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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.

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

  1. Frank Emery Reply

    December 5, 2022 at 9:26 am

    It would seem that since the changes in the Highway Code, everyone wants to remove vehicles from the roads and get everyone to ride a bike. For goodness sake, get real and understand, you can’t take the family out on a bike, you can’t do the family shop on a bike!

    • Chris Holmes Reply

      December 5, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      Actually you can, as demonstrated by many in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium…and of all ages. Take a look, it’s very refreshing to see that total dependence on the car is not necessary.

      • Jim Allen Reply

        December 5, 2022 at 11:31 pm

        There is a time and place for everything. I used to as a young man ride 80 miles in a day from Sandhurst to Hayling Island and back, over Old Butser Hill on the A3. Now, 70 years old, I simply cannot, due to my disability, ride a bike, and walking more than four miles is painful.

        These cycle lanes are based on a “20-minute community” – sadly it is a one hour+ walk into Guildford from Burpham, for me, and the chance of the 25,000+ vehicles per day exiting and entering the A3 From and to the M25 changing to bikes on the slip road to Burpham is ‘remote to extremely unlikely’ they will always continue into central Guildford.

        Cycle lanes need the right place and right location. On the London Road in Burpham is irrational and ill-thought-out.

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