Lack of Cycling Facilities in North Surrey

Lack of Cycling Facilities in North Surrey

Last Sunday my wife and I took the train to Byfleet and New Haw station (Surrey) and then cycled along Byfleet Rd to Crockford Pick Your Own Farm in Addlestone to buy our Christmas tree.

The farm is about 2 miles North of Byfleet and New Haw station. We did get some funny looks. I guess we stood out becuase we'd cycled the 2 miles to the farm, and no one had ever seen anyone cycle with a small bundled Christmas tree under their arm, weighing maybe 10kg. It was totally manageable however.

It struck us both that the provisions for cycling could be vastly improved and congestion significantly reduced if more people had been cycling rather than driving that Sunday afternoon. It wasn't cold, it wasn't raining, no one was in a rush, we were in a semi rural part of Surrey, so why on Earth were we the only ones riding a bike in the whole time we were in Surrey (bar one other person)? Why does every time I get on my bike (bar commuting), I feel like I'm practically the only one but when I drive somewhere I feel normal again? Why is it that at our local Tesco the other day, there were only 4 bikes in the bike park, 2 of them ours, yet probably over 1,000 cars?

In Byfleet Road, just North of the station, cyclists are able to share the pavement with pedestrians, which we greatly appreciated given how narrow and busy the road was. However, this pavement is very narrow and has lots of uneven surfaces.

There is at one point a crossing point for cyclists as cyclists are instructed to cross to the other side of the road.

I have compared this road in Surrey to similar roads in the Netherlands.

All photos are courtesy of Google Earth Street View.

In the Netherlands, a large percentage (28%) of all journeys are done by bike, but this is just 2% in the UK. Why have we let cycling in Britain becomne such a niche way of getting around? 

The high degree of cycling in Holland is without a doubt due to the excellent infrastructure in the Netherlands. It's not because the Dutch have a special cycling gene or it's just because 'they are Dutch, that's what they do'. The Dutch have invested very large sums in cycling facilities since the 1970s  following a public outcry over unacceptable cycling fatalities in the 1970s.

We could - and should -  reduce the congestion on our overly crowded roads by getting people onto their bikes for short journeys. Cycling (the non competitive lycra racing kind) is healthy and fun and sociable. 

 We need to build  the high quality, well-engineered and well-designed infrastructure that the Dutch have. No amount of bicycle training or advertising will change the public's opinion that cycling is a far too risky in Britain in 2012 as things stand.

I submitted my thoughts to the Transport Dep of Surrey County Council, and I have yet to hear from them, but I will keep you posted, if I hear back from them that is.