Letter: London Road Must Remain Open to Two-Way Traffic

Published on: 4 Dec, 2022
Updated on: 4 Dec, 2022

From: A retired SCC highway engineer and Burpham resident, name and address supplied

In response to: Timespan of Criticised County Council Cycle Lane Scheme Reduced

With Cllr Matt Furniss’ [Con, Shalford] effusive welcoming of the flawed cyclist and pedestrian improvement works, that will see the closure of London Road in one direction and cause chaos in Burpham and the surrounding area, is he not just making a show of using the Conservative Government’s Grant funding to support this environmental issue?

Whilst not a climate change denier, I cannot see how the so-called “Modal Shift” policy of getting more to cycle will achieve anything like a significant improvement.

The likely number of people converting to cycling would seem to be small in comparison to the amount being spent on works to aid this ambition. What proportion of the number of vehicle drivers driving through Burpham is likely to convert to cycling? I would suggest that it will be minimal given the distances people need to travel to work, school and shop, together with spells of inclement weather and Surrey not being blessed with being billiard table flat.

Although not wholly their fault, perhaps more focus should be made on educating young pedestrians and cyclists as to the rules of the Highway Code with previous measures such as the Green Cross Code and Cycling Proficiency Test being brought back. There seems to be a large number of young people who wander across roads, seemingly in ignorance of the danger or otherwise, taunting drivers not to run them over them.

There might also be a significant reduction in cycle casualties if cyclists fitted the correct (or any) lighting, wore reflective and fluorescent clothing and didn’t ignore road signs or other Highway Code rules.

The sheer stupidity of arranging for London Road to be closed in one direction for a number of months might reflect an arrogance to push through these measures, come what may. There certainly seems to be no mention of any traffic management or diversion routes. Has any assessment of the traffic implications of the works been carried out? I think not.

This is a main route into and out of Guildford from/to the A3, not to mention serving all the schools, shops and businesses in the area. Not only will these closures cause a traffic nightmare it will lead to an incredible increase in pollution.

At the very least, London Road must remain open in both directions at all times perhaps with localised works requiring temporary traffic signals.

Share This Post