Regional Transport Partnership, Nestrans, has joined Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils in endorsing progress on the proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) system.
The Strategic Business Case for ART was reported to the June meeting of the Nestrans Board and follows presentations to Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council earlier this month.
The proposed bus rapid transit system aims to offer fast, frequent and reliable services through features including dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare collection and fast boarding and alighting.
It forms part of the Regional Transport Strategy and is one of many options currently being considered to improve journey efficiencies and enhance connectivity by providing an integrated transport offering featuring rail, cycling, bus and car. The Strategic Business Case is funded through the Aberdeen City Region Deal as part of the Strategic Transport Appraisal.
Two preferred cross city routes for ART were agreed in June 2024, from Portlethen to Craibstone, and Westhill to Blackdog.
The strategic business case assessed five options for delivering an ART system and measured these against the objectives for the project including improving sustainable transport connectivity, offering travel choice and opportunity, as well as supporting placemaking and economic growth.
Adding their backing to the existing endorsements of the local authorities, the Nestrans board agreed that two delivery options progress to Outline Business Case (OBC) phase:
- Option 5: This option involves new ART services and vehicles with revised and integrated existing services. It aims to deliver on all six core elements influencing connectivity, including bus priority infrastructure, increased frequency, new direct connections, reduced stop dwell time, fewer stops, and changes to the underlying bus network.
- Option 5A: Similar to Option 5, this option uses existing vehicles branded to operate the new cross-city ART services. It delivers on five of the six core elements, excluding only reduced stop dwell time.
The board was also in agreement with both local authorities on the approach to managing the potential scheme’s cost whilst also delivering benefits for active travel users. During the SBC, costs were assessed based on the inclusion, or not, of segregated cycling infrastructure to run alongside ART. The inclusion of the active travel elements stem from the findings of several Multi Modal Corridor Studies which have informed the ART plans to date. However, the inclusion of segregated cycling infrastructure – and to what extent this is delivered – has a broad impact on the overall projected costs and deliverability of the project. The report presented options for the best way to incorporate cycling infrastructure within the scheme.
The Nestrans board was in agreement with both Councils in progressing corridor designs which deliver benefits for active travel users while prioritising ART on these corridors. The measured approach would include consideration of segregated cycling lanes, where current road space allows, and connections into alternative parallel routes where space is more constrained. This lower level of intervention means the indicative cost of the project would sit below the top line estimate of £323m. Further work to refine and determine costs will take place during the Outline Business Case.
The progression of the Outline Business Case will be funded through the Aberdeen City Region Deal, with the SBC to be presented to the City Region Deal Joint Committee in September.
Councillor Michael Hutchison, chair of Nestrans said, “This a further step toward Aberdeen Rapid Transit becoming a reality.
“We now have an agreement on how this project will move to its next step, with that next step being an Outline Business Case. Over the next year we will be consulting further with people, businesses and organisations, because Aberdeen Rapid Transit will be for them and we want it to work as well for them as it possibly can.”
For further information and to be kept up to date with the progress of ART visit https://www.nestrans.org.uk/projects/aberdeen-rapid-transit/