S6 Ep4 - Cycling and Walking in Twyford, Wargrave, Charvil, Hurst, Ruscombe etc.

The RG10 Podcast - featuring the people, places and events of interest across our area of the Thames Valley

Have you heard about Elsie Whip? No, not her (this is not that kind of podcast!) The L-C-WIP: Wokingham Borough Council's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan...

The draft LCWIP has been formulated based on feedback from a public consultation carried out a year ago in July 2021. This summer, residents are being invited to review details of the plans, which are far-reaching and actually quite exciting. How much of it will end up being delivered will depend on the public response to the proposals, and, of course, how successful the council is in bidding for funding the various initiatives. The current public consultation period is open until Friday 19 August 2022 - links provided below.

The RG10 Podcast caught up with Paul Fishwick - the new Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways at Wokingham Borough Council.

He cites Department for Transport data showing that 60% of all car journeys are under five miles. There are huge opportunities if a good proportion of these could be switched to some form of 'active travel' - walking, cycling, wheeling, scooting or running.

The benefits would include improvements to public health (both physical and mental), reducing traffic levels, congestion and fuel bills (benefiting drivers), decreasing air and noise pollution, and lowering emissions that contribute to climate change.

At a local level, last year's consultation showed that there is high demand for improvements to the cycling and walking infrastructure. Many more people would adopt these activities with greater frequency if they felt safer and more confident, so the council is keen to create joined-up active travel routes that are separated from vehicle traffic.

We highlight some of the proposals that would benefit RG10 residents in particular, such as improving access from Charvil to Twyford Station, with an option to extend the walking and cycling route to Woodley. There is a separate consultation for a route connecting Woodley with Palmer Park in Reading.

Having a good LCWIP is essential for the council to have the best chance of securing funding, so we encourage all interested Wokingham Borough Council residents to take the time to give their feedback to the plan.

Here are the links:

Introduction to the current WBC consultations - https://engage.wokingham.gov.uk/en-GB/folders/walking-and-cycling-improvements

Draft LCWIP - https://wokinghamboroughlcwip.commonplace.is/

Woodley to Palmer Park - https://engage.wokingham.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/wokingham-borough-active-travel-fund-woodley-to-reading-active-travel-route

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