Benefits of Local Street Improvements

Safety benefits

Local Street Improvements can provide safer environments for walking, wheeling and riding due to more appropriate traffic speeds and better infrastructure, resulting in less accidents. They also provide improved road crossings to make it easier for everyone to cross the road, especially children and more vulnerable road users.  

Figures from the Department for Transport (2022) reveal that Surrey had more cycling casualties in 2022 than any other Local Authority in Great Britain. The vast majority of cyclist casualties in Surrey (69%) took place on 30 mile per hour speed limit roads. 79% of these resulted from collisions with a motor vehicle. This is a problem for all forms of cycling in Surrey, including cycling to school and work. 71% of cycling casualties in Surrey occurred on a weekday, with less than a third happening at the weekend (29%). For people walking, 81% of pedestrian casualties in Surrey occurred on 30 mile per hour speed limit roads, most resulting from collisions with motor vehicles in urban areas. 

A Government review of examples from around England found that making traffic speeds more appropriate to local contexts leads to reduced accidents, both in the number of accidents that happen and in severity of accidents when they do occur. By setting more appropriate speed limits on urban roads (where people support them, and not using a blanket approach), Local Street Improvements can improve road safety and help to reduce pedestrian and cyclist casualties. Local Street Improvements can also reduce casualties by improving crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists to make crossings easier and safer to navigate as well as more visible to those driving.

To find out more about road safety in Surrey and other plans to make roads in Surrey safer, please see the road safety section of our website. To find out about other ways we are supporting walking, wheeling and riding to school, please see our Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy. 

Benefits for the local environment

By improving road safety and the conditions for walking, wheeling and riding, Local Street Improvements can enable more journeys to be made by sustainable transport modes. More walking, wheeling and riding means fewer journeys made by motor vehicles, resulting in less carbon emissions, reduced traffic noise outside people’s homes, improved air quality from less traffic pollution, and less congestion. Our website provides more information on the emissions caused by different transport modes.  Local Street Improvements also aim to increase the number of green spaces and trees. Local Street Improvements will contribute towards achieving the council’s objectives set out in our Local Transport Plan and our Climate Change Strategy, as well as supporting national objectives set out by the Department for Transport. 

Benefits for local people's health and wellbeing

By making walking, wheeling and riding easier and safer, and by making local green spaces more accessible, Local Street Improvements will increase opportunities for physical activity and leisure. Local Street Improvements will make a more attractive and enjoyable place for walking, wheeling and riding. Public Health England and the Department for Transport have investigated the benefits of increased movement to people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing, and the role that increasing road safety and opportunities for walking, wheeling and riding have in achieving this. Increased walking and cycling have been shown to decrease rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, depression, cognitive decline and dementia, as well as increase life expectancy. 

Increasing the number of journeys that are made by walking, wheeling and riding can also result in less air pollution as fewer journeys are made by motor vehicles. This makes the air that we breathe cleaner. 

Studies by Public Health England show that access to green space can also greatly improve both physical and mental health outcomes, including mortality, stroke, coronary heart disease, maternal outcomes, stress, cognitive function and quality of life.

Benefits for the local economy

Congestion has economic costs. It makes the economy less productive as time is lost to traffic jams for workers and suppliers. By enabling more local journeys to be made by walking, wheeling and riding, Local Street Improvements can help to reduce the number of local journeys made by motor vehicles, helping to reduce congestion in the area. If more people feel safe walking, wheeling and riding local journeys, like their journey to school, congestion will improve. 

The Department for Transport outline some of the key economic benefits of walking, wheeling and riding for both individuals and local communities: ‘For people, it means cheaper travel and better health. For businesses, it means increased productivity and increased footfall in shops. And for society as a whole it means lower congestion, better air quality, and vibrant, attractive places and communities.’