Bracknell

Bracknell Forest Borough Council has been praised once again for reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the borough’s roads.

In an official response to Bracknell Forest’s first Local Transport Plan, the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) also singled out the Council’s school travel and cycling plans. It also noted very good results in traffic congestion – particularly for beating targets for reducing traffic at both peak time and overall road travel.

One of the key aims of the plan, which ran from 2001-2006, was reducing the number of people seriously injured or killed on the streets, as well as improving travel choice and promoting cycling and walking.

Bracknell Council spent more than £15million during the six years on road maintenance as well as implementing more than 350 schemes to improve all forms of transport and make improvements for the borough's residents.

Key elements of Bracknell transportation work undertaken:

• Maintaining existing roads and bridges.
• Implementing a targeted programme of road safety schemes each year.
• Improving the way traffic control systems operate on major routes to reduce congestion.
• Expanding the footway and cycleway network by 16.5km.
• Ensuring all major new developments have travel plans to minimise their impact.

As a result of the first Bracknell Local Transport Plan:

• 52.9 per cent fewer people are being killed or seriously injured on the borough's streets.
On average 72 people were killed or seriously injured on the borough’s streets every year between 1994-1998, by 2005 this was reduced to 34. The Council is on target to reduce this even further to 28 by 2010.
• There was a 66 per cent reduction in the number of children being killed or seriously injured on Bracknell Forest's roads - already reaching the target for 2010.
On average there were nine children killed or seriously injured on the borough’s roads a year between 1994-98, this was reduced to three by 2005.
• Numbers of cars on the roads based on counts at monitoring sites on main roads has remained level since 1996. It was first measured at 386,000 every day, this increased to 389,000 by 2001 and has been steady at 372,000 since 2005. Traffic in peak time has dropped from 69,000 in 1996 to 65,500 in 2005.
• The number of pedestrians has risen 25 per cent between 2001 and 2006 based on counts at monitoring sites. The number of cyclists has risen by over 35 per cent in the same period.
• Use of trains in Bracknell Forest has increased by 13 per cent.

GOSE’s response encouraged Bracknell Council to build and develop on its partnership working to improve the results for the second Local Transport Plan – which is running until 2010. Its aims include:

• Better access to key services.
• Reducing congestion.
• Improving public transport.
• Improving road safety.
• Ensuring roads and footways are well maintained.

It also takes into account the regeneration of Bracknell town centre and the substantial transport benefits this will bring, including a new bus station and improvements to the railway station forecourt, as well as ensuring residents have adequate access to the full range of public services.

Cllr Mrs Mary Ballin, Executive Member for Bracknell Planning and the Environment, said: “We are pleased the hard work undertaken under the first local transport plan has had such a positive result for the people of Bracknell Forest and the environment.

“We are seeing more use of footpaths, cycleways and public transport, and fewer serious accidents on the roads.

”While these are significant achievements, the Council will be continuing to work hard to achieve our long term targets and improve our transport infrastructure."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council