Safer Greener Healthier

06/01/2026

Exciting news to carry through to the new year! 🎉🚲🚶

Funding for councils, enough for 500 miles of new walking and cycling routes and 170,000 more active trips per day

24/12/2025

🎄✨ Season’s Greetings from the Sustainable & Active Travel Team at Essex County Council! ✨🎄

Thank you to everyone who has supported and championed sustainable travel with us this year. 🌍🚶‍♀️🚴‍♂️

We’re excited to keep making positive changes together in 2026- until then, have a joyful holiday season and a fantastic New Year! 🎉

22/12/2025

🎄 Christmas 2025 Bus Timetables Are Live! 🚌✨

Planning your festive journeys? Head over to the TravelEssex website to check your Christmas bus times.

✅ Enter your service number in the Discover Buses section on the Home Page
✅ Use the day filter to select your festive travel date
✅ Don’t forget to toggle “Show all stops” at the start of the timetable section for the full view!

Make your holiday travel sustainable, smooth and stress-free.

🔗:

Christmas 2025 timetables 03 Dec 25 Christmas 2025 timetables are now available on the TravelEssex website.To find bus times during the Christmas period, enter your service number in the Discover Buses section of the Home Page and then use the drop down day filter to select your festive day of trave...

19/12/2025

Essex riders smashed it in 2025! 🚲

Here’s what we achieved together through Love to Ride:

📌 68,037 trips logged
🛣️ 925,322 miles ridden (that’s nearly 37 times around Earth! 🌎)
🚉 30,813 transport trips
👥 924 riders actively logging trips
🏢 110 workplaces involved
💪 91.29% of riders said improving health is their top motivator!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who pedalled their way to a safer, greener, healthier Essex this year. Let’s make 2026 even bigger! 🚴‍♀️✨

16/12/2025

🚦 Road Safety: A Century of Progress and a Future of Responsibility

Road travel has changed dramatically over the past 100 years, from the first automobiles to today’s connected, low-emission vehicles. Technology and innovation have saved countless lives, but the journey toward Vision Zero, eliminating road fatalities, is far from complete.

DEKRA's 18th Road Safety Report explores:

✅ How regulation and innovation have driven progress

✅ Why safety and sustainability must go hand in hand

✅ The urgent need for global cooperation to protect all road users

Despite a 70% drop in EU road deaths since the 1970s, 1.19 million people still die in crashes worldwide every year. The message is clear: safe, sustainable mobility is everyone’s responsibility.

Read the full article here:

Road travel has undergone a significant transformation over the past century. Technology, safety measures, and societal priorities have reshaped the way people move from one place to another.DEKRA, a leading vehicle testing and inspection organisation, views this progress as both a milestone and a m...

12/12/2025

Collaboration is the key to unlocking a fairer, greener transport system.

This article by David Martin, Executive Chair at Group, highlights why working together matters for sustainable mobility.

It covers:

✅ How partnerships help achieve climate goals

✅ The role of planning and infrastructure in driving modal shift

✅ Building a shared vision for cleaner, accessible transport

Passenger transport isn’t just about getting from A to B- it’s critical infrastructure that connects communities and reduces emissions.

David Martin, Executive Chair, Arriva Group

10/12/2025

🚍 Love Your Bus grant scheme- applications now open!

Parish and Town Councils across Essex are invited to apply for funding through the Love Your Bus grant scheme, now open for applications.

This grant provides financial support for community-led projects that aim to:

✅ Improve access to public transport

✅ Enhance local connectivity

✅ Build partnerships with transport providers

Whether you want to add extra journeys to an existing route or improve passenger experience, Love Your Bus can help turn your ideas into action!

📅 Applications close on January 31st 2026

Start your application below.

Find and participate in consultations run by Essex County Council

08/12/2025

🎄 12 Days of Park & Ride - Starting 11 December! 🎄

Looking for a way to support local businesses in Chelmsford and Colchester in the run-up to Christmas? The Park & Ride has teamed up with fantastic local businesses to bring you exclusive offers as part of our 12 Days of Christmas promotion!

✅ Simply show your valid Park & Ride ticket on the day of travel to claim the offer.

✨ Don’t miss out! Check out all the amazing deals below

05/12/2025

Essex’s first fully electric bus depot is now live in Basildon 🚍⚡

This £30.6M project was delivered by First Essex Bus in partnership with Essex County Council and supported by the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA2 scheme.

✅ 55 zero-emission buses now serve Basildon and South Essex, offering cleaner air, quieter journeys and better passenger experiences.

✅ The depot uses high-capacity overnight chargers powered by renewable electricity.

🌍 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ saved each year, equal to removing 2,000 cars from local roads.

This milestone is part of First Bus’s national mission to decarbonise transport, with more than 1,500 electric buses and 16 electrified depots across the UK.

04/12/2025

🚶‍♀️🚴 Have your say on the future of active travel!

The Department for Transport, is shaping the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3) which plans on setting the national vision for walking and cycling from 2025 to 2030.

This is your chance to influence how we make active travel safer, greener, and more accessible for everyone.

✅ Consultation closes: 11:59 pm, 15 December 2025

Share your views today through the link below!

Seeks views on how the third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3) will work during its 5-year period.

03/12/2025

🎄 Walk your way to Christmas with Go Jauntly! 🎄

Looking for a fun and festive way to stay active this December? Check out Go Jauntly’s Advent Calendar, it’s the perfect challenge to keep you moving during the holiday season.

The goal: Walk one mile a day in the run-up to Christmas.

Discover new routes, enjoy the fresh air, and make every step count toward a greener, healthier lifestyle.

Join the challenge by checking out the link below 🌍🚶‍♀️

Join the countdown to Christmas Day! Enjoy a daily fix of festive fresh air.

28/11/2025

Two members of our team attended the National Team Modeshift Modeshift Convention in Leeds, where this year’s theme was “Evolving the Narrative.” 🚶🚲🚉

Helen Akpabio, Active Travel Manager, spoke on the Surveys and Technology panel alongside HomeRun STEP, sharing insights on how AI technology is driving innovation in school travel planning in Essex.

We were proud to be shortlisted for two awards: Community Engagement Project of the Year for the Essex Cycle Grant and Team of the Year for the Active Travel Team. Although we didn’t take home any prizes, the event was an inspiring two days filled with networking, thought-provoking discussions, and valuable learning opportunities.

Photo credits: Scott Akoz