READING Borough Council today (March 6) published its most ambitious and important ever Local Transport Strategy – a key plan to tackle the Climate Emergency and to help create a net zero carbon Reading by 2030.

The Reading Transport Strategy 2036 is the council's most radical yet.

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It includes a series of schemes to combat the poor air quality and congestion choking parts of the town.

Already around one in three vehicles on the IDR at peak times has no origin, destination or purpose in Reading.

Instead they use the town as a short cut, polluting the air and damaging the health of local residents.

With many thousands of new homes planned both inside and on the outskirts of Reading in the coming years, thousands of new commuter trips into Reading will be created.

Air quality and traffic levels will continue to deteriorate, unless there is a step change in how people choose to travel.

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Reading already has Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in the town centre, and along key corridors into and out of town.

Figures show mortality rates in Reading from respiratory disease are 40 per cent above the average for the south east.

The council’s draft plan sets the strategy to 2036 for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Reading.

It contains schemes to tackle poor air quality and congestion and to help Reading achieve its net zero carbon target in less than a decade.

The local transport strategy 2036 can be found here and the SEPT Committee