BELOW is a selection of feedback from the first ninety Questionnaires:
How do you rate Guildford’s current transport facilities?
“This is hardly a town looking to the future – it is full of history and a legacy of feeble 60’s and 70’s planning that have failed to deliver a lasting attractive and sustainable transportation system (whether on foot, by bicycle, by car, by bus or by train).”
“The key to the town’s future lies in resolving the traffic problem.”
“When the SCC took over in the seventies they went for a cheap fix which tore the heart out of our Town. The town had now become just a route through for other destinations.”
“Traffic routes work well until there is a problem or flood. The gyratory has lines which are too narrow for buses and coaches. People often end up in the wrong lane. The A3 needs to be a proper bypass.”
“It is a shame that existing cycle routes diminish the quality of life and safety of pedestrians rather than using highway space which is traditionally available to cyclists. This applies also to vehicles parking on pavements which seem not to be prosecuted or effectively deterred.”
“I have lived in Guildford for 18 years and traffic congestion has definitely worsened. It is fine much of the day but a disaster at rush hour and sometimes clogs up completely. I have abandoned my car and walked home on at least three occasions. The way the A3 and the gyratory feed into each other seems to be the main source of the problem: if one clogs up, the other comes to a standstill. Getting into or out of the Science Park in rush hour is also impossible. Pedestrian routes vary from the beautiful High Street and connecting alleyways up to the castle and into North Street to the frankly ugly walk from the Friary to the railway station. I am very concerned that piecemeal large-scale development will cause Guildford’s traffic problem to become unbearable and this will be a disaster for the town, both for its residents and commercially because, if the heritage beauty of the town is destroyed and the pedestrian experience made unpleasant, no-one will want to come here to shop.”
“I hope you have all read the Guildford Economic Development Study 2009 by UNIS. It stresses that the main physical problem is traffic congestion which is driving enterprises away, and the principal need is affordable housing. The Gross Value Added data needs study as it shows that retail only accounts for 15% of total, public services 33% – the rest are largely services based on professional and scientific skills. This is the growth sector. Fortunately this growth does not need to take place in an already over congested town centre . GBC should be helping with education and employment creation in these sectors – not more retail which is low a productivity activity and is import biased. Furthermore internet trading will diminish retail demand in town centre. Currently the GBC is acting like a greedy commercial enterprise selling off town centre sites regardless of long term environmental consequences. GVG needs to get SCC Highways on their side – and put pressure on MIke Green the Officer dealing with Guildford to stand firm on the impact of further development in the town centre ( which he has not been). Note – I hear that John Lewis want 400 more spaces if they are to locate in the town centre.”
“Pedestrian Xing by Town Bridge/Debenhams causes complete gridlock around entire one way system traffic system at peak hours!! Get rid of it and back to subway if pedestrians cannot walk 100 yards to crossing by the theatre.”
“I work in Guildford and live in rural Hampshire, so public transport is useless for me. It normally takes 20 mins to get from the college to the A3, southbound. It has taken up to 50 mins to do the 2 miles in the past. Something has to be done.”
“It is nonsense to have free parking on single yellow lines after 6pm with official GBC car parks charging £1. This means that nobody uses the proper car parks until all the yellow lines are occupied, including the full length of the High Street!”
“Driving to the station in peak traffic times is extremely difficult and I do not see how the station ‘improvements’ will help this and may make it worse.”
“Short term: remove bus lanes from entry to gyratory system Long Term: remove gyratory system!”
“Pedestrian routes from the station into the town need to be improved, there is just one official pedestrian crossing which then takes you down Bridge Street which is heavily used by pedestrians, the pavement is not wide enough to cope with the number of people and it is not safe to walk in the road because of the heavy traffic. Cycle paths are not wide enough, I do not feel safe as a cyclist using the narrow cycle lanes when there are so many cars around. Bus routes- I have used the bus route from Burpham to Guildford once but have given up as it is faster for me to walk into town!”
“The traffic lights at the junction of Stoke Road and Parkway/Ladymead need dealing with as they cause major traffic hold-ups in the evening.”
“Those on the periphery are often cut off for access to the heart of the town by the major roads encircling it, for instance people living in Stoughton.”
“Obvious problems inevitable in a “Gap Town” but much improved since the 1930s – or even the 70s.”
“The town centre is a nightmare to get through, and there is no al;ternative route if you want to go to Cranleigh/Horsham way from the College side of town.”
“These questions are not well phrased. They appear to be written from a car driver’s viewpoint. There is plenty of parking in/near the town centre, just too many cars. Access to the rail station on foot is very poor, by car is badly routed if you are a pedestrian or a cyclist. Bus services are reasonable but could be better. The priviledged car parking outside the rail station should be removed to allow bus access. I fear the results of this questionnaire won’t be very useful because of the ambiguity.”
“Access by pedestrians and cars (stopping to collect and drop off) at the Guildford Park Road station entrance is currently inadequate. Cars stopping cause congestion in the road, and inadequate ticket purchase facilities cause travellers frustration.”
“A pedestrianised town centre from the high street via the river to the station is achievable let’s go for it.”
“One of the main weaknesses of the now-ditched master plan was the very narrow focus; how it could ignore the A3? Any attempt to solve the traffic problems needs to start there.”
“Car parking would be less vital if decent public transport-efficient, sensibly priced-gave a viable alternative. I live a 25 minute walk from Guildford. The bus is far more expensive than 1 or 2 hours car parking. Waiting for a return bus in the bus station is depressing. I usually drive in. My husband cycles through Guildford to get to the station. He was reprimanded by a policeman at 7.00am for cycling under the gyratory underpasses rather than using the three lane roadway which is so dangerous for cyclists. More tolerance and acceptance of cycling(and respect for pedestrians and cars by a few cyclists who do have a militant attitude) should be very much urged to encourage the healthy realistic car alternative in Guildford.”
“The balance between cars and pedestrians needs to be redressed.”
“Happy to use public transport but currently it is not reliable enough for example to get to the station in time for a particular train.”
“I find it unbelievable that new developments appear without sufficient allowance for added pressure on already difficult areas, e.g. Surrey Sports Park, RSCH, Research Park, private hospitals and Tesco all served by one inadequate ramp from the A3.”
“1) The Millbrook car park needs a new exit at its south end – why should car drivers who want to head south on the A 281 have to head the wrong way and clog up the gyratory. 2) Cycle lanes – where they exist are pathetic – try going around the roundabout at Merrow in the bike lane and having to come out of it because you will be hit by the branches of the conifer trees that flank it as no one cuts them back. 3) Cross town cycling in any direction is a disaster – try going around the gyratory on a bike – this could be solved if coming south – north by having bike bridges over the R. Wey by the rowing club and routing into Millmead – and then under the gyratory to a proper bike lane by the river.”
“Guildford is a crossroads in a valley – difficult to solve traffic issues but not impossible. For the pedestrian it represents a hostile environment with barriers at almost every turn. Spending an hour or so on the one-way system is simply not acceptable and it happens too often.”
“Guildford is blighted by its traffic which scythes through the very centre of the town, fragmenting it into disconnected localities which for a significant part of each day become isolated by the level of congestion.”
If you have not yet responded to the Questionnaire, please follow click here