- Feel Good
- 15th May 2026
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- 0 minute
Your chance to influence how safe women and girls feel travelling across the North East
- Advertisement Feature
If you’re a woman or girl living in the North East, this one’s for you.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has launched a major survey looking at how safe women and girls feel when moving around our region, whether that’s walking, cycling, wheeling, using the Metro, catching a bus or travelling by train. Improving safety for women and girls is a key priority for the Mayor, with significant investment already underway to make journeys in the North East safer.
The survey is open now and runs until Friday 29th May. By having your say and sharing your experiences, you’ll be directly shaping the future of transport and public spaces across the North East.
It covers everything from how safe you feel at different times of day and in different locations, to whether safety concerns have ever changed the way you travel, the routes you take, or whether you travel at all.
It also asks about awareness of reporting processes and what would help build trust in them. It takes around 15 to 25 minutes to complete, depending on how much detail you choose to share, and you can skip any question or stop at any time.
This isn’t a tick-box exercise. Feeling safe is a fundamental part of being able to access work, education, healthcare and social life, and research consistently shows that safety concerns influence how, when and whether women and girls travel. This survey is designed to capture the real, lived experiences behind those decisions so that future improvements and interventions are built on evidence, not assumptions.
This work builds on action already underway across the region, with investment in improvements to public transport safety, including better-lit bus shelters, upgraded Metro stations with additional security, new trains with enhanced CCTV, and improved real-time travel information.
Mayor Kim has made the safety of women and girls a personal priority and a central part of her vision for the region. Speaking about the survey, she said: “Too many women and girls still don’t feel safe when they travel – whether that’s getting the bus, walking home or cycling. That isn’t good enough, and it has to change.
“I’m determined to make our region safer, but we have to start by listening properly. This survey will help us hear directly from women and girls about where and when they feel unsafe, so we can take action where it matters most and deliver real improvements people can see and feel – building on the investment we’re already making to improve safety across our transport network.”
The survey covers all major modes of transport, including walking, wheeling, cycling, bus, train, Metro and micromobility such as e-scooters and e-bikes. It also looks at the spaces in between – the bus stops, the underpasses and the walk from the station to your front door, because safety doesn’t start and end at the vehicle door.
If you’d prefer a paper copy, a translated version or another accessible format, you can contact [email protected] to request support.
This is a real opportunity to make your voice heard on something that affects women and girls across the region every single day. The more people who take part, the stronger the evidence base for change.
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