Christmas Newsletter 2009
22/12/2009
Christmas Message from the Chair | Growth Agenda | Areas of progress in 2009 and priorities for 2010 - strategic | Areas of progress in 2009 and priorities for 2010 - practical | Getabout Campaign
Christmas Message from the Chair
If there is one reference point for all our work as a regional transport partnership, it is this: promoting and protecting the interests of Aberdeen City and Shire.
In that context we can look back upon 2009 as a year of success and achievement for Nestrans and its partner organisations.
The first new railway station in the north-east in 30 years, significant rail service improvements, progress with key road projects, welcome developments at Aberdeen Airport, new sustainable travel initiatives: all these, and more, have formed part of the story of transport in the north-east over the past 12 months.
This culminated, of course, in the welcome news this week that the Scottish Government has decided to proceed with the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route - confirmation that the hub of our regional transport strategy will become a reality, and paving the way for so many associated projects and initiatives.
At the same time we have worked to ensure that the region's needs and ambitions remain on the national agenda, pushing for progress where applicable and challenging decision-makers when we feel our interests are in some way threatened.
Transport will always be a priority for Aberdeen City and Shire because of our geographical remoteness. That is why our links beyond the region - by road, rail, air or sea - will remain a central feature of our strategy.
Equally, we recognise how important it is - socially, economically and environmentally - to maintain the momentum in enhancing the transport network within the north-east.
We take that momentum into a new year, ready to work with partners t
o take our work into new phases of development. The AWPR announcement will certainly help to sustain and enhance that momentum.
My grateful thanks to everyone who has worked with Nestrans over the past 12 months to help us realise our ambitions. We look forward to continuing those many and diverse relationships into the new year.
Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone a great festive period and best wishes for 2010.
Councillor Kevin Stewart
Chair, Nestrans
Growth Agenda
Nestrans is playing an increasingly prominent role in the growth agenda of Aberdeen City and Shire.
As well as leading the study into the traffic implications of developments proposed through the Structure Plan and both councils' local development plants, we were asked this year to undertake initial work on the transport implications of the proposals to create a new civic heart in the Union Terrace Gardens area of the city.
Our regional transport strategy will also be a central feature of the plans being progressed around the Energetica concept, a 30-mile development corridor north from Aberdeen to Peterhead, and other major developments, including the Trump International proposals north of the city.
Underpinning this role has been a need to develop a joined-up approach with partner agencies, including the economic forum ACSEF and the Strategic Development Planning Authority.
That is why we started the process, late in 2009, of developing a detailed plan that addresses the challenge of communicating our shared ambitions for the region to audiences both within the region and beyond.
A workshop, involving many of the leading players across the organisations and key local media figures, was successfully staged in November to shape the next stages of the exercise, and we can expect to see significant progress on this key project in 2010.
Areas of progress in 2009 and priorities for 2010 - strategic
At a strategic level, our priorities in 2009 centred upon our action plans, which support and detail the actions outlined in our overall regional transport strategy.
These cover bus, rail, freight and health - and all have been subject to notable developments over the year.
They have also provided the backdrop to the next key stage of our strategy - our delivery plan.
The plan, agreed in principle by Nestrans and by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, captures all projects, initiatives and developments committed or proposed for the region over the next decade and more.
It is the first document to capture all local transport-related work in the region and, while not representing a committed spending plan, it will help Nestrans, the local authorities and other agencies to map out a schedule of progress and help in the prioritisation of work.
Areas of progress in 2009 and priorities for 2010 - practical
There were many welcome developments during 2009, all of them helping us realise our ambition of a modern, integrated transport network for Aberdeen City and Shire.
The Scottish Government announced on December 21 that the AWPR is to proceed, a landmark move that will take the north-east into a new era in transport development. The project, the single most important for Nestrans as it pursues its ambition of a multi-modal network the region needs and deserves, will now be subject to the necessary statutory process.
- Laurencekirk railway station re-opened in May, with funding support from Nestrans, after lying in mothballs for 40 years. It subsequently exceeded passenger number expectations by around 80%.
- The dualling of the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty took another key step forward with the completion of a public local inquiry.
- There were a series of improvements t o local rail services - significant enhancements to the local timetable, particularly between Inverurie and Aberdeen, helped yield a 26% rise in passenger numbers, and timetable adjustments made at the end of 2009 improved cross-city services.
- Ongoing investment at Aberdeen Airport helped Nestrans continue to make the case for sustaining and enhancing links with Heathrow. Moves were also made to establish Aberdeen as a hub for air travel to Norway and further east, as Eastern Airways opened new routes.
- Passenger numbers on a new shuttle bus service in Dyce - linking railway station, airport and industrial estates - doubled over its first few months in operation. The service was introduced to ease local congestion, boost local transport options and improve surface access to the airport.
- Nestrans pressed Aberdeen City and Shire's case over the year on a range of national transport issues, including proposals for national high speed rail services and changes to the east coast main line franchise.
- Progress was made on a series of sustainable transport projects, including the cycle route from Westhill into Aberdeen and a new bridge at West Cults on the Deeside Way, both due for final completion in 2010.
- Work will continue into 2010 on detailed design and costing work for a proposed new railway station at Kintore.
Getabout Campaign
A major sustainable travel campaign promoting alternative means of transport to single occupancy car use, the Getabout partnership brings together Nestrans, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, NHS Grampian, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen College, Energy Saving Trust and Dyce Transportation Management Organisation.
Launched in spring 2009, by October it had delivered nearly 60 events ranging from the unveiling of an online travel planning tool, GetCycling roadshows and commuter bike challenges into Aberdeen from Kingswells and Bridge of Don, through to a special visit by Scottish world cycling champion Graeme Obree and Newtonhill becoming the smallest place in the UK to celebrate In Town Without My Car Day with the closure of a busy thoroughfare in the village.
The latest phase of the campaign got under way in winter 2009/10 with a large-scale advertising campaign based on a celebrity look-a-like theme across both print and broadcast media.
The partnership plans to continue its work throughout 2010. Various initiatives with Grampian Police and a number of health and transport groups are already in the works.