Aberdeen Cycle Forum 28th November 7.30pm
- Welcome & introductions
Attendees: Gavin Clark (GC) ,Michelle Shortt (MS), , Rachel Martin (RM), Clemens Von Scheffer (CVS) Fiona McDonald (FM), Jon Barron (JB), Laurie Rominger (LR).
GC explained that a separate meeting with Jacobs had been rescheduled at short notice and would be dealt with now instead. We would adjust the agenda to suit and postpone discussion of non-urgent items (highlight below in yellow).
Guests: Tim Steiner & Colm Smyth from Jacobs – firm employed by NESTRANs presented on their work on developing a Regional Active Travel Network for Aberdeen City & Shire.
Purpose & process: Aiming for right balance between communicating significant change for active travel together with a plan that is deliverable.
Slides will be circulated to attendees but not to full membership. This is preliminary work prior to a full public consultation.
Scot Gov has committed to spend £320m per year on active travel. Need to communicate and accelerate delivery of regional ambition. Remove barriers to walking, wheeling and cycling. Encourage and enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle more often.
4 pillars: Equality, climate, prosperity and wellbeing
Aim to identify primary routes, secondary routes, regional connections between key trip attractors
For utility and leisure purposes
Recognise conflicts with other roadspace needs.
High level region wide view with long-term aspirations. Setting out ambition & priorities: not detailed design work. Working to standards in the Cycling by Design and National Roads Development Guide.
Plan to develop draft of full regional network by Christmas with public/stakeholder engagement early 2024.
- Notes from October meeting
Accepted
- Consultations
A944/A9119 (Westhill to city centre) – 3 members of ACF met with Stantec design team last week – design looks like it could be transformational but still in early stages of planning. There was good discussion in particular around the apparent intention to take the cycle route away from the main corridor and on to side streets in some places (examples were Lang Strcht and Queens Road). These may offer quieter and ‘easier’ (to design and build) alternatives but they are also usually longer, less direct, and don’t always serve the same destinations. This is driven by trying to conserve space for bus corridors (and the unknown that is Aberdeen Rapid Transit) but ACF also noted that it goes against one of the principles set out in Cycling by Design
Local transport Strategy (2023-2030) GC reported it looks quite good but will it be delivered?
Gavin will circulate a draft over xmas holidays re ACF response.
4. Aberdeen South Harbour Link road
Discussed at last meeting. Gavin attended exhibition – generally quite good proposals. New bridge to be built over railway. Closing date is tomorrow – Gavin will submit response. New redesigned road so should incorporate cycling infrastructure, even if it isn’t a very obvious active travel route (indirect and significant gradient compared with more direct routes).
Regional Active Travel Network
NESTRANs project to connect the city network with ‘Academy’ towns via quiet roads and connecting routes. First step towards being in a position to secure more substantial funding for improving infrastructure.
- Ellon ‘strategic’ route
- Buchan sustainable transport study – links from Peterhead/Fraserburgh to Aberdeen
5. Liasion with Aberdeen City Council
- South College St
Invitation to do a walk-over review with Council – want to do during office hours. GC will circulate the proposed date.
- Beach Masterplan & Union St
Council is seeking input on design and comments
Discussion that it is a complete travesty that the beach is so disconnected from city centre currently – huge opportunity to change this – RM will attend meeting next week
6. Nestrans Travel Study (results) Monitoring and Modelling
7. Police dashcam portal – update from Cycling UK
AOCB
Events for 2024 – Suggestions included helping to clear a cycle routes (litter/vegetation) – suggestion to sign up to Sustrans newsletter as this already takes place usually mid-late summer; contribute to Celebrate Aberdeen parade weekend as local voluntary organisation, hold another in-person ‘special’ meeting
CVS will be leaving Aberdeen in January – GC to organise a social before this
Next meeting Tuesday 30th January
Aberdeen Cycle Forum 