Aberdeen Access from the South Core Document Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans Transport Report 69607 SIAS Limited May 2008 69607 TRANSPORT REPORT Description: Aberdeen Access from the South Core Document Author: Julie Sey/Peter Stewart 19 May 2008 SIAS Limited 13 Rose Terrace Perth PH1 5HA UK tel: 01738 621377 fax: 01738 632887 [email protected] www.sias.com i:\10_reporting\draft reports\core document.doc 69607 TRANSPORT REPORT CONTENTS : Page 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Study Aims 2 1.3 Report Format 2 2 ANALYSIS OF PRESENT AND FUTURE PROBLEMS 3 2.1 Introduction 3 2.2 Geographic Context 3 2.3 Social Context 4 2.4 Economic Context 5 2.5 Strategic Road Network 6 2.6 Local Road Network 7 2.7 Environment 9 2.8 Public Transport 10 2.9 Vehicular Access 13 2.10 Park & Ride Plans 13 2.11 Train Services 14 2.12 Travel Choices 15 2.13 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) 17 2.14 Aberdeen Access from the South Problems Summary 17 3 PLANNING OBJECTIVES 19 3.1 Introduction 19 3.2 Aims 19 3.3 Structure Plans & Local Plans 19 3.4 National Policy 22 3.5 Planning Objective Workshops 23 3.6 Planning Objectives 23 3.7 Checking Objectives are Relevant 25 4 OPTION GENERATION, SIFTING & DEVELOPMENT 27 4.1 Introduction 27 4.2 Option Generation Workshop 27 4.3 Option Sifting 27 4.4 Option and Package Development 28 4.5 Park & Ride 32 5 ABERDEEN SUB AREA MODEL (ASAM3B) ITERATION 33 5.1 Introduction 33 5.2 ASAM3b Development Growth 33 5.3 ASAM3B Influence 33 19 May 2008 69607 6 SHORT TERM OPTION ASSESSMENT 35 6.1 Introduction 35 6.2 Short Term Packages 35 6.3 Summary of Short Term Testing 35 6.4 Findings 37 7 MEDIUM TERM OPTION ASSESSMENT 38 7.1 Introduction 38 7.2 Summary of Medium Term Testing 38 7.3 Summary of Results 38 7.4 Additional Medium Term Measures not Modelled 39 7.5 Findings 39 8 LONG TERM OPTION ASSESSMENT 41 8.1 Introduction 41 8.2 Summary of Long Term Testing 41 8.3 Summary of Results 41 8.4 Findings 43 8.5 Further Consideration – Riverside Drive/King George VI Bridge 43 9 PREFERRED PACKAGE APPRAISAL 44 9.1 Introduction 44 9.2 Appraisal 44 9.3 Schemes Considered 44 10 SUMMARY 51 10.1 Introduction 51 10.2 Traffic Modelling 51 10.3 2008 Short Term 51 10.4 2012 Medium Term 52 10.5 2027 Long Term 52 19 May 2008 69607 TRANSPORT REPORT FIGURES : Page Figure 2.1 : Aberdeen Access from South Study Area 4 Figure 2.2 : Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006 5 Figure 2.3 : Strategic Road Network 7 Figure 2.4 : Local Road Network 8 Figure 2.5 : Selected Referenced Locations 9 Figure 2.6 : Aberdeen South Bus Routes: First Group 11 Figure 2.7 : Aberdeen South Bus Routes: Other Operators 12 Figure 2.8 : Regional Transport Strategy 14 Figure 2.9 : Main Modes of Travelling to Work or Study 16 Figure 2.10 : Accessibility of Bus Services 17 Figure 6.1 : Potential Short Term Measures 37 Figure 9.1 : 2008 Do-Nothing Appraisal Radar Chart 46 Figure 9.2 : 2008 Do-Something Appraisal Radar Chart 47 Figure 9.3 : 2012 Do-Something Appraisal Radar Chart 48 Figure 9.4 : 2027 Do-Something Appraisal Radar Chart 49 19 May 2008 69607 TRANSPORT REPORT TABLES : Page Table 2.1 : Bus Route Operation 13 Table 2.2 : AM Train Connections to South to and from Aberdeen 14 Table 2.3 : PM Train Connections to South to and from Aberdeen 15 Table 3.1 : Draft Planning Objectives 24 Table 3.2 : Amended Planning Objectives 24 Table 3.3 : Key Planning Objectives 25 Table 3.4 : Planning Objectives are Directly Relevant to Problems 26 Table 4.1 : Short Term Packages Considered 29 Table 4.2 : Medium Term Packages Considered 30 Table 4.3 : Long Term Packages Considered 31 Table 5.1 : Matrix Growth (ASAM3B Cordon and AAFSPM) 34 Table 9.1 : Summary of Appraisal Against Objectives 45 19 May 2008 69607 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction This report concludes a study undertaken by SIAS Limited on behalf of Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans concerning access to Aberdeen from the South. The study has been carried out in a manner consistent with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and is considered appropriate to feed into the transport appraisal input to a STAG Part 1. The study follows on from original work undertaken by JMP Consulting and its final report (Aberdeen South Access Study – Final Report) produced in November 2006. This follow on study has been undertaken as a result of the Scottish ministerial announcement on 1 December 2005 with regard to the preferred Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) alignment corridor with an additional new spur road to Stonehaven. The announcement presented a configuration of the AWPR sufficiently different from that previously considered to warrant this updated study. On 2 May 2006 the Minister announced the preferred alignment