Review 2016 Edition Foreword p01 Going further p02 Connections around the world p06 Safer and smarter p08 Making tracks p10 Network growth p12 Laying the foundations - 2016 saw major developments across the transport network It is always pleasing to see the efforts of our Transport Scotland team, plus our partners and stakeholders recognised for their hard work to improve the transport network. M8 M73 M74 Improvements project - Raith interchange. Picture courtesy of Iain Ferguson Front cover shows foundations work on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route B/T project, near Kingswell Chief Executive Foreword 01 Welcome to our 2016 Annual Review, highlighting the year’s activity on policies, projects and programmes to deliver £2.2 billion of transport investment, supporting Scotland’s economic growth through improving connections, reducing carbon emissions, creating safer, quicker and more sustainable and reliable journeys. The start of the year marked the beginning of a number Elsewhere our Aviation, Maritime, Freight and Canals of important actions for our policy teams, with the refresh team were successful in securing new air routes to the of the National Transport Strategy refocusing our roles USA and beyond, and oversaw the award of a £900 million and responsibilities in line with Minister’s transport ferry services contract for the Clyde and Hebrides routes. priorities, and work has now begun on a fuller strategy review. On the roads, maintenance remained a priority, as well as repairing the truss link on the Forth Road Bridge. Another key policy achievement at the latter end of The saltirecard family of smart tickets continues to the year, saw us work with disability partners to launch expand with multi-operator smart card tickets available Scotland’s first Accessible Travel Framework. The on buses in Aberdeenshire and Tayside. Early in the year ‘Going Further’ framework identifies and looks to we updated our Strategic Road Safety Plan and it is remove barriers preventing people from travelling encouraging to see safety cameras continuing to have on our networks. a positive effect on safety, along with our Road Safety Scotland marketing campaigns. May saw Derek Mackay MSP promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, and we It is always pleasing to see the efforts of our Transport welcomed a new Minister for Transport and the Islands, Scotland team, plus our partners and stakeholders, Humza Yousaf MSP, and a new Cabinet Secretary for recognised for their hard work to improve the transport Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP. network. In summer we were awarded the Scottish Transport Award for Travel and Marketing Information, Our major projects continued a pace this year, the highlighting how working across directorates and with M8M73M74 Improvements reaching critical stages with partner organisations we can provide a better service for the demolition of the M74 Bothwell Bridge and a number the travelling public - further awards have acknowledged of altered junctions on the M8 now in use. Our north innovative road safety schemes, transport projects, east schemes continued with a £50m design contract reopening of the Forth Road Bridge and of course, awarded for the A96 Inverness to Aberdeen dualling our Queensferry Crossing made it into the Guinness scheme, and new junctions opened on the Aberdeen Book of Records! Western Peripheral Route/ Balmedie to Tipperty Project. I’d like to thank everyone involved in making Our Rail directorate has seen refurbishment of the 2016 another great year in transport. Queen Street tunnel, reopened early and on budget in August. December saw the opening of a new interchange station, Edinburgh Gateway, and refurbished trains in service, marking further significant milestones in the Scottish Government’s five year £5 billion programme of investment. Roy Brannen Chief Executive Transport Scotland 02 Transport Scotland - Annual Review 2016 GOING FURTHER Aspiring for better and greener transport solutions has been a key theme for this year, which has seen the launch of Scotland’s first Accessible Travel Framework, a refresh of our National Transport Strategy, 80 more charge points added to our comprehensive ChargePlace Scotland network and also our Road Safety teams recognised at the Prince Michael of Kent Awards. Transport Policy 03 Strategic Reviews Initiatives for lowering carbon Active Travel In January we published our refreshed 2016 saw enhancements to our electric An external evaluation of our Smarter National Transport Strategy. vehicle (EV) charge point network, more Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) This updated the 2006 strategy, EVs added to public sector fleets and 2015-16 programme found it to be including roles and responsibilities support for consumers and businesses ‘successful at enabling smarter travel across transport modes, locations to switch to EVs. work to be undertaken in many areas and organisations. A fuller strategy where it would not otherwise have review was approved by the Scottish Our ChargePlace Scotland network, been funded’. Government in August, and planning sustained with local authority partners, and engagement work for this is now continues to expand with now 600+ This year 184 projects are being underway. This aims to be a forward charge points (1,200+ charging bays) delivered, including school and look for the next 20 years, identifying including over 150 rapid charge points, workplace travel campaigns, public overarching issues and aspirations for one of the most comprehensive awareness events, personal travel future transport requirements. networks in Europe. planning, signage and mapping initiatives, Dr Bike sessions and Our mid-term review of the Road Launched in 2014, Switched on Fleets promotion of car clubs. Paths for All Safety Framework to 2020 was is an initiative to get more EVs into administer our programme, with £5 completed and published in March public sector fleets. We’ve already million available to local authorities and 2016, with partners agreeing three provided over £3.5 million to councils partners, plus over £6.8 million being new key priority areas to 2020, namely and their partners, which will result offered in match funding in 2016/17. Speed, Age and Vulnerable Road Users. in around 350 new EVs entering the Scottish public sector fleet. Every In 2016 we also continued to commit Following the review and milestone council in Scotland now has at least record levels of funding for active achievements, we were delighted that one EV in their fleet. travel. This included the announcement the Road Safety Framework won a in August of the first winner of Prince Michael of Kent International We also provide support to EV buyers the Community Links plus design Road Safety award. including grants for the installation of competition – the South City Way home charge points and interest free in Glasgow, which aims to support Accessibility loans to help businesses and individuals Glasgow’s aim to have one of the Scotland’s first Accessible Travel buy EVs. most cohesive, high-quality urban Framework, ‘Going Further’, was cycle networks in the UK. launched in September 2016. We know Challenge Fund that accessible travel can enable people For our part in the European Regional Local authorities have also been to enjoy equal access to full citizenship, Development Funding (ERDF) targeting potential behaviour change, so the Framework is about identifying 2014-2020 programme for Low with activities such as promotion of and removing disabling barriers which Carbon Travel and Transport, we have infrastructure, like cycle ways, or with prevent people travelling or make their been awarded up to £13.9m of ERDF events like ‘town car free days’. journeys an unpleasant experience. funding until December 2018 support organisations with the aim of increasing Developed in close engagement with the number of journeys made by public disabled people from across Scotland, transport, active travel or low-energy one of its aims is to change the way vehicles. This has culminated in the we do things throughout transport, launch of our Challenge funds in to include disabled people to make October and December. improvements in transport accessibility. The Framework details how that Our focus is three key areas; engagement will continue over the • Active Travel Hubs to provide focal next ten years. points for cycling and walking routes • Low Carbon Transport to provide refuelling facilities for a range of alternative fuels and transport modes • A National Integrated Smart Ticketing Scheme. ‘In town without my car’ SCSP event, Aberdeen 04 Transport Scotland - Annual Review 2016 Road Safety Scotland (RSS) On the buses RSS continues to promote road This year saw us undertake Round 6 of safety as a lifelong learning process, the Scottish Green Bus Fund (SGBF) engaging with education professionals funding nearly £2 million towards 46 low and developing learning resources to emission buses on the network. Overall, facilitate road safety being addressed the SGBF has seen almost £15 million across all educational establishments. awarded, supporting the acquisition of An evaluation of the Early Years’ 315 new low emission buses, working Approach, Go Safe With Ziggy, was towards our goal to achieve lower very encouraging, and work began to carbon emissions by 2022. address the recommendations in the report. Following the 2015 devolution of school bus safety powers to the Scottish RSS took part in a number of external Parliament, we are continuing our