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3.1. Prioritize walking, cycling and public transit over personal vehicles

Adaptation potential

Mitigation potential

Equity

Health

Resilience

Prosperity

The goal to prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit over personal vehicles addresses the guiding principle of maximizing co-benefits. This approach can deliver cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, strengthened social connections, healthier lifestyles for residents, and a vibrant local economy. This goal also addresses the guiding principle of equity, since these modes impose fewer societal costs and provide mobility for residents of a wider range of incomes, ages and abilities. Achieving this goal relies on Shifts to update policies and plans, build active transportation infrastructure, review parking policies, work with TransLink to improve transit, and support micro-mobility options. The forthcoming Surrey Transportation Plan will provide more detailed plans and actions to support these Shifts.

  • Surrey-Langley SkyTrain provides opportunities to test policies for reduced vehicle reliance around rapid transit stations
  • Bus ridership in Surrey increased by 50% between 2015 and 2019 and Surrey is leading the region in post-COVID-19 bus ridership recovery (as of 2023, 15% above 2019 levels)
  • Walking trips grew by 77% in Surrey between 2011 and 2017

  • Reduced congestion and pollution plus more walking/cycling leads to better health
  • Safe, walkable streets benefit business