Surrey CC Cycling Consultation. Your views needed.

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

Dear All,



Surrey County Council have released their Surrey Cycling Strategy and opened it up for comments from Surrey residents. This document will have consequence for you as a cyclist over the coming years and your comments would be welcomed.



It is a short survey and will take only a few minutes for you to give your views and have a positive effect on cycling in Surrey.



I am aware that some of you have already responded and it is almost the last hour for those of you that haven’t, so please click on this link to send you straight there!!

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-tr ... nsultation



Please consider these missing points in your response to the following questions:



1. Question 15, support the approach to cycle routes but urge them to consider the following - priority at junctions for cyclists; 20mph limits and cycle-friendly road closures



2. Question16, suggest that their approach to cycle training could be strengthened by liaising with the council’s education department to ensure curriculum time is made available for cycle training in all schools.



3. Question 17, we suggest that, in addition to cycle training, other measures to encourage children to cycle should include: 20mph limits, cycle-friendly traffic calming measures or road closures and dedicated cycle provision on main roads.



4. Question 23, if you agree with the bullet points below please feel free to insert them into the comments box.



Surrey County Council’s Cycling Strategy should commit to:



· An ambitious, but achievable target to increase cycle use to continental levels, with a clear timescale for achieving it (this needs to be tailored for the County);

· Invest in cycling at £10 per head, rising to £20 as cycle use increases;

· Develop a coherent network of routes (on- and offroad, in the countryside and in towns) suitable for cycling between and within Surrey’s towns, with funding and clear timescales for delivering them;

· Make 20 mph the normal speed limit for most streets in built up areas in the County, with exceptions identified in consultation with local communities;

· High quality, best practice infrastructure (e.g. contra-flow, priority for cycle routes where they cross side roads etc.) and maintenance programmes to ensure that facilities used by cyclists are useable, comfortable and attractive;

· Positive promotion of everyday cycling for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities;

· Awareness campaigns that specifically target the poor driving behaviour that puts cyclists at risk.





CTC Policy Background:



More generically, the following is CTC’s formal policy on local transport and cycling. Where appropriate, you might find it useful to include some of these points too:



We believe that local authorities should:

Commit to cycling by: fully recognising its environmental, health and other benefits; linking cycling with the wider aims of local transport and other policies, especially by aiming for more as well as safer cycling and tackling the deterrents (e.g. speeding, bad driving, hostile road conditions and lorries); linking cycling plans with other strategies/policies (e.g. planning, health, education and the economy); and forging partnerships with other local partners in health, education, business public transport, the police and voluntary sector groups.
Make the physical environment cycle-friendly by: ensuring that developments are accessible and permeable by cycle; that highways are engineered, laid out, signed and maintained with cycle users in mind; and enhancing provision for recreational and off-road cycling.
Promote cycling by: making national standards cycle training (Bikeability) available to people of all ages; supporting school and workplace travel plans and incentives; and encouraging cycling with promotional materials, campaigns and personal advice.
Resource their commitment to cycling well by: raising and investing capital, revenue and staff resources, training staff appropriately and harnessing the support of the voluntary sector.
Evaluate and monitor the results effectively by: setting substantial targets to increase cycle use; measuring cycle casualties per mile or per trip; monitoring how safe people think cycling is; identifying suitable data collection and reporting mechanisms; and seeking feedback from key partners, including local communities and the voluntary sector.

Full briefing at: https://www.ctc.org.uk/campaigning/view ... -transport



If you would like to feedback any of your comments to CTC directly please email them to righttoride@ctc.org.uk



Thank you for giving your time to bring about better cycling for all.



Kind regards,



Mark Slater

Volunteer Support Coordinator

CTC, the national cycling charity

Direct Line: 01483 238 323

Mobile: 07824 888 020

Email: mark.slater@ctc.org.uk/righttoride@ctc.org.uk

Web: www.ctc.org.uk

CTC, the national cycling charity, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX