The results have been released for the Surrey 6th Surrey Roads Survey by the Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT). This annual survey helps to:
· Understand their members’ commute and business travel trends;
· Determine any actions, recommendations, or policies that may be required; and,
· Add to their body of knowledge that will lead to better movement of people and goods through Surrey and the South Fraser Economic Region.
“The Surrey Board of Trade believes that transportation is one of the key economic foundations of building our city,” said Anita Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “Representing the interests of our members, we advocate in support of efficient and effective transportation infrastructure improvements. To do this, we need to continually assess areas in Surrey that may be impediments for our businesses, for their workforce and for industry growth. Results of this survey are shared with the City of Surrey for their consideration.”
Since last year’s survey, the City of Surrey has completed many of the road corridor projects SBOT members identified as top priorities. These include Fraser Highway widening between 140 Street and 148 Street, 32 Avenue widening between 160 Street and 162 Street to 5-lanes, cycling upgrades in City Centre and Fleetwood, and more accessible crosswalks throughout Surrey. Five more are planned to be completed in the next 1-5 years. These include 32 Avenue widening from King George Boulevard to 164 Street, 32 Avenue widening between 176 Street and 188 Street, 84 Avenue improvements between 120 Street and Fraser Highway, 152 Street upgrades, and protected cycling network quick-build projects.
“There may be debate around the technology, but there is no denying a strong need for improved transit and improved connection within Surrey,” continued Huberman. “Innovation in road layout is a key aspect of reducing congestion and road safety. For example, curbside pull-outs allow buses to move out of the way of traffic.”
Patterns are emerging with six years of comparable data. Surrey’s network of over 4,500 lane kilometres of road is seeing an increasing number of commuter and commercial users. The summary of responses for the 2022 Surrey Road Survey are:
The daily commute
53.5% of respondents live and work in Surrey – this has decreased since last year
10.1% work in Surrey but live South of the Fraser or in Metro Vancouver, down from the previous year
91.9% drove their own vehicle to work – up from 2020 (83.5%)
1% walked to work, down from the previous year (4.4%)
Travelling for business
24.2% drive 4 or more days a week for work
19.2% drive 2-3 days per week
18.2% rarely drive, a significant increase from previous surveys
Travel destinations
30.3% travel within Surrey, an increasing trend since 2018
53.5% travel throughout the South Fraser (Surrey plus options combined)
82.8% travel throughout Metro Vancouver (combining multiple options)
Employee travel
53.5% of respondents estimate that 0-20% of their colleagues travel for business, up by 8% from previous years
52.5% of colleagues travel 1 to 2 hours per day on average, comparable to 2020
Barriers to choosing alternative modes of transportation
39.4% indicated that there are no barriers to choosing different options
47.5% indicated that there is a barrier
Traffic congestion impact on business operations
23.5% indicated there was a limited impact to business operations, down from last year
48.2% indicated traffic congestion somewhat impacted business operations
28.2% indicated traffic congestion had a significant impact business operations, up from last year
Traffic congestion reduction strategies
19.3% believe that the current approach of the City is the best strategy to reduce congestion
59% believed transit expansion is necessary
21.7% want mobility pricing to be introduced in a systematic fashion
Top 3 corridors requiring attention
57% chose South Surrey/Highway 99 interchanges
50.6% want Fraser Highway widened to 4 lanes from Whalley Boulevard to 148 Street
49.4% want to widen 152 Street between 40 and 50 Avenue
Top choice for road connections
62.9% prioritized 192 Street Diversion: New construction from Fraser Highway to 68 Avenue
Top 3 intersections requiring improvement
70.8% indicated 88 Avenue and 140 Street
52.8% indicated 104 Avenue and 156 Street
48.6% indicated 24 Avenue and 184 Street
Transit needed
58.2% of respondents stated that we should have and definitely need rapid transit on Fraser Highway (City Centre to Langley)
57% of respondents determined that we should have and definitely need rapid transit between Guildford, City Centre and Newton on King George Boulevard and 104 Avenue
54.4% believe that we should have and definitely need a new B-Line bus service to South Surrey/White Rock
Curbside bus pull-outs
77.2% believe that curbside pull-outs for buses are very important and extremely important
86% believe that curbside pull-outs for buses would be effective in reducing congestion along major arterial roadways
Safety first
53.9% stated that they strongly agree that safety on roads is a shared responsibility between users and designers/maintenance
44.3% stated that reducing speed would not reduce collisions in Surrey
Ridesharing
76.9% want ridesharing services without pickup location restrictions
Bike sharing
18.8% of respondents would be very unlikely to cycle to work if Surrey had bike sharing, down significantly from 2020
33% of respondents would be very likely to somewhat likely to use bike sharing, up significantly from 2020
Bridges wanted
76.9% want the Pattullo Bridge to have 6 lanes available on opening day
55.1% want a bridge (whether as originally planned or with fewer lanes) to replace Massey Tunnel
Read the full 2022 Surrey Roads Survey Report
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Anita Huberman, 604-634-0342, anita@businessinsurrey.com
