NORTH EAST SCOTLAND TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP – 18 September 2019

3d Regional Transport Strategy Progress and Update

 Purpose of Report

The purpose of this report is to provide Members with an update on progress towards developing the next Regional Transport Strategy to 2040. It focuses on the outcomes from the Members’ Workshop on 29th August, proposed headline principles, outcomes and targets for the RTS, and an update on consultation and engagement.

 Background

A workshop was held with Members following the Board meeting on 17th April 2019 at which was discussed the vision, objectives and key themes of the future RTS under four overarching pillars. The four pillars of the Regional Transport Strategy closely align with the four pillars of the National Transport Strategy and are:

• Helping the north east economy prosper; • Improving health and wellbeing across the north east; • Taking action to reduce impact on climate change and protect the natural and built environment of the north east; and • Promoting equality across the north east.

 Members’ Workshop Thursday 29th August

A further workshop was held to which all Board and Substitute Members were invited on 29th August 2019. The draft National Transport Strategy, which is currently out for consultation, and a paper on Roles and Responsibilities, were both discussed and draft responses were provided for discussion. The draft responses to these consultations have been amended as a result of the discussion at the workshop and are covered under Items 3b and 3c of this agenda.

An update was also provided on the progress of the City Region Deal Strategic Transport Appraisal which has now published the results of its option generation and sifting work. The full report has been made available to view on the Nestrans website at https://www.nestrans.org.uk/regional-transport-strategy/.

The outcome of the Strategic Transport Appraisal is a list of 42 separate options which have been recommended for further development and appraisal. Contained in the list, there are a range of policy ideas, road/bus/rail/active travel suggestions, and technological interventions. Most of these options are recommended for consideration as part of the development of the RTS.

A presentation was given on a series of proposed key principles and targets for the RTS and this formed the basis for discussion for the remainder of the workshop. The discussion was focussed on five proposed headline principles and targets for the RTS. There was general agreement on the principles and targets presented and points raised during the discussion have been used to develop these principles further and a sixth principle developed, as set out in the section below.

 Headline principles and targets

We have suggested six headline principles for the RTS which would set the tone and direction for the strategy overall. It is proposed that these are then supported by a range of more detailed indicators and targets reflecting the broad scope of the strategy. These principles and targets are set out in turn below.

1. A 50:50 mode split between car driver and sustainable modes

This target links to all four pillars of the RTS. Achieving a mode shift away from car driver towards more sustainable modes is a central part of the strategy that will contribute to all four pillars. As well as reducing congestion and the resulting economic benefits of this, a shift to more active modes of walking and cycling will have significant benefits for health and well-being as well as the environment in terms of reduced emissions. Improvements to encourage more people onto bus and rail will help commercial operators and the public sector to further invest in improvements to services therefore enhancing provision and helping to remove barriers to accessing employment, health, education and leisure opportunities.

What this headline principle is aiming to achieve is not an increase in public transport mode share at the expense of, for example, cycling but rather a shift from car driver to public transport, active travel and car share. The simplicity of a 50:50 target is a message that is clear and easily understandable by the wider public. It recognises that the car will remain an essential part of the transport network in many places and not everywhere across the region will be able to achieve this target. Urban areas however should be aiming for higher than 50% of travel by sustainable modes to compensate for rural areas which may find this more difficult to achieve.

This is a challenging target and in order to deliver this across the region, it will require significant enhancements to provision for walking and cycling, bus priority, high quality park and ride services as well as demand management and consideration of measures such as charging mechanisms and re-prioritisation of road space.

The baseline shows that currently around 66% of journeys to work are by car driver and 34% by sustainable modes, as shown in Figure 1. Ideally we would like to move to being able to monitor all trips (not just travel to work) and early estimates indicate that when looking at all trips, the proportion of trips by sustainable modes is higher than 34% although still short of the 50% target. The data available at present is however limited and there is a need for more robust data at a regional level. This is an issue that has also been identified in the National Transport Strategy which contains an action to strengthen the evidence base at national, regional and local level.

It is suggested that Nestrans consider commissioning its own travel diary survey to gather more robust data to help us monitor this target.

Figure 1 Mode split for journeys to work in the north east (2017)

Further supporting targets relating to this headline principle are proposed as follows:

a) Increase the number and proportions travelling by bus, rail, cycling and walking (individual targets to be set for each); b) Increased passenger kilometres travelled by rail to, from and within the region.

2. Improved journey efficiencies

This headline principle links primarily to the pillar to help the north east economy prosper. There is a need to recognise that in order to improve the economy we need to consider journey times and the overall efficiency of the transport network. There is a need to maintain the benefits achieved by the AWPR in relation to journey times for private vehicles, public transport and freight. This principle covers external connections outwith the region but also the road and public transport network within the region. It covers not just reducing overall journey times but also managing the existing road network to ensure it operates efficiently.

