Background
Kingsbridge
Road lies in the southern part of the Whitley Ward of Reading. It
is a crescent, the houses on which are pre-war and the area is in need of
environmental improvements. The
road is part of a larger scheme to reduce traffic speed and accidents,
introduce play areas and improve the quality of the urban environment.
Scheme Objectives
 | Encourage community 'ownership' of the road
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| Improve pedestrian safety
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| Encourage walking
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| Reduce vehicle speeds
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Impacts
There
has been an overall uplift to the sense of community and safety on the
road. More children are seen
playing in the street and are now safer doing so as vehicle speeds have
been dramatically reduced. Both
residents and community police officers have noticed a greater sense of
safety since the installation of new street lighting. The
introduction of 16 trees has changed the face of the area. All
of the council houses in the area are undergoing regeneration, as part of
the Private Finance Initiative. This
includes replacing boundary fences and the tidying of front gardens.
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Progress
- March 2005
Construction of the scheme began on the 4th January 2005, work is
progressing well and on programme. Residents are generally very happy,
with only a few very minor amendments needed to accommodate some concerns
over property access. All tree pits are now in place with iron work to be
completed by 26th January. The surfacing contractor will be on site during
w/c 28th January to construct the speed tables.
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