By Councillor Paul Carnell
I’m sure I’m not the only person who gets exasperated, annoyed and even infuriated by travelling around Reading.
Reading’s Labour administration want to encourage people to use more sustainable means of transport, but at times their approach seems to be nothing more than make driving so bad you will pick something different.
A stationary car is just a machine producing fumes, its not efficient or environmentally friendly. A Conservative administration would look at improving the ability of traffic to flow around the town. The resurfacing programme is to be applauded.
Largely funded by a £9 million grant from the Conservative government, this will make travelling around the town smoother and more fuel efficient.
But was the money well spent? I have received many complaints from residents right across Reading about the quality of the new surface.
A Conservative administration would have held the contractors to account much sooner.
Also the Labour administration is now looking at a new way of repairing potholes.
The new system is four times as fast at the repair, meaning repairs cause less disruption to traffic. Unfortunately, the Labour administration isn’t so fast. Conservative administrations up and down the country have been employing this method for years.
A smooth, more fuel-efficient road surface is only the start of making the highways work better. The traffic needs to be able to flow.
We have locations around the town where junctions are controlled by traffic lights where a mini roundabout would be more appropriate.
I often sit at a red traffic light watching a big empty space go by. If the junction were a roundabout then I could have proceeded with due caution, and continued my journey.
A Conservative administration would start to address this. Where it’s required we would look at the use of part-time, peak-time traffic lights, a solution not uncommon outside of Reading.
Another particular bugbear of mine is the design of bus stops around Reading.
When a bus stops the traffic behind should where possible, be able to pass. Yet for so many bus stops the design makes the opposite true.
I can think of bus stops where the lay-by is not the full width of the bus and most of the time this causes an obstruction. I can think of one example where this is so close to a junction that the traffic is held blocking the junction.
Outside of the hospital is a bus stop which protrudes into the road.
This generally causes the bus to become a temporary roadblock.
No doubt the Labour administration would explain this away as allowing pedestrians to continue to use the pavement whilst people are waiting for a bus. This isn’t the highways working for everyone.
I’m sure everyone realises that all the improvements to the road network won’t solve all the problems of congestion.
We would still need people to look to alternative ways of getting around. Walking is good for your health, both physical and mental. Yet often the pavement can be a deterrent. Uneven pavements. Protruding hedges and pavement parking can make the idea of walking uninviting or even impossible.
A Conservative administration would bring in a programme of pavement repairs and work with residents to make walking a more attractive proposition.
The thought of crossing a road, particularly a major road into Reading can be daunting. I am waiting to hear from the council regarding whether the Last Crumb crossroads, in Caversham, will include a pedestrian crossing in the proposed upgrade.
Caversham is a particular congestion hot spot, with its impact felt across both the Thames bridges. The Conservative group on the council have long supported a third Thames crossing. Unfortunately. I fear that is still some years away. In the meantime, a better bus service for Caversham would encourage people to use public transport to visit the town.
Even better a regular service from Caversham to the hospital, without the need to change. I regularly hear from residents, old and young alike, how poor the bus service is and how as a result it isn’t suitable for them.
The council has received a grant from the Conservative government to help it rebuild the bus service after the pandemic. To subsidise an improved bus service for Caversham would, no doubt, soon reap benefits.
We see an increasing number of cyclists using their bicycles to travel around Reading for business and pleasure. The resurfacing programme also benefits them, but they are hindered by a cycle lane network which in parts is not fit for purpose.
I’m sure we all remember the farce of the short-lived Gosbrook Road cycle lane.
A Conservative administration would review the cycle lane infrastructure and begin the process of making any changes needed. We would also look to provide secure cycle storage within the town centre so people could ride into town safe in the knowledge that their bicycle will be there when they wish to return home.
A Conservative administration would make travelling around Reading easier for everyone.
Councillor Paul Carnell is the Conservative Group Transport Spokesperson and Member for Caversham Heights Ward on Reading Borough Council