Supporting targets:

a) Reduce journey times by rail to the central belt by 20 minutes and Inverness by 15 minutes; b) Improve journey efficiencies by road from Peterhead to the motorway network at Friarton Bridge (baseline and target to be established for freight); c) Reduce delays on the region’s road network to less than 10% of driver journeys delayed due to congestion (baseline 17%1); d) Improve bus punctuality to 95% of buses starting their route on time (baseline 90%2); e) Improve average bus speeds (baseline and target to be established).

1 Source: Nestrans annual monitoring report 2 Source: Nestrans annual monitoring report 3. Zero fatalities on the road network

This target links to the health and wellbeing pillar, specifically road safety. Although there have been significant reductions in fatalities from road traffic collisions in recent years, the aspiration is to reduce this to zero. This is in line with the national framework for road safety which it is understood is moving towards vision zero. This is not to say that reducing serious and slight casualties is less important but measures to reduce fatalities should contribute to reducing the number and severity of road traffic collisions generally. There is also therefore a need for supporting targets to reflect these wider priorities.

Supporting targets:

a) Reduce the number and severity of all casualties (targets to be set following publication of Scotland’s road casualty reduction targets to 2030);

b) Reduce the proportion of vulnerable users involved in road traffic collisions (baseline and target to be established).

4. No exceedences of World Health Organisation (WHO) safe levels of emissions from transport

Primarily linking to the pillar to improve health and wellbeing across the north east, this headline principle focuses on the health impacts of poor air quality. There is lots of evidence to show that poor air quality can affect health, particularly amongst those who are vulnerable or who have existing health conditions. Transport is a key emitter of pollution and Aberdeen has three Air Quality Management Zones where emissions breech WHO safe levels.

Supporting targets

a) Reduce nitrogen dioxide and particulates (PM10) emissions from transport below WHO safe levels.

5. Significantly reduced carbon emissions from transport to support net-zero nationally by 2045

This headline principle primarily supports the pillar to reduce carbon and environmental impact. There are however significant links to the health and wellbeing pillar as many of the benefits achieved through reducing carbon will also significantly reduce emissions that are harmful to health.

Nationally there is a commitment for net zero carbon emissions by 2045 and for Scotland to be carbon neutral by 2050, so there is a requirement to be significantly progressed towards decarbonising the transport network by 2040. We have set out supporting targets for cars and buses below but feel that decarbonising rail, maritime and aviation will need to be led at a national level and although the RTS should support and push for such measures, achieving a target relating to this will be significantly outwith our control.

Supporting targets:

a) Zero petrol or diesel cars in town and city centres; b) 100% of buses across the region to be fuelled by Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) (baseline 7%3); c) Substantial public uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (baseline and target to be established).

In terms of wider environmental impacts, there will be a monitoring and evaluation framework established as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment which will look at the range of environmental impacts of the RTS.

6. Accessibility for all

This links primarily to the Equality and Health & Wellbeing pillars of the RTS although by improving these two, there are also positive impacts on improving prosperity by improving access to education, training and employment.

Supporting targets:

a) No areas at high risk of transport poverty across the region (25% of all data zones in Aberdeenshire are currently in the high-risk category and 1% in Aberdeen City4); b) All railway stations to meet desired accessibility standards (4 out of 9 stations currently); c) All buses, bus stops and interchanges to be fully accessible (baseline and target to be confirmed through the Bus Alliance); d) Accessibility to key destinations to include employment, health (including, but not limited to Foresterhill), education and leisure (baseline and target to be established once data source established).

 Outcomes

Against each pillar, we have identified the primary and secondary outcomes that will be required to achieve the pillars of the strategy and these headline principles. These are set out in the table in Appendix A. This shows the broad scope of the strategy beyond the six headline principles identified above. There is significant cross-over between the outcomes identified to achieve each pillar with many contributing to all four.

 Consultation and Engagement

The consultation website www.nestrans2040.org.uk has been live since May 2019 and discussion papers posted on a regular basis up until early August. A good response overall has been received with 108 individual responses split across 11 different topics. The responses received have generally been from individuals and members of the public rather than organisations who we are consulting with separately.

The responses received have been as follows:

3 Source: Operators, 2018 4 Source: Transport Poverty in Scotland, Sustran, August 2016 Discussion paper topic Number of responses received The accessibility of transport 3 The affordability of transport 15 Aviation 3 Behaviour change and mode shift 14 Buses 24 Carbon reduction and alternative fuels 3 Freight 4 Public health and access to health 2 The rail network in the north east 12 Road safety and casualty reduction 11 Walking and cycling 9 General comments 8 Total 108

The comments received through this process have been collated into one spreadsheet and this has been made available for Members to view on the Members Only section of the Nestrans website. Respondents were asked to give permission for their comments to be summarised and reported to the Nestrans Board and so those responses where permission has not been given have been removed from the spreadsheet. The comments will however still be taken on board in the development of the strategy.

