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.
3.1. Prioritize walking, cycling and public transit over personal vehicles
Adaptation potential
Mitigation potential
Equity
Health
Resilience
Prosperity
Shifts – What is needed to reach this goal?
T1. Update transportation practices, policies, standards, and capital plans to prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit
T2. Build networks of accessible and protected walking, cycling, and rolling routes connecting popular destinations and 15-minute neighbourhoods
T3. Encourage more equitable and sustainable use of public space through revisions to on-street parking policies
T4. With support of senior governments, expand and improve frequent and rapid transit networks to connect all town centres, and provide transit service to connect 15-minute neighbourhoods
T5. Encourage personal and shared electric bicycles and other micro-mobility options through policies, programs and infrastructure
- 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