North East Scotland Roads Hierarchy Study

...Making best use of the city's road network

Nestrans and Aberdeen City Council

Project number: 60583665 May 2019

Image © Norman Adams - Aberdeen City Council

Project number: 60583665

Quality information

Prepared by

Checked by

Approved by

Jo Duck

Andrew Robb

Emma Gilmour

Consultant

Senior Consultant

Regional Director

Revision History

Revision

Revision date

Details

Authorized

Name

Position

0123

11 January 2019

Working Draft

EG

EG EG EG
Emma Gilmour Emma Gilmour Emma Gilmour Emma Gilmour
Project Director Project Director Project Director Project Director
21 February 2019 Draft 12 April 2019 22 May 2019
Final Final following further client comments

Distribution List

# Hard Copies

PDF Required

Association / Company Name

Prepared for: Nestrans and Aberdeen City Council

AECOM

Prepared for:

Nestrans Archibald Simpson House 27-29 King Street Aberdeen AB24 5AA

Prepared by:

Jo Duck Consultant T: 07384 813498 E: [email protected]

AECOM 1 Marischal Square Aberdeen AB10 1BL United Kingdom

T: +44(0)1224 843759 aecom.com

© 2019 AECOM Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) for sole use of our client (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM.

AECOM

Table of Contents

1.

Introduction...................................................................................................... 1

Roads Hierarchy Principles..................................................................................................................1 Study Area..........................................................................................................................................3 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route....................................................................................................4 Structure of Report..............................................................................................................................5

Desktop Review of Previous Work................................................................... 7

Introduction.........................................................................................................................................7 Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan and Delivery Programme (2015).....................................................10
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4

2.

2.1 2.1.1

2.1.2

Transport Implications – CCMP Projects (ACC former Communities, Housing and Infrastructure

Committee) (2016) ............................................................................................................................12
2.1.3 2.1.4 2.2
Roads Hierarchy (ACC former Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee) (2016)...............12 Roads Hierarchy (ACC former Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee) (2017)...............15 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................16

Roads Hierarchy Policy Review..................................................................... 18

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................18 National Roads Development Guide – Section 1 ................................................................................18 National Roads Development Guide – Section 2 ................................................................................22 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................22

Roads Classification Legislation Review ....................................................... 24

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................24 Legislation Review ............................................................................................................................24 Road Classification Background.........................................................................................................24 Road Numbering...............................................................................................................................26 Road Classification Governance........................................................................................................26 Detrunking ........................................................................................................................................26 New Classifications/Reclassification...................................................................................................27 Road Management............................................................................................................................27 General Legislation, Standards and Guidance....................................................................................27 Traffic Regulation ..............................................................................................................................28 Signage ............................................................................................................................................28 Parking .............................................................................................................................................28 Emerging Legislation: Transport (Scotland) Bill...................................................................................28 Low Emission Zones .........................................................................................................................28 Footway Parking ...............................................................................................................................28 Other Emerging Legislation................................................................................................................29 20mph Speed Limit ...........................................................................................................................29 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................29

Initial Consultation ......................................................................................... 31

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................31 Initial Consultation Approach..............................................................................................................31 Officer Engagement...........................................................................................................................32 Member Engagement........................................................................................................................32 Administration Leaders Briefing .........................................................................................................32 ACC Member Briefing........................................................................................................................32 Aberdeenshire Council Member Briefing and Nestrans Board Member Briefing...................................33 MSPs, MPs and MEPs Briefing..........................................................................................................33 Stakeholder Engagement ..................................................................................................................33 Stakeholder Workshop ......................................................................................................................34 Stakeholder Discussions ...................................................................................................................35

3.

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

4.

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.5.1 4.5.2 4.6 4.6.1 4.6.2 4.6.3 4.6.4 4.7 4.7.1 4.7.2 4.8 4.8.1 4.9

5.

