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Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Wheels in motion for new active travel route

Plans for a new active travel link between Wokingham town centre and neighbourhoods to the west have taken their first steps thanks to a Government grant.

We’ve been awarded more than £600,000 from the Department for Transport's Active Travel Fund, which will pay for initial design work on the scheme along the A329 Reading Road.

This 1.6 mile (2.5km) route, comprising a segregated one-way cycle lane with shared use paths and other improvements on each side of the road, would run from Sadler’s Lane at Winnersh, near the M4 underpass and petrol station, to the western end of Broad Street.

However, we haven’t allocated any money for building it and wouldn’t start work without seeking your views. The project would be split into four phases and we’d like to consult on at least the first by the end of this year.

The scheme was raised in our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, a borough-wide strategy we recently published with your feedback.

It would support our ongoing efforts to tackle the climate emergency and air pollution by cutting emissions, as well as helping you live more healthily.

Concerns shared about plans to stop travelcards

We have written to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to express concerns about the proposal to withdraw day travelcards which could see the cost for residents commuting from the borough to London increase by up to 29 per cent.

Executive member for active travel, transport and highways, Cllr Paul Fishwick, stated in his letter, which was in line with his individual executive member decision, that the council shared the vision and ambition of the mayor’s Transport Strategy.

He highlighted the importance of a good public transport experience, the most efficient way for people to travel distances that are too long to walk or cycle. 

Cllr Fishwick believes that the mayor’s proposal to withdraw day travelcards will go against the ideal of a seamless whole journey experience, leaving residents travelling from Wokingham borough having to make multiple ticket purchases, inevitably making journeys less seamless and more inconvenient.

Interested in joining our team?

Our Highways and Transport team are looking to recruit for a number of positions across the department. 

The team are responsible for Wokingham borough’s highway maintenance and construction including street lighting, structures, bridges, drainage, road resurfacing, safety and cleaning. They also oversee parking management and traffic orders, moving traffic offences and transport links including public transportation support.

• Business and Customer Experience Manager
• Customer Relations Officer
• Contract and Supplier Manager
• Parking Administration Officer
• Project Manager
• Quantity Surveyor
• Specialist – Senior Traffic Management, Parking & Road Safety Engineer (TMPRS)
• Specialist - Traffic Management, Parking & Road Safety (Technician)

Full list of all current vacancies can be found on the council website.

Bike training for children on this June

Balance bike training

Did you know our My Journey Team run a free club for 2-4 year olds to learn, practice and have fun balancing and gliding on two wheels.  

This offers a great first step in preparing them for riding a bike when they are a bit older. Sessions are currently taking place at FBC Centre in Finchampstead on Wednesdays and Woodford Park Leisure Centre on Thursdays.

Bikeability training

Bikeability courses are also available at both locations for children aged five years and over who would like help learning to ride a bike without stabilisers. 

We are able to offer two sessions per child so please only book onto two dates using the link below.  These sessions are extremely popular and this makes it fair for all.

Please bring along your own pedal bike in a roadworthy condition, with stabilisers removed and a cycle helmet.

Visit our My Journey website to find out more about dates and times currently available and to book your child a 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.