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Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Should we take on enforcement of moving traffic offenses?

We want to hear from you about our plans to apply to take over the enforcement of moving traffic offences across the borough. The consultation asks a few short questions and is available on the Engage Wokingham Borough platform until 2 January 2023.

Moving traffic offences that would become enforceable by us include offences such as driving through a ‘No Entry’ sign, turning left or right when instructed not to do so and driving where and when motor vehicles are prohibited, currently only enforceable by the police.

By being able to carry out enforcement ourselves, we will be able to respond locally to areas we know are problematic, and expand the enforcement we already do to maintain safe and accessible roads.

Enforcement would mainly be done using Automatic Numberplate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, with a penalty charge notice sent to the reigstered keeper. Any income would be put back into the scheme, with surplus used for other transport projects.

Town centre closed for Winter Carnival

Wokingham town centre will be closed to traffic this coming Sunday (27 November) for the annual Winter Carnival.

Held since 1994, the Winter Carnival raises money for funds for local charities and hosts over 125 stalls selling gifts and goods, food and drink, street entertainment, fairground rides as well as a chance to visit Father Christmas in his grotto.

The following road closures will be in place for the day:

• Peach Street - from Easthampstead Road to Marketplace
• Denmark Street - from Marketplace to Denmark Street car park
• Broad Street - from Marketplace to Shute End/Rectory Road

Click to watch!

Prizes to be won this winter

From 1 December until Christmas Day this year, Love to Ride and My Journey will again team up to promote Winter Wheelers, a virtual "Advent calendar" with prizes available for daily rides.

This comes after 368 riders took part in this year's Cycle September, racking up a total of 46,259 miles - the equivalent of travelling from London to New York and back more than six times, potentially saving 2,800 kg of carbon, while a local resident won the top prize of an electric bike worth £2,499.

There are even more chances to win this December, with Love to Ride offering:

• A daily prize draw every day from 1 to 25 December - each day you ride will enter you into the prize draw for that day
• Every day that you ride is an additional entry into the grand prize draw on 25 December
• If you encourage someone, you enter the encourager prize draw and the more people you encourage, the higher-value prize you can win
• The first 200 people to encourage someone each week will automatically win a coffee (aka riding fuel!)

Don't forget to double up your rewards by signing up to the Innovation Valley Rewards app, where active travel racks up ValleyCoins that can be redeemed for vouchers with high street retailers. Since 1 March, users have travelled 148,276 miles sustainably, resulting in about 13.4 million calories burned - about 17,000 Cornish pasties’ worth.

Revving up for Christmas

The annual Reading Toy Run is back for 2022, an annual event that sees hundreds of motorcyclists in fancy dress and decorated bikes ride from Shinfield Park to deliver Christmas presents for the children at Barnardo’s High Close School in Wokingham.

This year's event takes place on Sunday 4 December from 2pm, with riders meeting at Wood PLC in Shinfield Park and travelling down Lower Earley Way, Reading Road, Rectory Road and Wiltshire Road to drop Christmas presents to Barnardo’s High Close School.

The event, which started in 1985 with just 18 riders, now holds the Guinness World Record for largest motorcycle toy run.

Roads will be closed to allow the toy run to take place, as well as ensure the safety of the hundreds of spectators who line the streets to watch the event take place.

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.