Active Travel Fund Scheme on A4

West Berkshire Council has been awarded £124,000 for Phase 1 and £495,000 for Phase 2 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund to give more space to pedestrians and cyclists as part of the response to COVID-19.

West Berkshire SPOKES was consulted on the measures that we would like to see. Our priorities included protected cycle lanes on the A4 and on approach routes to the main town centres, as well as closing some local roads to through-traffic and exempting cyclists from some one-way streets.. We are delighted to see the first of these installed this week on the the section of the A4 between Cothrop and Thatcham.

The scheme uses wands and Orcas to provide low cost physical segregation that helps to make the mandatory cycle lane self-enforcing. These are low cost, but effective measures that can be rolled out quickly and easily, and are therefore ideal candidates for the Emergency Active Travel Fund.

The wands are used before and after junctions, while the Orcas are used in the central sections. If you are unfamiliar with an Orca, they are low-level rubberised features that have a near vertical profile facing traffic and a more gently sloping profile facing the cycle lane. This means that if you were to hit one, while riding your bike, it would just push you back onto the cycle lane.

First impressions are quite good. The gaps between features seem quite large, but vehicles were definitely keeping their distance, which is the main goal. However, the segregation runs out on the approach to Colthrop Lane, and the presence of a pedestrian refuge means that traffic is pushed towards the cycle lane. Longer term, it would be good to be able to widen the cycle lane into the verge to allow the segregation to be extended a bit further.

We look forward to see the rest of the schemes rolled out in the coming weeks and will keep you posted on the results.

A4 Cycle Route (Phase 2) Consultation

West Berkshire Council is continuing to develop its plans for a cycle route along the A4 between Newbury and the district boundary at Calcot, which will form part of the new National Cycle Network Route 422. When complete, this will connect Newbury and Thatcham to Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Ascot. The scheme has received funding through the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and will be one of the biggest cycling schemes in Berkshire since NCN Route 4 was created.

The scheme is being progressed in phases. The Council consulted on Phase 1 back in October last year and work has already started on the section between Newbury and Thatcham.

Phase 2 will continue the improvements through Thatcham. The proposals include:

  • 1.5m wide cycle lanes marked on the carriageway along the entire length of A4 on both sides
  • more dropped kerbs for better transitions between existing off-road facilities and on-carriageway lanes
  • parking amendments to prevent parked cars blocking the cycle lanes (alternative provision will be created for residents)
  • upgraded pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities
  • changes to traffic islands to remove ‘pinch points’ for cyclists
  • advance stop lines for cyclists at junctions with traffic signals

Further information with detailed drawings can be found on the Council’s website.

Please take the opportunity to review the proposals and have your say. We would be delighted if you could lend your support to this comprehensive set of improvements for local cyclists. You can send your comments or objections to this proposal to the Highways Project Team, no later than 13 May.

A4 Cycle Route (Phase 1) Consultation

West Berkshire Council is in the process of developing plans for a new cycle route along the A4 from Newbury all the way to the district boundary in Calcot. This will form part of the new National Cycle Network Route 422, which will link Newbury and Thatcham to Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Ascot. The scheme has received funding through the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and will be one of the biggest cycling schemes in the county since NCN Route 4.

Given the length of the scheme, it will be rolled out in phases. The Council has just gone out to consultation on phase one. This will see improvements on London Road and Benham Hill, from the junction with Faraday Road right up to the Wye Vale Garden Centre roundabout.

The scheme will create safe space for cyclists on the road and will include the following changes:

  • cycle lanes on both sides of road where width allows
  • making better use of available road space by removing hatching and right turn lanes where it is appropriate to do so
  • removing traffic islands to get rid of ‘pinch points’ for cyclists
  • installing advanced stop lines at signalised junctions
  • new dropped kerbs to help cyclists get on and off the route

There will also be improvements to off-carriageway facilities. This recognises the fact that not all cyclists have the confidence to mix with traffic and there are areas where accessibility is currently restricted for those in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and with pushchairs.

The following improvements are proposed:

  • widening and resurfacing sections of pavement, and converting them to shared paths
  • giving cyclists priority across the entrance to the B&Q / Dunelm Mill retail park
  • removing unnecessary road signs, and relocating street furniture
  • creating wider pedestrian islands to improve crossing points for all users

It is also proposed to introduce new double yellow lines, in areas where there is a problem with cars parking and blocking footways. There will be separate consultations to follow for these restrictions as they require Traffic Regulation Orders.

You can send your comments or objections to this proposal to the Highways Project Team, no later than 22 October 2017.

VMS is not the answer to safety problems

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You may have come across this recent article in the local media, which suggest that West Berkshire Council are considering putting up Variable Message Signs on the A4 between Thatcham and Theale to encourage motorists to look out for cyclists. Spokes does not feel that variable message signs are the right solution, since they are simply an attempt to tackle the symptom rather than the cause of the problems experienced by cyclists along this busy main road.

There are several Spokes members who regularly cycle this stretch of the A4 and the consensus opinion is that the main problems relate to locations where central islands have been constructed. These have presumably been installed to reduce vehicle speeds and / or to prevent overtaking at key locations along the route.  However, they have been found to create significant problems for cyclists as motorists try to overtake at the islands. Our members have cited several near misses at these locations and we feel that the islands compromise the safety of cyclists.

The ideal solution would be to have a high quality, fully segregated cycle track alongside the A4. This would make it safe and pleasant for people to cycle between the various towns and villages along the A4. Failing that, the next best solution would be construction of cycle bypasses at the road narrowings, or to come up with a completely different design that does not place cyclists and motor vehicles into direct conflict.

We will seek to work with West Berkshire Council to come up with an effective solution and will raise this at the next Cycle Forum.