A NEW shared use path for cyclists, pedestrians and other forms of sustainable transport that would link the edge of Winnersh with Wokingham town centre’s Broad Street could become a reality thanks to a £600,000 government grant.
Last week, the Department of Transport announced a new £200 million fund aimed at easing congestion across the country.
Transport secretary Mark Harper said that active travel is estimated to bring a £36.5 billion boost to the UK economy in a year through increased high street spending and better access to jobs, delivering on our priority to grow the economy.
“We want to make sure everyone across the country can choose cheaper, greener and healthier travel while we continue to support our local businesses and grow the economy,” he said. “This £200 million investment will improve road safety, ease congestion and ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of the millions of people choosing active travel.”
Wokingham Borough Council has been awarded £606,215, which will be used to pay for initial design work on the 1.6 mile scheme, which would run from Sadler’s Lane at Winnersh to the western end of Broad Street, essentially continuing the existing route on the A329 Reading Road from the Showcase roundabout.
Although there is a cycle lane already on the road, Wokingham Borough Council says its new active, sustainable travel link would be a segregated one-way cycle lane with shared use paths and other improvements on each side of the road.
The council’s transport consultation WSP aims to draft a design by the end of the year, with the work running in four phases.
The first will run from Sadler’s Lane to Emmbrook Road, the second would see improvements to Woosehill roundabout including a toucan crossing on Woosehill Spine Road. The third phase would stop just before Station Approach and the fourth would end at Broad Street via Shute End.
Wokingham Borough Council said the proposal is likely to include junction improvements, new road crossings, a speed limit reduction from 40mph to 30mph and “island” bus stops separated from cycle traffic with mini zebra crossings to keep bus users safe.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “While this proposal is still at an early stage, this is a promising step and we can’t wait to hear people’s views once it’s been developed further.
“We’re serious about fighting the climate emergency and improving air quality – and doing all we can to reduce car journeys in favour of healthier, more affordable and less polluting alternatives plays a major part in that.
“Although we’re encouraging people to change their behaviour through incentives and education, provided by our My Journey Wokingham team, we’re also working to secure the infrastructure that will make that more appealing.
“Given the pressures on our own finances and the need to protect key services, this scheme is heavily dependent on external funding but we’ll do all we can to secure it.”
The council has set up a group, featuring Wokingham Town Council and Winnersh Parish Council representatives, to discuss the initial vision before residents are invited to help finalise it.
The need for the scheme was identified through the council’s borough-wide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, a high-level strategy document published earlier this year.
The council is still working to progress another proposal, also to come from the Active Travel Fund, for a cycleway and footway between Woodley town centre and Palmer Park off Wokingham Road, near Reading Borough.
It has consulted residents twice on this but needs more funding before it can move forward, so is now in discussions with Active Travel England.
Work on the Winnersh to Broad Street scheme could start next year but this would depend on the consultation results and whether enough funding can be found.
