New pathway for pedestrians and cyclists in Portman Road
- Shared 140m long footpath and cycleway links Beresford Road with new housing and shops
- New facility will go on to link with Richfield Avenue scheme and provide better access to school and leisure centre
A new shared footpath and cycleway delivered by the Council in Portman Road is now complete.
The facility provides a formal pedestrian and cycle route between Beresford Road and the new residential development near the Tesco superstore site for the first time.
The shared path will go on to link up with the new pedestrian and cycle path currently being constructed in Richfield Avenue.
An informal path previously existed along the section of Portman Road but the introduction of the new 140m long shared path improves accessibility and connectivity between Beresford Road and the new housing development and shops.
The path was delivered by the Council’s inhouse team and paid for by Section 106 contributions from the new residential development, as well as from the Government’s Active Travel Funds.
It is an extension of the existing shared path on the south side of Portman Road and is part of a wider strategy to improve links to River Academy school and Rivermead Leisure Centre.
The next stage will see a crossing installed to connect the new shared path with the north side of Portman Road and onwards to Richfield Avenue. This is part of a programme of works being delivered and funded by the Council, and S106 contributions, to install dropped kerb crossings to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
Connectivity for residents and businesses in Portman Road has also been improved in the last year with the introduction of the Buzz 18 bus route, which runs between Tilehurst Triangle and Kenavon Drive in central Reading. The service is part of the Council’s government-funded £26m Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“I am sure the new shared path along Portman Road will be very welcome and well-used by residents.
“This project is a great example of the Council using developer contributions to improve the local infrastructure for residents and linking up with other schemes to see better connected pedestrian and cycle routes.
“The Buzz 18, commissioned by the Council, also provides a great service connecting residents in the Portman Road area with Tilehurst station in one direction and River Academy, Rivermead Leisure Centre, Caversham and Reading town centre in the other.
“These initiatives all support the Council’s aim to encourage active travel and greater use of public transport and reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and benefit the health of residents.”