Surveys will Guide Future Transport Investment

Motorists in the Inverness area are to be asked for their help in identifying future transport improvements in the Inverness area by completing surveys on their travel movements.

The Highland Council has recently awarded a contract to AECOM Ltd for the preparation of a land-use/transport model for the journey to work area of the city of Inverness, covering the Moray Firth catchment with a population of 150,000.

The model will become an essential part of the long term development strategy for the area, and will be used to test transport proposals, inform the ongoing preparation of Local Development Plans, transport strategies and for development control management purposes.

As part of the contract, data that will be used in the development of the model, has to be collected and from Monday 23 November and March 2010 roadside surveys will be undertaken at a number of locations on the road network between 7am and 7pm.  The surveys will seek to determine travel information at the various survey locations and this may involve face to face interviews or the issue of postcards.

A spokesman for the Council said: “The co-operation of the travelling public is requested with this important work. The contractor engaged to undertake this will try to minimise any delays to journeys into and out of Inverness.  Where postcards are to be issued, they will have pre-paid postage and three prizes of £100 will be made from a draw of those returning a completed postcard.  The winners of the draw will be posted on the Council’s website.”