The Travel and Transport theme promotes public transport and encourages cycling and walking, with more cycleways and footpaths, in order to reduce car dependency.
Travel and transport
An integrated approach to travel can contribute to healthy living, minimise our dependence on cars, and above all reduce carbon emissions. Cycling and walking can also be efficient ways of shopping locally or nearby. Sustainable Blewbury promotes public transport and encourages cycling and walking, with more cycleways and footpaths.
We welcome ideas about how to do this. If you would like to get involved, or just want to be kept informed by email, please contact us.
The Blewbury Energy Initiative has investigated how to minimise carbon dioxide emissions when making journeys. The summary page (outdated; partly updated) has links to a compilation and evaluation of the emissions from different types of transport. There are tips for driving to minimise fuel consumption.
Car dependency
Living in a village some use of cars is unavoidable, even with good public transport and with more local journeys done on foot or bicycle. In addition to reducing the number of journeys by car, we can try to lower our carbon footprint by encouraging the use of more efficient and cleaner cars, and by reducing how many cars are needed. Possibilities might include ride sharing, shared ownership, or rental schemes. (Photo: typical traffic jam on the nearby A34.)
Bus services from Blewbury
Our bus services are a lifeline for people who can’t get around by car. They are also useful for people who need to commute to work by train but don’t want to pay a lot to park at Didcot, and/or would otherwise have to run a second car in their household. But in 2016 Oxfordshire County Council ended all bus subsidies in the county. After a concerted effort together with neighbouring villages, we managed to retain a minimal service to Didcot. We have been hoping since 2016 for reinstatement of improved services to Didcot.
Blewbury currently has a fairly minimal bus service to Didcot. In addition to trains, a variety of bus routes to nearby towns and cities is available from the Didcot Parkway rail station.
There is more information on our local bus service and on buses that go to the main Oxford hospitals on the main Blewbury website at: blewbury.co.uk/transport-services.
Footpaths
One of the nicest features of Blewbury is that there are no through roads across the middle f the village, and the lovely paths are often the quickest and most direct way to get to other parts of the village. Externally, Blewbury has a very good network of footpaths leading onto open downland (for example to the Ridgeway) and connecting to all the surrounding villages.
Cycling
Cycling helps to improve fitness and can be an efficient way of shopping. However, Blewbury is not yet on a dedicated cycle route. Together with Blewbury Parish Council we are seeking dedicated cycle routes from the village, especially to Didcot. There is already a cycleway from Upton to Didcot (dotted), and cycling to Didcot takes under half an hour. The map shows one possible future route from Blewbury to Didcot (solid). Visiting a number of shops is quick and easy, and there are no parking problems. For recreation there are a number of quiet local roads towards Wallingford, or head up to the Downs.
Walking
Local shops provide a range of goods, and any higher prices are often counteracted by savings in car fuel costs and your time. For recreation, there are many lovely walks, ranging from short to quite long, in all directions from Blewbury. The booklet Walks Around Blewbury, available from the Blewbury Local History Group, gives a selection.
