Stretching along the Thames Estuary, Southend-on-Sea is one of the most vibrant areas in Essex, with a growing population and a dynamic local economy.
Each day, thousands of people travel across Southend, to neighbouring areas, and into London for work, education, healthcare, and leisure activities. The area also serves as a key destination for visitors, drawn by its popular seaside attractions and international links through London Southend Airport.
Understanding how residents and visitors navigate Southend is essential for supporting future economic growth, achieving net zero targets, and enhancing quality of life for people in the community.
We surveyed people from across the East, asking about they travel behaviour, choices and reasons for travelling. Insights for Southend-on-Sea from the survey have been compiled into a comprehensive report, available below.
How and where was the survey conducted?
- A 25-minute online survey was conducted between 18 March – 17 April 2024.
- In Southend-on-Sea, there were 284 responses across the district.
- Demographics were not controlled for when recruiting respondent. This means data in the report is weighted to be reflective of the relative sizing of age and gender from the Census for each district.
- Southend-On-Sea is a seperate Local Transport Authority to Essex, which has its own report.
What did the survey tell us?
Car and walking are the most used modes of transport across all journey purposes.
16% of respondees said they choose cycling for their journey, yet 35% own a bike.
22% of respondents regularly use rail, higher than the region's average.
33% frequently use the bus, however, only 49% are satisfied with local bus services.
Active Travel: Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
- Most journeys are made by walking, and the results of the survey say this will remain the case during the following 12 months.
- For those who do not walk, 32% said the biggest barrier is safety concerns, with pavement lighting being a key concern. Safety concerns regarding being too close to a busy road were raised by 24% of respondents, with 22% saying time constraints impacted their choice.
- 69% of respondents support further investment in infrastructure, making it easier to walk.
- 35% of respondents own a bicycle, with 16% reporting that they use this as a mode of transport in a typical week - this is notably higher than the Transport East average of 9%.
- The key barriers and concerns of respondents is safety. Concerns with road traffic was the top barrier at 43%. Weather and lighting of cycle routes were other common reasons for not choose cycling.
- Looking ahead, 28% of respondents want to be cycling more in the future, but segregated cycle lanes and lighting are important to achieve this.
Driving, Roads and Electric Vehicle uptake
- The car is likely to be the second most used transport mode in the 12 months following the survey.
- One key reason for this is convenience - 61% for drivers and 56% for passengers.
- Parents will often use the car when taking their child to school, as time constraints or distance restrict alternative travel options. It is also used as the main way to get to the airport when going on holiday.
- Only 16% of car users reported being satisfied with the condition of roads.
- Currently, 10% of car users own an EV or plug-in hybrid.
- 39% of respondents indicate they intend to purchase/lease an EV in the next 5 years, however, 45% of those surveyed said the biggest barrier to owning or leasing an EV is the practical challenge of ensuring access to charging infrastructure.
Public Transport: Bus and Rail
- The bus is the most used mode of public transport, with 33% of respondents using it, primarily for commuting to work.
- 49% of respondents are satisfied with the local bus services overall.
- The biggest barrier to travel by bus among respondents is the inconvenient/non-direct routes - 53% of respondents are dissatisfied with the availability in their area.
- 22% of Southend respondents regularly use the train, but answers suggest this could significantly increase in the future.
- 63% of respondents are satisfied with local rail services.
- However, 44% of all train users are dissatisfied with the cost of using the rail, creating a barrier for choosing this mode of transport.
Additional Information
How travel and transport impacts current work and shopping behaviours
63% of Southend respondents are currently working in a typical week - one of the key reasons people are making journeys. Of this group, only 5% work from home all of the time, with the rest travelling to the place of work all or some of the time. The average commute currently takes 37 minutes, with 56% of respondents working within Southend-on-Sea, 26% work outside of the Transport East region, with the majority of these people working in London.
When shopping, there is a preference for home deliveries, with 83% using home deliveries regularly or sometimes. 61% of respondents are making 1-2 deliveries per week.
Views on travel and climate change
73% of respondents think, in general, it's important to travel sustainably - which is higher than the Transport East average response. However, only 51% agree that sustainable travel is important to them, and 42% consider to be taking sustainable transport options currently.
Respondents showed an interest in schemes that could make a difference, including dedicated cycling lanes, improved public transport schedules, and incentivising sustainable travel through reduced fares on public transport.
Views on funding priorities
Respondents listed the three top funding priorities as:
- Enhancing the number of public transport services
- Improving road conditions
- Upgrading footways
In a scenario where road charging were to be introduced to address the gap in funding, respondents agreed that it should be based upon emissions from the vehicle, or the size or weight of the vehicle used – both seen as fair ways to address any gaps in funding.