Letter: New Routes Are Required to Ease Traffic Problems

Published on: 8 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 8 Sep, 2024

From Bibhas Neogi

In response to: Guildford’s Cycling Infrastructure Is Pitiful

Guildford is a gap town and so all roads go though the town centre. Its roads are narrow and therefore in general it is not possible to provide good cycle lanes.

Traffic needs to be diverted away, in some cases, to free up road space for cycle lanes and better pedestrian routes.

This means creating other routes and here lies the hurdle of councils’ (SCC and GBC) mental block. The very idea of creating new routes is not favoured by the councils and many people because of the idea spread by some traffic gurus that they create more traffic.

There would be some increase but this should not be the reason for not improving the network. Guildford needs these improvements because traffic is well in excess of capacity, so you can’t get a quart into a pint pot.

Various ideas have been put forward by consultants paid for by the councils to come up with these on the assumption that traffic would be reduced by some 30 per cent or more.

Motorists would be encouraged to switch to active travel and walk, cycle and use buses instead of driving cars into Guildford and use Park & Ride whenever possible.

However, in my view it is too ambitious to assume such a change in attitude of motorists to bring about a big reduction. Closure of the Onslow Park & Ride is not good news and it does not support the cause of active travel.

The way to achieve better cycle routes is by redesigning the road network with creating some new routes. Removal of the gyratory would be essential but it cannot be done without creating a new east-west route. It would take a lot of the traffic away from southbound Onslow Street that feeds the gyratory.

Please have a look at the various proposals I have advocated for improving traffic and hence making Guildford a better place for pedestrians and cyclists. These are on my keepandshare website.

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