Majority Support Removing Cycle Ban at Station Underpass

THE results of a recent public consultation on removing the existing cycle ban through the subway under Reading Station shows 73% are in favour.

A total of 554 responses were received to a recent statutory consultation. Of those, 402 respondents agreed that the historic restriction to cycling along the underpass should be removed in order to deliver another key strategic cycle route through the town, linking Christchurch Bridge and the Caversham side of Reading Station to the Town Centre. 152 - or 27% - objected to the proposed changes.

Councillors will now decide on whether to proceed with the changes at a meeting of the Council’s Traffic Management Sub Committee (TMSC) on Thursday this week (March 2). https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents/s26359/Results%20of%20Statutory%20Consultation%20-%20Proposal%20to%20Remove%20Cycling%20Prohibition%20Reading%20Rail%20Station%20Sub.pdf

It is important to stress that a statutory consultation is not a voting process. Councillors will need to consider at the meeting whether the reasons stated in the objections are reasonable grounds for deciding not to implement the proposed change.

The Reading Station underpass was opened back in 2013. In planning the regeneration of the station, in conjunction with the Department for Transport and Network Rail, Reading Borough Council insisted that the essential north-south pedestrian link through the station must be maintained during the station redevelopment. However, engineering constraints at the time meant the subway construction included a low suspended ceiling. As a result, a Cycling Prohibition Order was put in place due to height and width clearances being substandard.

The Council subsequently inherited the maintenance of the subway from Network Rail on completion of the Reading Station redevelopment. The low-hanging ceiling tiles along the subway are subject to regular vandalism.

The Council recently agreed to spend more than £200,000 of planning agreement funding (section 106) to remove the low sections of suspended ceiling tiles, protect service ducts and improve headroom clearance, lifting and replacing them. Refurbishment work, due to begin in the spring, will also include minor repairs to floor and wall tiles, along with improved signage, and improved lighting as part of a separately funded scheme.

These improvement works now enable the Council to consider removing the existing cycling prohibition. Although the height and width of the subway would still be below national guidelines, the refurbishment work would allow the Council to accept the position and to revoke the historic Cycling Prohibition Order.

Of the objections made in the Council’s recent public consultation, a high number referred to concerns about cyclists travelling at speed along the underpass next to pedestrians. The station subway is insufficiently wide to segregate cyclists and pedestrians, particularly as it would be a two-way facility. Officers are recommending that if Councillors revoke the cycling ban, the subway would be a shared-use pedestrian and cycling facility that should allow for a steady flow in both directions and at relatively low speeds.

Councillor Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

“It is no surprise to see high numbers of people responding to this consultation and I would like to thank everybody that took the time to respond.

 “The results clearly show substantial support for revoking a cycling ban which is historic and, in reality, has always been an anomaly. Although technically illegal, regular users will know that cyclists already use this subway on a  daily basis. It is a key strategic route from Christchurch Bridge and Caversham into the Town Centre. We now have the approved Station Hill redevelopment which has been designed specifically to secure a continuous north-south cycle route through the town centre and beyond to Christchurch Bridge.

“The concerns by objectors about cyclists travelling at speed through the subway are understandable. However, the narrow width of the station subway means it is impossible to segregate pedestrians and cyclists in both directions. If all users of the subway use it in a responsible manner - which I firmly believe the majority of users do - there is no reason a shared facility cannot work safely.

“It will now fall to Councillors to consider all responses and to decide whether to push ahead with the change after carefully considering all feedback received.”

Reading Council is delivering key new strategic cycle routes across the town, with the Shinfield Road segregated cycle lanes currently under construction, and the Bath Road/Castle Hill scheme to be built later this year. If the change is agreed by the Council’s TMSC this week, the station subway would be a welcome addition to the growing number of cycle routes across Reading.