Work has started (Monday 26 February) in King Street in Maidenhead, as part of wider Royal Borough plans to brighten up the town centre’s urban environment as well as create more engaging spaces for walking and cycling.
The work, which will focus at this stage on the pedestrianised section of King Street between Broadway and Keys Place, will see a new dedicated space along the centre of the route specifically for cycles, with pedestrian areas either side.
These dedicated cycle and walking areas will be clearly differentiated with visibly different surface types and tactile boundaries. It is hoped that the whole scheme will be completed in the autumn.
Councillor Geoff Hill, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Customer Service Centre, and Employment, said: “Funding for this valuable work has come externally from the Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), specifically for this project.
“The final design of the scheme has been shaped following extensive on-the-ground research carried out by the council along this section of King Street as well as feedback from stakeholder forums including walking, cycling, disability and inclusion groups.
“The council also held a series of workshop evenings last summer with town centre businesses and we thank those organisations who gave their invaluable input. The developers and landowners in adjacent sites were also involved in this engagement and we also thank them for their input.”
Alison Webster, Chief Executive Officer at Berkshire LEP, said: “The LEP has a strong track record in supporting sustainable transport packages as part of our ambition to reduce congestion and provide improved access to local employment, retail, and services. We’re delighted to have provided funding from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to this scheme which will encourage people to visit the town centre in a sustainable way, supporting local businesses and contributing to a prosperous and vibrant Maidenhead.”
Along with the new high quality paving, the spaces outside existing businesses will be reconfigured allowing them if they wish to introduce café style seating subject to planning permission.
Maintaining easy access for businesses, and for the pedestrians and cyclists who use this route, will be a priority while the work is carried out. This is why the project will be done in phases – starting with the cycle area down the centre leaving either side clear for walking and cycling.