Letter: Guildford Traffic Is Bad But Solutions Do Exist

Published on: 3 Aug, 2016
Updated on: 3 Aug, 2016

Traffic tailback at Millbrook…

From Bibhas Neogi

Once again Martin Giles in his article Guildford Gridlock? That’s Hardly News has highlighted the dire traffic situation in Guildford that occurs almost on a daily basis.

Guildford being a gap town, the main routes have to pass through it. It is well nigh impossible get across the town as there are no viable alternative routes and to make matters even worse, Surrey County Council (I assume with Guildford Borough Council’s agreement) is proposing to close southbound traffic on Walnut Tree Close (WTC) beyond a certain point.

Councils either do not appreciate the severity of such a restriction or are going for a solution that no doubt makes WTC safer along its narrowest stretch but at the expense of causing more congestion elsewhere and affecting businesses on WTC.

Why not remove the parking bays along the narrow stretch and let the residents make their own arrangements? There is another option that would maintain southbound traffic on WTC to access the railway station. I have explained this when comments were invited on WTC proposals on these columns and I have also sent these to Surrey County Council.

So far, the councils’ proposed options for the gyratory (option A is to make Bridge Street two-way and option B is to make Friary Bridge two-way) are unworkable in my view because they are based on the hope that there would be a modal shift of people using cars and going on foot or riding bicycles.

Only locals within a mile or so could walk, and those a few more miles from the surrounding areas, could ride into the town centre but roads are not really safe enough for them in large numbers in the mix of heavy traffic.

I cannot imagine many are driving into the town centre during peak hours when they could use alternative modes of transport. The terrain of Guildford and the weather for the most part of the year are not exactly easy to cope with. The traffic engineers’ job is to find solutions by improving the network and not dream up ideas that are impractical.

An almost traffic free town centre is achievable if the A281 traffic is taken through a short tunnel for the Millbrook and Onslow Street stretch and opening up the town bridge for local traffic together with a two-way Bridge Street.

In my view, the alternative proposed by Guildford Vision Group and backed by Guildford Society taking all traffic over to the west of the railway lines, is too disruptive, expensive and unfair for the residents close to such a route. This simply exports the problem to the west and does not solve it.

For the east-west traffic, a bridge over the tracks is essential to reduce gyratory traffic. This route should then continue on a flyover towards Woodbridge Road. The east-west route need not be a dual carriageway but a wide single carriageway may suffice and yet provide enough width to allow traffic to pass during an occasional accidental blockage.

Pedestrian and cycle routes could then be improved in conjunction with other improvements to the network.

I have posted my ideas many times on the possible improvements to the traffic and infrastructures in and around Guildford here on Guildford Dragon NEWS. My own website describes these together with sketches contained in an associated website. I urge the councils to explore these suggestions and it would be very helpful if readers who agree with my suggestions write to the councils in support of these or propose suitable alternatives.

Guildford traffic is bad but solutions do exist to improve matters if adequate investment in the network is made along with the new housing (whatever numbers are finally agreed) under the Local Plan.

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