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Assessing South East Dorset's Transport Needs

A major study of traffic movement and transport needs in South East Dorset is entering its next phase.

Roadside surveys were completed in October having collected valuable traffic data from around 60,000 drivers at 56 separate survey sites across South East Dorset.

The surveys are part of the £2 million study to develop a comprehensive transport model for the Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch conurbation and surrounding areas. This will help to build an accurate picture of traffic movements and influence future road and transport improvements, plus housing and employment developments, over the next 20 years.

To help complete the picture, around 20,000 similar questionnaire interviews are being conducted over the next few weeks at workplaces, car parks and on public transport in towns across the South East Dorset area.

Without the study, transport improvements in South East Dorset, estimated at £400 million, cannot be delivered.

Rick Clayton, Project Manager for the South East Dorset Transport Study, said: "The surveys will include some questions about the traveller's journey origin, their method of travel and other basic information. The questionnaire is voluntary and should only take a couple of minutes.

"All the information gathered from the surveys, along with data from traffic flow monitoring and around 70 junction counts, will all be knitted together to produce a computerised transport model for the Poole and Bournemouth conurbation and surrounding area."

Nigel Hammond, Local Transport Manager for the Government Office for the South West, said: "Traffic in Bournemouth and Poole is set to increase as a result of housing and employment growth anticipated for the area over the next decade.

"To plan properly for future growth and ensure that Bournemouth and Poole remain pleasant and prosperous places to live and work, it is necessary to find out how and why people travel. This information is vital to develop bids for Government funding which have to be backed by hard evidence to show that future transport projects will reduce congestion and offer good value for money."

For further information, visit www.bournemouth.gov.uk/SEDorsetTransportStudy .