Slough eyes £2.5m cycle superhighway

Slough could become a "forerunner for other urban towns" with a proposed cycle superhighway, council bosses say.

Under the plans, verges, service roads and paths alongside the A4 would be transformed into dedicated cycle routes from Huntercombe to the town centre.

The scheme is intended to ensure the safety of cyclists and encourage people to switch from driving to cycling.

Savio DeCruz, Slough council's infrastructure lead, said it could cost up to £2.5m to implement.

Cycle superhighways were introduced in London in 2010 by Transport for London in a move that saw space on major roads across the capital reallocated to provide cycle lanes over several miles of route.

Council officers have been given the go-ahead to flesh out a first draft of the proposed routes and outline the costs, which could be approved by March 2021.

They will also apply for further funding from the Department for Transport, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Rob Anderson said: "In many ways, it's not rocket science. We've seen what's happened in London with the cycle superhighways causing a massive modal shift of people onto cycles and we've seen it other countries in years gone by on what can be achieved if you give people safe areas to cycle in."

He warned that if the Berkshire town "doesn't get this right" it will continue to see increased traffic and air pollution.

Mr DeCruz said the council would work with local cycle groups to refine the designs and a public consultation will be held.