Controversial Reading Cycle Lane Changes Proposed

Councillors have debated changes to the controversial Sidmouth Street cycle lane in Reading that would give more space to drivers.

The cycle lanes were installed in 2020 after Reading Borough Council got government funding to boost active travel during the pandemic. The scheme removed the southbound traffic lane and created a two-way cycle lane, which has proved divisive.

Highways officers have explored fixes. The favoured option would end the cycle lane at the South Street junction and use the freed-up space to create an extra eastbound turning lane at the Queens Road junction — at present there is a single turning lane used by both directions.

The decision to consult on reducing the cycle lane was made at a meeting of the council's traffic management sub-committee, and councillors unanimously agreed to enter a statutory consultation at the March 5 meeting.

James Clements, a transport programme manager, said a southbound cycle lane up the hill would be retained.

John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), lead councillor for transport, said the wider plan to link Sidmouth Street with other cycle routes was stunted by lack of further government investment. He said: "That didn't happen, and we have to be honest, that cycle lane is underutilised. And many people said that, they did. But a bold vision does need to be created."

Cllr Ennis argued the redesign would speed up journeys for drivers and help create a bus lane in London Road.

Rob White (Green, Park), who was the only councillor to vote against making the lane permanent in September 2022, warned the network is fragmented. He said: "Reading is a compact town, it should be amazing for cyclists, you should be able to get from one side to the other quicker than by almost any other mode of transport."

He added: "But we all know the problems, the cycle network isn't joined, it's fragmented, it needs to be joined. I cycle multiple times a week, I cycled in via Sidmouth Street, as usual, I was the only cyclist on the lane. Greens want to see decent cycle infrastructure and more of it, but this is neither, that's why it's poorly used. Greens want to build support for good quality cycle infrastructure, but bad cycle infrastructure like this just gives the bike haters more ammunition, unfortunately."

Cllr White also said a bid to improve the Sidmouth Street/Queens Road junction would cost about 'something north of half a million pounds' and suggested the council should have applied for other cycle improvements.

The council failed to secure the required money in Active Travel Fund 4, making that particular project undeliverable.

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward (Labour, Thames) said the 2020 funding came with strict conditions that meant roadspace had to be taken from cars to deliver active travel schemes. She said: "We started to look at schemes, and the hoops we had to jump through were ridiculous, and it was very difficult to get the money spent. One of the things you had to do is take roadspace from cars, and reallocate it to active travel, and that knocked out a whole load of things we could've done that would have improved getting around for pedestrians and cyclists in the town. We've always had the principle on the Labour side that if we can get investment for Reading, we will. So we put together schemes we knew would be approved."

She also criticised Cllr White's suggestion that cyclists only need Watlington Street as "one link", calling it "mad".

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter