Everybody in and around Finchampstead will be greatly relieved that the junction at California Crossroads has reopened and, with just a few bits of ‘tidying up’ to complete, travel in the area is returning to a normal.
The project, which started in 2015, has finally been delivered after many years of delay. Public consultation was carried out in late 2018 and feedback helped influence the final design. An article was also published in the Wokingham Today dated 30th November 2018 related to the public consultation https://wokingham.today/residents-views-sought-on-california-crossroads-makeover-plan/ and the former Conservative Executive member for Highways Cllr Pollock was very positive about the scheme.
Works started on site in mid-February this year and despite multiple unforeseen problems under the surface, the main construction was delivered on time and within the funds provided by the developer. In addition, the whole of Finchampstead Road and Jubilee Hill south of the crossroads has been completely renewed, which wasn’t part of the original project. Residents and businesses were kept dated on progress and forthcoming planned work with the weekly e-newsletter including the finished layout. Much of the work has been on things we’ll never see, such as foundations and drainage but what we can see is certainly eye-catching and attracting attention from far and wide.
The intent of the new design was always to change the junction from somewhere dominated by traffic to a place where pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle traffic can all get about safely and easily. The sad truth is that half of the deaths on Wokingham’s roads in the past 4 years have been pedestrians and cyclists, as have four in ten of those seriously injured. Most of these happen at ‘normal’ junctions, and speed is a common factor in most road injuries to all types of road users.
The design requires people driving, walking and riding bikes to show consideration to their fellow humans, which means slowing down, giving way where appropriate and not assuming a traditional right of way. It means cyclists giving priority to pedestrians, and drivers giving priority to both, in keeping with the ‘shared space’ nature of the junction. And otherwise, giving priority to the right, as anywhere else on the road where priorities are not signposted. This is different to most existing junctions and, when first experienced, understandably requires everyone to think carefully – but that is the point.
Residents’ concerns are being listened to and understood, but we do need to give the junction (and the community) time to settle and to become familiar. New junctions always have a settling in period, as witnessed at a new junction in Winnersh in 2021 which saw multiple serious collisions in the first 2 days, despite conventional and clearly marked priorities and traffic lights. The California Cross design was reviewed extensively for its safety before any work started and further, independent, safety reviews will be undertaken once it is in full use. If these reviews raise any issues, they will be addressed.
As well as the junction, the surrounding parking areas have been redesigned, including a requirement to ‘reverse-park’ outside the shops. This change is to improve safety and is drawn from the guidance followed by highway designers. It’s another thing to get used to, but another thing that should in time make the area safer.
The vision for the junction from the Working Group of Wokingham Borough local Finchampstead ward Councillors, Finchampstead Parish Councillors and local business owners back in 2015 – to remove the domination of the junction by traffic – has been delivered. Initial reactions are clearly mixed but seem to be warming as familiarity grows. Some will have different visions for what they would like to see, but already most wouldn’t want go back to what was there before.
Whatever your views, almost everyone agrees that the new space is brighter, cleaner and more modern looking than the tired and, for some, occasionally frightening junction that was there back in January. If you’re not from Finchampstead, come and visit the local shops and services and see for yourself!
Councillor Paul Fishwick, Executive member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways.
