Transport Strategy

Most journeys in Southend are less than 3 miles. Half of these are car journeys. So, car travel is important for Southend’s future travel. Vans, lorries, and heavy goods vehicles are also important for business deliveries. Now there are 7,367 vans and 489 heavy good vehicles registered in Southend. 

The way we use cars is changing. There are 306 electric vehicles registered in Southend and 25% of people in Southend do not own car. People that do not use a car every day might use car sharing schemes instead of owning their own car. 

Cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles all release carbon emissions. To reduce these emissions the Council wants to make it easier to travel around Southend without a car. 

Public transport is important for Southend’s future travel. Now 3.5% of journeys are made by bus, 9% of journeys are made by rail and 17% by cycling. 

We are looking ahead 30 years, and a lot of things can change. New ways of getting around like driverless cars or e-scooters might also be important.  

Climate change is a big challenge for Southend. To help reduce the impact of climate change the Council wants to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. We need to think about what impact this will have on transport in Southend. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has declared a climate emergency. 

Reducing road transport will help reduce carbon emissions. Road transport accounts for 72% of CO2 emissions from transport and in 2018 Southend’s transport produced 156kt of CO2 emissions and 3kt per person.

Climate change also impacts public transport. Changes in weather – like more flooding means the Council spends more money repairing public transport like railway tracks. 

The way we work impacts the way we travel. 

Some local people travel out of Southend to get to work and others travel inside Southend to work.  Most people travelling to use the train, and those travelling to other places in Essex tend to travel by car. Most people in Southend use a car or van to get to work.  

This might change in the future. If more people work from home, then fewer will take the train to London. These people may make short journeys within Southend – by public transport, walking or driving whilst working at home. 

Visitors to Southend are also important for the local economy. Over 7 million people visit Southend each year. Most of these visits are in summer, which can mean roads and train stations are busy on hot summer days.

The ways in which we use the high street are also changing. Research says that people who walk to the high street spend more money in shops compared to those that drive. We also know that parking is important for deliveries and those that visit Southend for the day. 

Like most of the UK, Southend's population could get larger. At the moment the population of Southend is forecast to grow by 20,000 people by 2043. An extra 15,000 new households are needed in the area by 2043.

Also, like most of the UK, the people of Southend have different needs when using transport. The Council wants to make sure that everyone can use transport safely. So, the Council needs to understand the different challenges that people in Southend have when getting around the town. 

In the last few months people have changed the way they travel:  

• Use of rail and bus transport fell by almost a 100% in the UK during the height of lockdown.
• In Southend car use was down by as much as 50% in March, but now traffic levels are close to normal. 
• Lorries and vans reduced across the UK but are now returning to normal. 
• In the UK Cycling increased by 250% and is still 150% more than last year.  

We want your views on how your travel has changed, and whether you think these changes will stay in the future.