Letter: New Cycle Lanes Are Worth the Short-term Pain

Published on: 30 Dec, 2022
Updated on: 30 Dec, 2022

From: Doug Clare

See: Why Won’t the County Council Publicise the London Road Public Meeting?

G-Bug, the Guildford Bike User Group, fully supports the construction of the new cycleways along the London Road to Burpham and objects to this being called a waste of money. On the contrary it is an essential investment.

Guildford badly needs a complete network of cycle lanes and these cycle lanes will form a very important and integral part of this network. Just because it causes some short-term disruption to people’s lives is no reason to cancel it.

Guildford needs to embrace cycling as one of the only ways to reduce our traffic problems, however people will not turn to cycling if they deem it unsafe.

Segregated cycle lanes are essential for cyclist’s safety and I hope Guildford councillors will support the London Road scheme and all new proposed cycle infrastructure whatever the construction difficulties.

Responses to Letter: New Cycle Lanes Are Worth the Short-term Pain

Frank Emery Reply

December 31, 2022 at 10:38 am

Why wouldn’t G-BUG agree to the London Road cycle lanes? They are however, a complete waste of money. There are quite adequate lanes already and to make London Road one-way for five months is ludicrous.

The traffic congestion through Jacobs Well and other escape routes would be horrendous.

If non-cyclists disagreed as vociferously as G-BUG I’m sure SCC would understand its mistakes.
- Jane Hepburn Reply
  
  January 3, 2023 at 3:40 pm
  
  Amen wholeheartedly to Frank Emery’s comment.
  
  Let’s start improving cycling first where there is no cycle provision at all.
  
  I cycle every day through Guildford but don’t belong to G-BUG. Maybe consultation should be wider. G-BUG could also be polled as to which roads they would prioritise. I doubt London Road would be at the top of their list.
Valerie Holgate Reply

December 31, 2022 at 1:24 pm

How many of those supporting this reside in our area? The disruption this work would cause is not acceptable. The lack of consultation with those most affected is out of order. The re=duction from seven months to five months makes little difference.

An open meeting will now take place at George Abbot School in January 2023 the first meeting having been cancelled.

The buses need 6.7m width but the scheme offers just six metres. It is time for a proper consultation. It must be a priority.

Also, we need decent bus services. We lost nos 36 and 37 buses to the no. 6 (unreliable) and the no. 18. Many require buses to go shopping at Burpham Sainsburys.
Howard Smith Reply

January 1, 2023 at 11:00 am

Doug Clare puts it very well.

It’s vital for air quality and for safe cycling in Guildford that we press on with funded schemes like this. It would be great to see more kids biking to George Abbot every day as I did as a child. It will be better long-term for motorists too as the roads will clear a bit as a consequence.

I hope this will be the first of many such schemes in the town.

Howard Smith is the vice-chair of Guildford Labour
- Jim Allen Reply
  
  January 2, 2023 at 8:37 am
  
  I do hope Mr Smith Will be in attendance on the 5th – so he can express his satisfaction with the diversions.
  
  HGVs – from the refuse transfer station, and car transporters, from the car showrooms, now have effectively been given permission to travel into and through Jacobs Well via the now temporarily de-restricted Clay Lane as their new shorter route to their destinations in Slyfield.
  
  The law of unintended consequences is erupting all around this project.