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.