several temporary measures, including traffic filters at the Fiveways roundabout.

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One-way streets and speed limit reductions, such as in Corn Street, will help to reduce traffic and thus create a safer environment to walk and cycle.

Meanwhile, permanent measures could include crossing widening and conversion of a zebra crossing to a toucan crossing in Oxford Hill, and a cycling and walking activation app.

Cycling project Wheels for All could also be expanded to cover the town.

The council stressed last week that all the proposals are in their very early stages, and confirmed they would only go ahead if the Government agrees to fund them.

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Proposals would require full public engagement before any implementation.

Half of the council’s first bid was lost out after the council was told its bid to improve cycle lanes in rural areas did not meet the criteria of the scheme.

That saw the council only receive £298,500 of an expected £597,000.

Plans for the second round of allocation for the DfT Active Travel Grant were submitted on August 7.

The council expects to hear the result of the bid in early September.