Orkney Travel Matters survey extended

The Orkney Travel Matters survey has been extended to allow more households to have their say on how active travel can be supported in the county.

The survey - run by Sustrans with support from partner on the project, Orkney Islands Council – has already garnered over 600 responses, but there are some areas where response levels are slightly lower.

Susan Shearer, Service Manager for Development and Marine Planning at the Council said: “We’re really pleased with both the quantity and quality of responses so far.

“People have put a lot of thought into their answers and these are helping build a picture of the desire for active travel in Orkney and also the barriers such as traffic speed and the rural nature of much of the county.

“But there’s also a few pockets in Orkney where we don’t have much feedback – for example we don’t seem to have received many responses from folk in the Finstown, Firth, Rendall and St Marys areas.

“We’re looking into that and are going to keep the survey open until 16 April to make sure all households that would like to have access to the details to share their experiences and views are able to.

“If you can’t lay your hands on the flier that should have been delivered through your door about taking part in the Travel Matters Survey, please get in touch and we can share a link to the survey.”

The survey follows on from the wide ranging ‘Orkney Matters’ consultation last year which found that many local people would like to see more sustainable active travel options and infrastructure in their communities.

Survey results will help guide and inform future work on ‘active travel’ projects in Orkney.

The survey closes on 16 April 2023.

Leaflets were delivered to most Orkney households in February, asking people to follow a link to an online survey, and to provide just one response per household to maximise the robustness of the data.

If you have lost or didn’t receive your leaflet or need assistance, and your household would like to take part in the survey, text 07974561181 or email info@eylandskyn.co.uk to request a link, a paper survey, or other help.

Respondees go into a prize draw for £100 shopping vouchers and other prizes.

To find out more read our launch press release.