Cash for A329 works - have your say

Published 2 Jun 2012 07:30 2 Comments

A PROJECT to improve travel along the A329 corridor is among transport schemes to receive a share of more than £5million of government funding.

Wokingham Borough Council has been given £2.75million towards improving travel around the A329 between Earley and Wokingham, and a further £868,000 to encourage train and bike access to the Chilterns.

Bracknell Forest Council has received £1.664million for infrastructure improvements linked to town centre regeneration.

Bev Hindle, chief officer for planning and transport for Bracknell, said: "The transport measures include major improvements to Bracknell bus station, greater availability of real-time travel information and new systems to manage the major road junctions across the borough more effectively.

"We will also be working directly with schools, businesses and residents to provide information and assistance to enable people to make sustainable travel choices."

The councils heard on Thursday last week they were successful in their applications to the Government's Local Sustainable Transport Fund, which aims to promote sustainable transport and boost economic activity.

Wokingham's executive member for transport, Cllr Keith Baker, said: "The funding will allow the council to deliver a programme of measures that can help our local economy stay competitive in challenging economic times."

The A329 project, called Influencing Travel Behaviour in Wokingham, aims to make improvements at four junctions to reduce congestion and journey times; put in new pedestrian and cycle crossings and develop clearly signed walking and cycling routes and put more information at bus stops. It will also give personal travel advice to 12,000 households and work with major employers along the A329 on travel planning.

Other plans are an online car share portal, railway station travel plans and secondary school bike clubs to increase cycling.

The £868,000 grant will support rail and cycling to access the Chiltern's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for tourism. Wokingham Borough Council led the bid on behalf of Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils, the Chilterns Conservation Board and the Cycle Touring Club, with support from other businesses and organisations.

* What do you think should be done to improve traffic flow? Have your say below or at www.facebook.com/bracknellnews or email letters@bracknellnews.co.uk

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• 

  honeybear
  288 posts
  Jun 8, 08:08
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  Spend some on the A3095 every morning this grid locks from the Nine Mile Road all the way back to Magdelene Road. Time to dual it and put a proper pedestrian and cycle path to link Sandhurst and Bracknell.
  
  Then you can finish the Blackwater Relief Road and Marlow and or Reading Bypass and have a proper dual carriage way between the M3, M4 and M25. You have the oppurtunity by using the TRL old site to put in a proper Bracknell bypass.......
  
  Then down to Surrey to improve the Meadows roundabout with a A30 underpass and flyover for the A3095.
  
  Also far past its time for a proper Reading, Heathrow and Gatwick rail link.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 0

• 

  honeybear
  288 posts
  Jun 11, 04:44
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  Main trouble with the A329(M) route is at that each end there is no decent roads it just disappears into inadequate Bracknell and Reading so called ring roads. So what is the point in speeding up the travel time along this road as you'll only get to the traffic backing up out of Reading or Bracknell or the car park that is the M4 during rush hour.
  
  Please before we waste any money - look at the infrastructure as a whole.
  
  Take the Hindhead tunnel for example how much spent on this traffic gridlock. Oh yes they solved the problem but know thier is major congestion from Guildford to the M25. Solving one problem only moves it another spot..............
  
  The biggest problem with most major interchanges is slip roads are never long enough.... Cars are not given enough time to speed up to main carriage way speed and merge safely with the traffic. This is the major reason for rush hour delays as it causes the mexican wave along the motorway. Car pulls in at wrong speed, traffic on main high way brakes, mile back the traffic stops. Simple when planning interchanges mae the slip road longer. Fine putting traffic lights on the slip roads but all this does is block up the interchange roundabout.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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