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.5 5.5.1 5.5.2

AECOM

5.6

RTP Leads Engagement....................................................................................................................35

SEStran............................................................................................................................................35 SPT ..................................................................................................................................................36 Tactran..............................................................................................................................................36 HITRANS/The Highland Council ........................................................................................................37 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................37

Development of Objectives............................................................................ 39

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................39 Roads Hierarchy Study Objectives.....................................................................................................40 Objective Mapping.............................................................................................................................42 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................42

Principles of Roads Hierarchy System........................................................... 44

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................44 Street Definitions in the Context of Movement ....................................................................................44 Priority Routes ..................................................................................................................................44 Secondary Routes.............................................................................................................................45 Local Routes.....................................................................................................................................46 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................46

Network Assessment ..................................................................................... 49

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................49 Transport Related Projects ................................................................................................................49 Committed Transport Projects and Key Transport Projects in Development.........................................49 Transport Projects within the CCMP area...........................................................................................51 Locking-in the Benefits Schemes .......................................................................................................52 Traffic Flow Information .....................................................................................................................53 Traffic Flow Diagrams........................................................................................................................54 All Traffic...........................................................................................................................................54 Heavy Goods Vehicles.......................................................................................................................54 Public Service Vehicles......................................................................................................................55 Indicative Two-Way Flows..................................................................................................................55 Cross-City Centre Movements...........................................................................................................56 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................57

Baseline Route Investigation and Constraints Mapping................................. 59

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................59 Locking-in the Benefits Corridors .......................................................................................................59 The Air Quality Management Areas in Aberdeen.................................................................................59 Bus Lanes.........................................................................................................................................59 Bus Routes .......................................................................................................................................60 The City Centre Masterplan Area .......................................................................................................60 Candidate Noise Management Areas.................................................................................................60 Committed Projects...........................................................................................................................61 One-Way Restrictions........................................................................................................................61 Freight Restrictions ...........................................................................................................................61 Freight Routes ..................................................................................................................................61 On-Road Cycle Facilities ...................................................................................................................61 Speed Limits.....................................................................................................................................61 Vehicle Restrictions...........................................................................................................................61 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................62

Assessment of Existing Routes and Route Purpose...................................... 64

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................64 Narrative of Existing Routes...............................................................................................................64
5.6.1 5.6.2 5.6.3 5.6.4 5.7

6.

6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4

7.

7.1 7.2 7.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.3

8.

8.1 8.2 8.2.1 8.2.2 8.2.3 8.3 8.4 8.4.1 8.4.2 8.4.3 8.4.4 8.5 8.6

9.

9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15

10.

10.1 10.2

AECOM

10.2.1 A92...................................................................................................................................................64 10.2.2 A947................................................................................................................................................65 10.2.3 A96...................................................................................................................................................66 10.2.4 A944.................................................................................................................................................67 10.2.5 A945................................................................................................................................................67 10.2.6 A93...................................................................................................................................................68 10.2.7 A9011 – Ashgrove Road West ...........................................................................................................68 10.2.8 A9012 – Rosehill Drive......................................................................................................................69 10.2.9 A9013...............................................................................................................................................69 10.2.10 A978.................................................................................................................................................69 10.2.11 A956.................................................................................................................................................70 10.2.12 B-Roads............................................................................................................................................71 10.2.13 C-Roads ...........................................................................................................................................71 10.2.14 Anomaly Routes................................................................................................................................71 10.3

11.

11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5
Summary ..........................................................................................................................................72

Assessment of Placemaking.......................................................................... 74

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................74 Principal Destinations........................................................................................................................74 City Place Assessment ......................................................................................................................77 City Centre Place Quality...................................................................................................................79 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................81

12.

12.1 12.2 12.3

13.

13.1 13.2

Community Consultation................................................................................ 83

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................83 Community Council Engagement.......................................................................................................83 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................84

Initial Option Development............................................................................. 86

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................86 Long-List of Options Prior to Sifting....................................................................................................88
13.2.1 Priority Radials..................................................................................................................................88 13.2.2 Secondary Radials............................................................................................................................93 13.2.3 Secondary Orbitals............................................................................................................................97 13.2.4 Local Roads......................................................................................................................................99 13.2.5 C-Roads Under Consideration.........................................................................................................102 13.3 13.4 13.5
Option Sifting .................................................................................................................................. 105 List of Selected Options for Further Review...................................................................................... 105 Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 110