Cycling improvements in our local transport plan

What is changing

As cycling is one of the most sustainable modes of transport, we are promoting it as a preferred means of travel in our Local Transport Plan 4. There has been an increase in cycling in recent years, firstly through the popularity of cycle races in Surrey and then during the pandemic, as people turned to active travel options such as cycling and walking for health benefits. We plan to build on the enthusiasm for cycling by improving facilities to encourage more people to use their bikes instead of their cars.

Our aims

We aim to provide:

new, extended and improved cycling routes
supporting cycle facilities, for example secure cycle parking
measures to encourage bike use for longer journeys
measures to increase awareness and safety
bike hire schemes
promotion of E-Cargo bikes.

Delivery of facilities which make active travel (such as on foot, by bicycle, scooting) more convenient, pleasant, and safe, will encourage more active travel choices and bring many transport, health and environmental benefits. Such facilities include an integrated and high-quality network of cycle routes and footpaths across the county, separated from general traffic wherever possible. Elsewhere, roads can be made more people-friendly through better design, giving more space to pedestrians and cyclists, and lowering speed limits where appropriate. Secure cycle parking, bike hire and promotion of electric and cargo bikes will also help to increase the choices of lower carbon travel.

Making cycling safer

The Surrey Transport Plan will make cycling in Surrey safer in the future by shifting more people away from private car use which will reduce traffic and make roads safer. Additionally, new cycle lanes will be built. In some cases, we will reallocate existing road space from cars and goods vehicles to active travel choices, such as cycling, designing schemes carefully to minimise the impacts of any additional congestion. Excellent cycling support services will be provided such as secure parking facilities, storage, changing facilities and charging for e-bikes in residential areas and at cycle destinations including shops and hospitals. Good quality access to town centres by walking, cycling, other personal mobility options and public transport, increases the number of people who are able to visit. We also plan to introduce emission-based parking charge increases to reduce traffic and free up roads for a safer and cleaner cycling experience.

'Vision Zero' approach to road safety

We are currently developing a new Road Safety Strategy for Surrey. This is built upon 'Vision Zero', which follows the principle that it is neither inevitable nor acceptable that anyone should be killed or seriously injured when travelling. The aim is to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries involving road traffic. 'Vision Zero' road safety strategies follow the 'Safe Systems' approach, based on:

safe road use
safe vehicles
safe speeds
safe roads and roadsides, and
post-crash response.

As part of this approach, we aim to remove hazards on the road network. This will include working towards default 20 miles per hour schemes in residential and shopping streets. We will look at using average speed cameras to reduce speeds in areas where infrastructure solutions are not possible. These measures will make roads safer for all users and more attractive for cyclists, pedestrians and other active travel choices.

Prioritising cycling

We will be giving greater priority to cycling, walking and other active modes of travel over cars and other polluting vehicles by:

altering parking availability and increasing charges
introducing more traffic calming measures
considering the benefits of an eco levy (pay-as-you-drive charge)
using charging revenue to support cycling and walking.

The above measure will reduce traffic, making routes safer and more attractive for cyclists and pedestrians. This means that those without access to a car will be better able to safely travel locally for their needs. More information on our plans to reduce car use can be found in the Demand management for cars policy.

Investing in safer roads

Maintenance of the network is key to ensure that it operates efficiently and that it supports the delivery of several LTP4 ambitions. When roads deteriorate, they cause incidents that can result in safety hazards, congestion and associated pollution and delays.

Safe and good quality routes are also needed to encourage and increase sustainable alternatives to car use, such as walking, cycling and other personal mobility options, including on longer journeys.

We will ensure the network is maintained to a high standard through our Asset Management Strategy. We will make use of the increasing amount of data available in relation to our assets (including roads and pavements), to make maintenance more efficient by seeking to prevent faults wherever possible, rather than reactively responding to them.

Our maintenance approaches will take full account of our aims in Protecting the environment in our local transport plan, including reflecting the need to be resilient to inevitable climate change weather events, and taking the opportunity to build in green infrastructure such as planting and sustainable drainage wherever possible.

Promoting cycling

More cycle lanes

Where appropriate, space for new cycle lanes could be achieved through removing on-street parking. Elsewhere, wholly new cycle lanes will be built. In some cases, we will reallocate existing road space, that is for cars and goods vehicles, to active modes of transport, designing schemes carefully to minimise the impacts of any additional congestion.

'Liveable Neighbourhoods'

We will also create 'Liveable Neighbourhoods' ensuring that essential services, shopping and leisure are all within a manageable walk or cycle ride from your home.

Better and safer cycling facilities

Our aim is to provide excellent cycling support services such as secure parking facilities, storage, changing facilities and charging points for e-bikes in residential areas and at cycle destinations, including shops and hospitals. Good quality access to town centres by walking, cycling, personal mobility options and public transport, increases the number of people who are able to visit.

Cycle training

We will provide training to equip children with cycling skills, to improve their health, wellbeing, safety, and school performance as well as building their sustainable travel habits for the future. We will also support training schemes such as Bikeability for cycling (and potentially scooting) for all age groups to improve safety and awareness.

Hire schemes

We will support the development of options for cycle and e-bike hire and potentially e-scooter hire (dependent on current trial outcomes). If possible, they will be integrated with other transport options through a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) framework (see the Public and Shared Transport policy area).

Hire schemes can form a valuable alternative to travel by car. For instance, e-bikes could provide the means to cross an urban centre on a one-way trip, or the transport for the first or last leg of a journey on the public transport network. The option to hire bikes or scooters can also encourage their use by providing the opportunity to cycle, e-bike or scoot, without the ownership requirements and responsibilities of storage and maintenance.

E-cargo bikes

There is also a role for active travel options in reducing carbon caused by freight. We will encourage the use of e-cargo bikes, in conjunction with the measures described under the Demand management for goods vehicles policy area, to reduce the impacts of the last legs of journeys to distribute smaller goods and loads.

Timetable for change

We will add schemes to our timetable below as they are agreed and implemented.

What we are doing now

Please see our Plans to improve walking and cycling page to find out about our current cycling improvement schemes listed by borough and district, and to have you say.

2022 to 2030

We will continue to publish new proposals to improve cycling routes throughout Surrey and consultations on each scheme will give you the opportunity to comment and help shape the future of cycling in the county.

2030 to 2050

As we give more priority to cycling on Surrey's roads, we will be adding new cycle routes and improving existing ones to ensure safer routes, cleaner air and better facilities, to encourage more people to choose cycling as their preferred travel option and ensure the cycling experience throughout Surrey is as good as it can be.

Have your say

How you can help us improve cycling in the future:

Send your comments to: surreytransportplan@surrey.gov.uk
If you have any objections to our new cycling schemes, you will be given the opportunity to comment as they are proposed.

Policy areas

Reviewed: 05 Jan 2023
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