Letter: There Are Improvements to Be Made to Benefit All Road Users

Published on: 14 Jun, 2022
Updated on: 23 Jun, 2022

From: Bibhas Neogi

In response to: Surrey Conservative Group Announce ‘Boost in Investment in Road Safety and Active Travel’

Road safety for cyclists and pedestrians in areas where roads are narrow and confined is a difficult problem to resolve. Most of us are sometimes drivers, sometimes pedestrians and may also be cyclists.

There is a reluctance to improve the road network because of the perceived idea that improving roads would merely bring in more traffic. It is true that widening roads by adding lanes would attract some additional traffic but network improvements do not necessarily mean widening roads.

If additional routes are created to distribute the traffic movements in a more rational way, traffic on existing roads could be reduced and that could enable the creation of space for cycle lanes and wider pedestrian routes.

For example, a footbridge adjacent to the northern side of Farnham Road Bridge would free up the existing footways for use as cycle lanes. Walnut Tree Close (WTC) could be widened between Bridge Street and Station View junction to include cycle lanes. GBC and SCC should have incorporated this work as part of Solum’s contribution.

Beyond Station View junction, WTC could be made one way up to a one-way bridge to connect with Mary Road by the Court Building. This would take traffic away from Bridge Street which could be reduced to two lanes and the freed-up space used to create a cycle lane and a wider footway.

The WTC stretch north of the location of the new bridge, cycle lanes could not be easily created unless WTC is also made one-way down to this bridge. The cycle lanes in WTC then could join the SMC (Sustainable Movement Corridor) coming through Yorkies Footbridge.

Surrey County Council, as far as I am aware, has not, to date, expressed any innovative ideas about how to improve the road network that would benefit all users. The only slight disadvantage for motorists would be that access to WTC would be one-way in both directions to the location of the new bridge.

For further ideas on improving traffic movements and improving provision for cycle lanes and pedestrian routes please see the link (shortly to be updated):
https://tinyurl.com/traffic-and-bus-station.

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