At last, we have started to see signs of spring around Reading.
We are now into March, the temperature is rising, the days are getting longer and daffodils are appearing.
Now is a great time to retrieve your bicycle from the shed, if it has been in a winter hibernation, and get back on the saddle.
I know a lot of people use their bikes to get around town all year round regardless of the weather and I applaud them for that.
But for those who are more fair-weather cyclists, like myself, you can make sure your two wheels are fit for the road by visiting the Dr Bike pop-up which is back in Reading town centre from today (Thursday 6 March).
Our partners at Avanti Cycling will once again be setting up their gazebo outside Sainsbury’s, in Broad Street, on the first Thursday of the month throughout the year.
You can just turn up with your bike between 11am and 2pm and the team will be on hand to check and tune-up your bike, undertake free minor repairs and diagnose more complex repairs.
They will also be happy to provide general advice on cycling and cycle route planning around Reading.
I went along to the first Dr Bike pop-up session of the year last year and it got busy quickly. It proved to be very popular throughout the year, as was a Dr Bike tour of the borough’s community centres last October.
The Council funds the Dr Bike sessions as part of its aim to encourage people to take active travel options, such as cycling and walking, and reduce reliance on the private car.
Not only does this reduce congestion and air pollution, it also improves health and wellbeing, through exercise and improving air quality.
Active travel is a key part of the Council’s Local Transport Plan.
The Council has made great progress with delivering active travel schemes around the borough in recent years and there are many more plans in the pipeline.
However, delivering these schemes does rely on securing funding from central government. The Council’s transport team are very successful at doing this, but it does result in sections of cycle path being built at a time.
What we aim to do is to link all these sections together to create more strategic and local cycle and pedestrian routes.
There is a proposal being put to councillors next week for a task & finish group to be set up to scrutinise the delivery of the Council’s active travel strategy.
This group would be created for a limited period to examine the Council’s active travel schemes and initiatives, look at what is working well, where improvements could be made and to hear the views of interested parties.
If given the go-ahead, I look forward to hearing the recommendations of the group later in the year.
In the meantime, I might grab my cycle and head down to Dr Bike for a free check-up.
By Cllr John Ennis
