RESIDENTS can help improve transport and travel in Essex by having their say in a survey which goes live today on the Essex County Council (ECC) website. The survey is carried out once every five years and helps build up a comprehensive picture of residen

RESIDENTS can help improve transport and travel in Essex by having their say in a survey which goes live today on the Essex County Council (ECC) website.

The survey is carried out once every five years and helps build up a comprehensive picture of residents and businesses travel needs, known as the Local Transport Plan. It can be found at www.essex.gov.uk/ltp

The online questionnaire will ask people how they currently travel, what they think about journeys in their daily lives and how they would like to travel in the future.

ECC spends approximately �120 million a year improving transport on behalf of residents. It maintains 4600 miles of road, maintaining over 5000 miles of footpaths, improves road safety and supports dozens of bus services as well providing travel information and advice to thousands of people every year.

On top of that it develops schemes such as Park and Ride in Chelmsford and bids for funding for major road schemes.

The new Local Transport Plan will define the direction of the council's work in all these areas helping achieve residents' priorities for how they want to live and get around in Essex.

Councillor Roger Walters, deputy cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "It is vitally important that we know how our residents want to travel and we hope they will contribute by filling out this survey.

"Their input will help us to meet our goals of tackling congestion and pollution, improving public transport and reducing accidents.

"Essex is seeing significant investment in its transport network but in order for that to continue we need to be able to make a clear case to government and others for continued improvements, so taking part in this survey really can make the difference.

"In addition our transport teams will be meeting with residents and organisations across the county, gathering views which will help us to develop our next Local Transport Plan.