for the AWPR and the Stonehaven spur. The purpose of this study is to revisit the previous study by JMP, as a result of the revised route for the AWPR and consider the proposed short, medium and long term options including a 1,000 space Park & Ride facility, introducing any alternative options where necessary. The main focuses of the study are the A90 (T) Stonehaven Road and A956 Wellington Road corridors to the south of Aberdeen including the four main road bridges over the River Dee: • Bridge of Dee • Queen Elizabeth II Bridge • King George VI Bridge • Victoria Bridge The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance sets out the process to enable practitioners (and decision makers) to identify value for money transport solutions to identified transport problems. This Transport Scotland/Scottish Government guidance provides a framework for practitioners to use when undertaking a transport planning and appraisal process from the earliest phases of planning, through appraisal and implementation to post evaluation. The main recurring themes in the Guidance are in seeking to be: • Objective led – all activities and decisions should arise from the established aims of the planning organisation with respect to transport and associated policy areas • Open minded – the Guidance suggests working up transport proposals on a basis of defined objectives supported by a thorough understanding of the problems and opportunities in the area, rather than seeking to fit an existing proposal retrospectively to planning objectives • Pragmatic – work done should reflect the relative need for accuracy, the scale and expected impacts of proposals and their costs • Auditable – it must be possible to see clearly how planners have moved from objectives to their final conclusions • Inclusive – effective involvement of stakeholders is not presented as a chore but as a crucial input to arriving at a final proposal which meets expectations and which can be delivered This report sets out the process and conclusions from the first phases of the STAG process as set out below: • Analysis of problems, issues and constraints • Objective setting • Option generation, sifting and development Page 1 of 53 19 May 2008 69607 • Appraisal • Conclusions 1.2 Study Aims In undertaking the appraisal, SIAS has made use of the S-Paramics microscopic simulation traffic models developed by JMP Consulting which were used in the previous study. The main aims of the study are to: • review the Aberdeen South Access Study in light of the revised proposed route for the AWPR • review the options identified in the original study for the short, medium and long term • review the preferred location for a Park & Ride facility to the south of the city • identify and test alternative solutions where appropriate Information from ASAM, the Aberdeen Sub Area Model of TMfS will be used, taking cognisance of the preferred route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) and any other proposals currently contained within the Modern Transport System. In accordance with the Modern Transport System (MTS) Strategy for the north east up to 2011, this study will investigate elements of the original study objective to “investigate proposals to improve traffic flows and reduce delays for all modes of traffic on Trunk and Local roads approaching Aberdeen from the South” in traffic operation terms. Further objectives have been developed in accordance with local and regional strategies. Although the aim of the study at this stage is not to produce detailed designs, the deliverability of any improvements identified and their compatibility with wider objectives should be considered, with further investigation and detailed design requiring to be considered at a future date. 1.3 Report Format This core document provides an overview of the study and is accompanied by the following appendices which provide more detail for the key stages: • A: Aberdeen Sub Area Model (ASAM) assumptions and growth • B: Stakeholder Workshop summary and Initial Option Sifting • C: Technical report for 2008 short term traffic model testing • D: Technical report for 2012 medium term traffic model testing • E: Technical report for 2027 long term traffic model testing • F: Appraisal Summary Tables Page 2 of 53 19 May 2008 69607 2 ANALYSIS OF PRESENT AND FUTURE PROBLEMS 2.1 Introduction A comprehensive problem, issues and objective setting workshop was held on Tuesday 6 March 2007. This workshop was attended by key officers from Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans as well as the Police Service, Fire Service, Councillors, Bus Operators, members of the business community and other parties (a list of invitees is provided in Appendix B). This chapter presents an analysis of existing and potential constraints, problems and opportunities.