Campaign to stop speeding along Shepherds Lane

Vivienne Anderson on my right and other Shepherd's Lane residents

Local resident Vivienne Anderson presented a petition to Reading Borough Council's (RBC's) Traffic Management Sub-Committee tonight on behalf of Shepherds Lane residents calling for the introduction of road calming measures. She put forward strong arguments to support this request.

Mrs Anderson's petition, which was signed by all bar three of  the 50+ Shepherd's Lane residents, stated: 

"For a long time residents have been aware of the hazardous and speeding traffic along Shepherds Lane which is causing great concern for the welfare of both the residents and animals. We, the undersigned, are signing this petition in order for the Council to effect changes and to prevent any further danger." 

Some Shepherd's Lane residents and I accompanied Mrs Anderson to demonstrate our support for action to be taken to stop the regular speeding which has lead to many cats being run over and killed, as well as several narrowly avoided vehicle collisions in what should be a 30 mile-an-hour road.

Mrs Anderson said two of her cats had been killed in the last three years and that other residents had suffered the sadness of their cats being killed as well.  She remarked that the volume of traffic had got a lot worse in the last few years. Mrs Anderson highlighted the danger of the junction with Kidmore Road and Tokers Green Lane where drivers have to jut out a long way before seeing whether it is clear up the lane.  

Tokers Green Lane, she said, is very busy with lots of mothers taking & picking up their children to Kidmore End School.  Cars travelling north up Kidmore Road accelerate into Shepherd's Lane up the incline.  This bend was widened and resurfaced by RBC which unfortunately has exacerbated the speeding problem.

Mrs Anderson also commented about the large number of homes being built in Oxfordshire and that many motorists coming into Reading on the A4074 turn off, using Shepherd's Lane as a rat run to avoid the frequently congested St Peter's Hill.

My Conservative colleague Cllr Ed Hopper (whose own ward ends at the northern end of the Kidmore Road) supported the petition stating that Thames Valley Police has conducted speed checks and confirmed that speeding motorists have been clocked, so the perception of local residents was correct.

I am happy to report that the Committee agreed with the officer recommendation for the issue to be investigated and a report come back to a future meeting.  The whole report can be read here.  I will provide an update following the next step in this campaign.