Walking

Walking is a great way to get around our city. It can save you money, improve your health and help the environment. When our residents told us that the lack of sidewalks is a deterrent from walking in Surrey, we made it a priority to build up our walking infrastructure and focus on pedestrian safety and convenience in the Transportation Strategic Plan.

Walking plan

Within the Transportation Strategic Plan we detail our plans to make walking a safe and convenient transportation choice for everyone in the city. Download the walking plan to read more about our goals for improvements across the city.

Sidewalks

We usually put sidewalks in when we do road projects like widening a road or adding a bike lane on arterial roads. We also build new sidewalks through our capital sidewalk program. We usually choose locations based on:

• How close it is to a school
• How dense the area is (how many apartments, townhomes, small and large lots, etc.)
• Whether there is a sidewalk on the other side of the road
• Whether redevelopment is expected soon

Through the program, we also put in curb bulges and median refuges.

Curb bulges

The main reason we install curb bulges or extensions is to improve pedestrian safety by narrowing a road. This reduces the crossing distance, helps drivers see pedestrians and prevents drivers from parking too close to intersections. Curb bulges are usually built at intersections, but can also be at driveways or other pedestrian crossings.

Advantages of curb bulges:

• Can improve intersection safety by increasing visibility for road users, particularly pedestrians,
• Can improve pedestrian safety by reducing crossing distance on streets,
• Can prevent parking too close to intersections, and
• Can provide opportunities for increased green space.

Disadvantages of curb bulges:

• May make cyclists on shared roadways feel forced into the path of motor vehicles,
• May require removal of on-street parking, and
• May require large vehicles to cross into the adjacent travel lanes in order to negotiate a turn.

Median refuse crossings

We usually put in median refuges to help pedestrians and cyclists cross Surrey's arterial roads. We put refuges in especially at locations with a high crossing demand and/or at a Surrey greenway. With a refuge, you can cross one direction of traffic at a time, which makes it easier to find a gap in traffic and improves your safety.

We often install median refuge crossings in mid-block locations or:

• on busy arterial roads or collector roads, especially 4-lane roads.
• at high-demand pedestrian and cyclist locations, such as close to a bus stop, nearby school, etc.
• where a greenway crosses an arterial road. We put in median refuges here along with a pedestrian and cycling friendly crosswalk.

Go the extra mile and give us your idea of how we can improve walking in Surrey. Contact transportation@surrey.ca with your ideas, comments or questions on walking in Surrey.

WALKit web map

Try the interactive web map to get an overview of pedestrian routes across Surrey, including routes that are age friendly. Plan your preferred route and enjoy a stroll outdoors. You can meet new people, get some fresh air and exercise.