Stakeholder meetings have also been held to date with a range of organisations, including Aberdeen Airport, Fraserburgh Harbour, Grampian Regional Equality Council, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and we are continuing to arrange these meetings going forward including with bus operators, other regionally important harbours, cycle representatives and others.

These meetings, along with the comments received above, will be reviewed in depth as we start to develop the policies and actions for each section of the strategy.

 Recommendations

It is recommended that the Board:

1. Agree the six headline principles of the RTS and associated targets;

2. Note the responses received through the consultation on the discussion papers; and

3. Instruct officers to identify where additional data is required, including exploring options for commissioning a region-wide travel diary survey and bring back proposals on this to a future Board.

KC 5 September 2019

Appendix A

Table 1 Primary and secondary outcomes of RTS2040

Pillar Primary and Secondary Outcomes Improved connections from the north east to the rest of the country and worldwide • Reduced and more reliable journey times by road • Reduced and more reliable journey times by rail to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and beyond • Increased capacity on the rail network to allow increased mode shift to rail • Increased range of connections and destinations available from Aberdeen Airport • Maintain connections to key hub airports direct from Aberdeen • Improved facilities for freight distribution • Continuation of Aberdeen as the key connection for northern isles ferry services • Support the development of our harbours Improved connections into and within Aberdeen City and key Aberdeenshire service and employment centres • Improved access to all regional ports • Improved passenger facilities at harbours • High quality public transport, cycling and walking connections between Aberdeen Harbour and the city centre • High quality surface access options to the airport • Reduced congestion and delays on the roads • Managing demand for car travel • Enhanced local rail network Helping the north east • A park and ride network that allows users to access key destinations in a faster, economy prosper more efficient and cheaper way than driving door to door • A bus network that meets the needs of travel to work journeys • A bus network that meets the needs of travel for leisure and other purposes and supports the tourism industry • Improved perception of public transport • Bus journey times that are competitive to the car in terms of frequency, journey speeds and reliability. • A city and town centres that are designed to cater for pedestrians and cyclists first • A strategic cycle network that connects key settlements and business / employment / leisure locations Improved resilience of the transport network in the face of disruption • Maintaining the existing road network to ensure it is fit for purpose • Enhance monitoring capability to collect real time user information across all modes, to input to journey planning tools and real time network management • Managing demand for car travel Integration with spatial planning • Reduce the need to travel • Support travel by more sustainable modes • Adoption and implementation of travel plans • Managing demand for car travel

Improved health outcomes linked to improved air quality across the region • Reduced emissions of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter from transport • Increased mode share of public transport, cycling and walking • Increased proportion of the bus fleet operating with low or zero emission vehicles • Increased uptake of ultra low emissions vehicles across the region • Managing demand for car travel Reduced number and severity of casualties from road traffic collisions • Reduced number and severity of casualties from road traffic accidents with a particular focus on vulnerable users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders) • Reduced risk of accidents at identified points on the road network Improved perceptions of safety and security for public transport and active travel users • Provision of safe and secure active travel routes and facilities • Provision of safe and secure public transport services and facilities Provide a transport system which promotes and facilitates travel choices which help to Improving health & reduce inequalities and improve people’s physical and mental health wellbeing across the • Improved facilities for cycling and walking north east • Improved access to health • Reduced need to travel • Enhanced network of active travel routes that provide green space and natural environments • Improved access to leisure and open space

Implications of transport are embedded in spatial planning and land use decision making • Reduce the need to travel • Managing demand for car travel • Support travel by more sustainable modes • Adoption and implementation of travel plans Reduced social isolation caused by lack of access to transport • Improved accessibility in rural areas • Improved accessibility in urban areas

Reduce carbon emissions from transport • Mode shift away from single occupancy private car • Increased mode share of active travel and public transport • Increased use of low carbon fuels • Reduce the need to travel • New development that minimises travel distances, encourages mixed communities, enables efficient service by public transport and enables sustainable Taking action to travel choices reduce impact on • To place the north east at the forefront in moving towards a zero carbon transport climate change and system protect the natural and A transport network that is resilient to the effects of climate change built environment of • A well-maintained transport network which is better able to withstand the varying the north east demands of weather impacts • Reduced network disruption in the event of significant weather events A transport network that protects and enhances the natural and built environment • Place making • Active travel corridors • Improved air quality • Reduced noise pollution • Sustainable construction practices Reduce inequalities in access to transport across all the protected characteristics • Accessible buses and trains, stations, platforms and bus stops • All transport information is available in formats that all passengers can easily access and understand, before, during and after a journey • Improving actual and perceived safety whilst travelling on public transport, cycling and walking Promoting equality Reduced social isolation caused by lack of access to transport across the north east • Improved accessibility in rural areas. • Improved accessibility in towns and urban areas • Improved access to regeneration areas (particularly the north coast communities) Eliminate transport poverty • A public transport system that is priced competitively to the private car and affordable to those that are most vulnerable to exclusion on the grounds of price e.g. young people, unemployed / people on low incomes / students