Readers respond to council's call for active travel measures in RBWM

Readers have had their say after the council launched a public consultation on how to improve cycling and walking in the Royal Borough.

As part of a drive to start a ‘big conversation’ around active travel, the council has asked residents to share their ideas on how to encourage people away from cars.

The consultation launched on Monday and will run until Sunday, October 3, in order to help the authority develop a document known as a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

People are being asked for their ideas around these themes:

W Cycle routes and infrastructure

W Accessible routes and pedestrian spaces

W School Streets – temporary road closures around schools during peak school times

W People-friendly streets – changes made to neighbourhoods that reduce traffic.

This consultation is not the first to be launched by the council since it received active travel cash from the Government last year. Controversial plans for a bus gate in Shoppenhangers Road was one scheme that received a backlash.

Low traffic neighbourhoods in West Windsor also did not go down very well with consultees.

Opposition councillor Amy Tisi (Lib Dem, Clewer East) said: “It is a good idea to try and get ideas from residents rather than just serving up pre-designed schemes.”

However Cllr Tisi did raise concerns about the technical side of the consultation, saying she had spotted some broken links and ‘badly-worded questions’.

She added that she would be raising this with the council’s transport design team, Project Centre.

When asked what her priorities would be, Cllr Tisi said safety around schools was of particular concern to her, but added there needed to be better joining up of active travel zones.

Advertiser and Express readers on Facebook have also had their say on the matter, with David Townsend urging the council to ‘maintain cycle paths and regularly cut the hedgerows back’, following similar complaints that the A308 between Maidenhead and Windsor was dangerous due to overgrown vegetation.

Rob Wingfield called for more segregated cycle lanes, while Stephen James cited ‘more secure and central bike storage’ as a priority.

Councillor Gerry Clark, the council’s lead member for transport, said: “We have put a lot of preparation into this project.

“Now we need as many people as possible to contribute to help us understand where there is a need.

“Active travel has personal benefits: keeping active helps your physical and mental health.

“There has been an uptake of active travel during the pandemic, and we want to make sure the Royal Borough is equipped to make sure those journeys are easy.”

Drop in sessions to learn more about the schemes will be held at:

W The Community Room, Sunningdale Parish Office, September 8, 4pm-7pm

W Windsor Library, September 14, 4pm-7pm

W Old Windsor Library, September 27, 4pm-7pm

W Maidenhead Library, September 29, 4pm-7pm

There will also be an online discussion via Microsoft Teams on September 9, from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

To respond to the consultation, visit rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/travelforwards