Issue - meetings

(i)       to note the findings of the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) Routeing Appraisal, as presented in Appendix 1;

(ii)       to note the views of the North East Bus Alliance on the proposed ART routes, as highlighted at 3.19;

(iii)      to agree the proposed ART routes as outlined at Figure 1 and 3.8-3.18 to be the desired network upon which to continue to develop the business case for ART;

(iv)      to agree that the multi-modal corridor studies be concluded at the end of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Detailed Options Appraisal and that the bus priority infrastructure options that align with the agreed ART routes as identified at (iii) above, be incorporated within the overall ART Business Case development process, as illustrated at Figure 2, rather than continue as standalone projects;

(v)      to agree that those actions identified in the Multi-Modal Corridor Studies that do not align with the proposed ART network be progressed through separate workstreams as appropriate;

(vi)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to report back to this Committee on the ART Strategic Business Case by the end of the 2024/25 financial year, including further exploration of the costs and risks associated with both a Bus Service Improvement Partnership (BSIP) and Franchise approach, and prior to moving to Outline Business Case;

(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to engage with bus operators, through the North East Bus Alliance, on the options for delivery of ART along these desired routes through a partnership approach; and

(viii)    to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to undertake further engagement, as appropriate, with the public and stakeholders on the development of ART to inform the Strategic Business Case, encompassing and superseding previously agreed actions for engagement on the individual corridors, and therefore enabling future engagement to be better aligned and set within the context of the wider ART vision and programme.

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director of City Regeneration and Environment which presented recommendations in relation to the desired routes for the proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) network in order to enable further progression of the Strategic Business Case.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the findings of the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) Routeing Appraisal, as presented in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the views of the North East Bus Alliance on the proposed ART routes, as highlighted at 3.19 of the report;

(c)      agree the proposed ART routes as outlined at Figure 1 and 3.8-3.18 to be the desired network upon which to continue to develop the business case for ART;

(d)      agree that the multi-modal corridor studies be concluded at the end of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Detailed Options Appraisal and that the bus priority infrastructure options that align with the agreed ART routes as identified at (iii) above, be incorporated within the overall ART Business Case development process, as illustrated at Figure 2, rather than continue as standalone projects;

(e)      to agree that those actions identified in the Multi-Modal Corridor Studies that do not align with the proposed ART network be progressed through separate workstreams as appropriate;

(f)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to report back to this Committee on the ART Strategic Business Case by the end of the 2024/25 financial year, including further exploration of the costs and risks associated with both a Bus Service Improvement Partnership (BSIP) and Franchise approach, and prior to moving to Outline Business Case;

(g)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to engage with bus operators, through the North East Bus Alliance, on the options for delivery of ART along these desired routes through a partnership approach; and

(h)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to undertake further engagement, as appropriate, with the public and stakeholders on the development of ART to inform the Strategic Business Case, encompassing and superseding previously agreed actions for engagement on the individual corridors, and therefore enabling future engagement to be better aligned and set within the context of the wider ART vision and programme.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.