Being Reading-born I have seen the town grow and change considerably over the years.
Like any thriving big town or city, Reading’s economic success has also brought challenges, the obvious one being congestion.
Over the years, we have tried to make the best possible use of the town’s narrow streets and constrained road space to accommodate more people wanting to travel into and around Reading.
Private car drivers, cyclists, buses, taxis, delivery drivers are all vying for space on our Victorian roads and, of course, we are all pedestrians who want to be able to walk around the borough safely and comfortably.
Difficult decisions have had to be made about transport in the past. I am sure many of you will remember the pedestrianisation of the town centre. Trying to cross Broad Street and walking along the narrow pavements of Queen Victoria Street with traffic trundling by was not a pleasant experience.
When you look at the number of people walking around those busy shopping areas now, I cannot imagine going back to those days.
More difficult decisions will need to be made in the future as we try to balance the demands on the town’s road infrastructure with the health and wellbeing of our residents and ambition to become a net zero town by 2030.
Our vision for the future of travel in Reading made progress last week when the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 was recommended for approval.
With climate change already impacting us, we must recognise that the status quo is not an option and that we have a responsibility to take action now. If we do nothing, the number of cars on our roads will continue to grow, causing more congestion, more air pollution and more ill health.
Reading is well known for its excellent bus services, and we want to build on that to make taking the bus even faster, more reliable, easier and cheaper. We have already made progress through our Bus Service Improvement Plan, with £26m government funding, which has seen cheaper fares, easier ways to pay and the introduction of expanded community routes, such as Buzz 9, Buzz 18 and the No. 300 hospital park and ride.
Our new local transport plan also focuses on improving walking and cycling infrastructure and facilities, with free events to encourage people to get back on two wheels.
There are other areas the strategy aims to address. As well as people wanting to get to and from Reading and to travel around the borough for work or leisure, there is a significant proportion of traffic that passes through our town which has no origin, destination or purpose in Reading.
Also, after many years of this Council campaigning for it, we are not giving up on a third Thames bridge. We remain committed to working with neighbouring authorities on this and efforts to build more park and ride sites for visitors coming into the town centre.
A great deal of work has gone into producing the Reading Transport Strategy 2040, and I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the various consultations. Now, it is time to move the plan forward and take the action needed to make Reading a healthier and more equitable place for all its residents in the future.
By Liz Terry
