Wokingham Borough Council is updating its Local Transport Plan, and is asking for comments as part of a consultation.
Once agreed, the official document will guide how it improves footways, cycle lanes, roads, bus services and other ways of getting around for years to come.
This will offer more chances to leave the car at home, especially for shorter journeys, helping to reduce air pollution and tackle the climate emergency while helping residents to live more healthily.
It also aims to improve access to public spaces like parks and leisure centres.
Specific goals for the plan include reducing serious or fatal road traffic collisions, less traffic congestion, more active journeys in built-up areas, and better travel options in more rural areas.
All councils responsible for highways must have a Local Transport Plan that outlines how the network will be maintained and improved.
Notes to the survey said: “Wokingham’s existing Local Transport Plan, which covers the 2011 to 2026 period, has brought benefits like new walking and cycling routes and improvements to Wokingham town centre, including the interchange with improved bus access at the station and a new link from Wellington Road to Reading Road.
“It has also provided major new roads like the Winnersh and Arborfield relief roads, the latter of which won an award for measures that help local wildlife, plus upgrades to existing roads and new footways and cycleways.
“With most of these schemes built, along with changing travel trends and the ongoing climate emergency, the Local Transport Plan must be refreshed to continue meeting the challenges we face.
The current, and third, plan was produced in 2011 and a lot has changed. New transport infrastructure has been delivered and the borough’s population has grown. With the growing influence of digital services and further shifts in travel behaviour since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the way we access services and amenities has also changed.”
A survey seeking resident’s views on transport in Wokingham, how they travelled and potential changes was conducted in early 2023. It received more than 750 public responses alongside feedback from other stakeholders.
You can comment on the creation of the next plan via Wokingham Borough Council’s engage website.
