View in browser

Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Travel advice during a heatwave

With temperatures rising and the Met Office extending their Amber extreme heat warning, below are some tips on how to travel safely by train, cycling, wheeling and walking and by car.

By train -- advice from National Rail

• Carry water to keep hydrated.
• Don't board a train or bus if you feel unwell.
• Avoid pulling the passenger alarm between stations, as help can be more easily obtained with the train in a platform and not standing stationary on a railway line
• Where possible, consider retiming journeys to less busy times.
• Check your route - prolonged periods of heat can cause damage to tracks and overhead wires, to reduce the risk, some routes will run a slower service.

By cycling, wheeling and walking - advice from Sustrans

• Swap the rucksack for panniers or a basket for your bike.
• For walking, invest in a rucksack with a breathable mesh back, or try a shoulder bag.

• Carry water with you in case you get thirsty.

• When choosing which clothes to wear, think of lightweight, breathable fabrics – you’ll stay cooler. Loose-fitting clothes tend to be cooler as well. Although when cycling beware of anything that might get caught in your chain such as long, billowy skirts.

• Take it easy and slow down. It can be useful to think of your summer cycling or scooting commute as walking with wheels rather than sprinting.

• Check your brakes are set up properly and aren’t rubbing against your wheel and that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure.

• Think about adjusting your route. Quieter, tree-shaded streets, routes through parks or alongside water will all be considerably cooler than main roads lined with tall buildings that trap the heat.

By car - advice from National Highways

• Carry water to keep hydrated.
• Wear sunglasses to reduce risk of glare.
• During particularly hot weather, make sure your engine stays within the normal operating temperature range. If it begins to overheat, find somewhere safe to stop and allow it cool down.

• Always take sunglasses with you, as bright sunshine can lower visibility and make driving difficult, but avoid category four sunglasses – these have extremely dark lenses which let in very little light and are unsuitable for driving.

• Summer is a popular time for cyclists, motorcyclists, walkers and horse riders to get out and about, so please take particular care to give them space and time. Remember to slow down on sharp bends in case there’s a vulnerable road user round the corner.

• If you’re planning to tow a caravan or trailer, make sure they’re safe and roadworthy, particularly if they’ve not been used for some time. Check whether you need towing mirrors on both driver and passenger sides to improve rear visibility.

Help us make walking and cycling easier

We’d like everyone who lives or works in Wokingham borough, or visits regularly, to share their thoughts on two proposals to make walking and cycling around it safer and more accessible.

From 11 July to 19 August, we’re firstly seeking people’s views on our draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) – a strategic document which suggests improvements around the borough to help people walk, wheel, scoot or cycle and will be used to apply for funding.

The finished version will be completed in the autumn but will always be open to updates and new ideas. It will outline the most beneficial active travel routes and propose specific measures in places where the community wants them, subject to funding and further public consultation.

Between these dates, we’re also inviting comments on our revised plans for a new £4 million cycling and walking link from Woodley to Palmer Park, at the Reading borough boundary, to be mostly funded by significant contributions from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund.

This was amended in response to your concerns about a design earlier this year and no longer includes a proposed one-way system on a section of Woodlands Avenue, between Lytham Road and Howth Drive.

Saving the bus services

Difficult decisions are being considered on the future of the borough bus services, after the covid-19 pandemic hit bus operators particularly hard.

Although bus use has recovered somewhat, as of May this year passenger numbers were still only about 77 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Fuel and driver costs make up over 50 per cent of the operational costs of running a bus service, which makes the industry highly vulnerable to inflation. 

Currently, we are looking at:

• Working with Reading Buses, the University of Reading and Swallowfield and Shinfield Parish Councils to find a longer-term solution to the Tiger 7 once funding runs out in September 2022. We are also having discussions with the university and Reading Buses about the Leopard 3, 8 and 9. 
• Maintaining the 19A, B and C, which have been particularly hard hit by the impacts of Covid-19, whilst reviewing the services and looking at options for the future.  
• Exploring potential alternatives for the 93 service serving Bohunt School in Arborfield Green, as Reading Buses has indicated that it is not viable to continue. We are also reviewing other school buses which have come to the end of their contracts for the next school year, appreciating the importance of these services to the pupils who use them every day. 
• Buses 121, 122/3, 124, 125A/B, 127, and 128/9 run by Thames Valley Buses will have their contracts extended to run until April 2023, as approved on Wednesday 13 July by an individual executive member decision. During this time, the contracts will be reviewed and retendered.  
• The Lion 4/4X, Claret 21 and Orange 13/14 are commercial services run by Reading Buses, which made changes in April 2022. We are not aware of any further changes. 

Maintaining a good bus network is reliant on people using the buses and so we would urge you to use bus travel as an alternative to cars when possible. You can find a live bus map for the borough on My Journey Wokingham.

Don't leave children or dogs in hot cars

Temperatures can rise very quickly in cars, even with windows open, so children and dogs should never be left waiting in a car in this hot weather. When it is 22 degrees outside, a car can reach 47 degrees inside within an hour.

If you see a child or dog that has been left in a car, call 999 and seek advice from the operator.

It may be tempting to smash a window, especially if the child or dog is in distress, but you should be aware that this could be classed as criminal damage.

Upcoming roadworks

Keeping up to date

• For planned and emergency roadworks, follow our Twitter and Facebook pages 
• To find out about roadworks near you, visit One.network
• For active and sustainable travel, including events, training and resources, visit MyJourney Wokingham 
• Visit our major new roads page for plans and updates
• For information on re-surfacing and reactive carriageway repairs visit our pothole and road repairs page 
• You can report any issues with roads and streets online, including street lights, problems with traffic lights, potholes, damaged street furniture, problems with road markings and removal of dead animals. 
• On our parking and permits page, you can find information including car parks and costs around the borough, resident parking permits, park and ride services and appealing a parking fine.
• Our transport and travel page includes information on applying for a senior citizen or disabled person's bus and train pass and local public transport information.
• The blue parking badges page has information on applying for, using, replacing and returning your blue badge.