Active Travel: Sidmouth Street Cycle Lane

Overview

In 2020, the Government launched a £2 billion package to create a new era for cycling and walking in the UK. As part of this, a new Active Travel Fund was released, consisting of a number of ‘Tranches’. In May 2020 an urgent report to the Council’s Policy Committee set out high-level proposals for short, medium and long-term initiatives to encourage greater use of active and public transport options. The short-term proposals were specifically addressing the immediate need to promote active travel options and facilitate social distancing based on the government advice at the time, with scheme and spend approval being sought, subject to the forthcoming ‘Tranche 1’ government funding allocation. The cycle lane on Sidmouth Street was installed with a necessarily short development period as part of the 'Tranche 1' active travel schemes in Reading.

Since the original delivery of this scheme, it has increasing potential to be a key link to existing and future cycle network expansions. The scheme already links to the shared-use facilities along London Road and Wokingham Road beyond. It will provide a linking route toward the 'Tranche 2' scheme along Shinfield Road, for which implementation will commence later in 2022. It will also benefit future initiatives within our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and Bus Service Improvement Plan. More information about these can be found here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/transport-strategy/ 

The Council is now carrying out a statutory consultation on whether or not this scheme should be made permanent. We welcome all feedback to this consultation, which can be submitted via the online form below, by emailing highway.objections@reading.gov.uk or by post to Highway Objections, Network Services, Highways & Traffic Services, Reading Borough Council, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LU. If you object to the proposals, please state this clearly in your response and provide the grounds for your objection. 

Responses received by the 10th August 2022 will be anonymously reported to the Traffic Management Sub-Committee at its meeting in September. The Sub-Committee will review the feedback received and decide whether or not the scheme should be made permanent. 

If a decision is made to make this permanent, officers will undertake investigations into options that will facilitate greater linking to the surrounding cycle network and aim to enhance the use of this facility. These works will be costed, designed and funding sources investigated. A report to an appropriate committee for scheme and spend approval would then follow.