9.5 miles of new bus lanes considered for Aberdeen in multi-million-pound proposals

By Kieran Beattie

March 13 2023, 5:19 pm

The transport corridor being looked at runs all the way from Garthdee to Ellon. Image: DC Thomson.

Up to nine and a half miles of new bus lanes and 23 miles of cycling routes are part of multi-million-pound proposals to transform transport through the heart of Aberdeen and north to Ellon.

Aberdeen City Council has today launched a public consultation on what it calls the Ellon Park and Ride to Garthdee “transport corridor”.

It aims to identify the best ways to improve travel links along this route for cyclists, pedestrians and bus users.

Among the proposals put forward are miles and miles of new active travel routes and segregated cycle lanes, as well as lots more bus lanes.

The cheapest of the four “packages” of plans which the council is seeking the public’s feedback on is £10 million, and the most expensive is £35m.

Read on to find out the details of each of the four proposals the council is consulting on, but first, where exactly would these new bus, cycle and active travel lanes/routes be?

Where is being looked at for new bus lanes and cycle routes in Aberdeen?

The council’s full map, showing the entire extent of the study area from RGU in Garthdee to the Ellon Park and Ride. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

The entire transport corridor route being considered for the new bus and bicycle proposals run from Robert Gordon University in Garthdee to the Ellon Park and Ride.

Starting at RGU, the route plans go past the Garthdee Roundabout and all the way north up Holburn Street.

The bottom end of the study area includes Holburn Street and Garthdee Road Image: DC Thomson.

Crucially, they would not have any effect on Union Street.

But, the route would then pick up again on King Street, and go north all the way to the other side of the Bridge of Don onto Ellon Road, up past the end of the Parkway and the old AECC, and on to Blackdog.

The route picks up from King Street, and goes all the way north to Blackdog. Image: DC Thomson.

The route being looked at then goes north from the Blackdog junction all the way along the A90 north to the Ellon Park and Ride.

The northernmost section of the study corridor goes all the way to Ellon. Image: DC Thomson.

Now, let’s look at the proposals, and how much each would cost.

1: The £20 million Active Travel Priority Package

The consultation’s design for how roads would look like under option one. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

This package of proposals would focus on improving life for cyclists and walkers.

It would create 11.9 miles of segregated cycle lanes all the way from the Murcar (B&Q) roundabout area in Bridge of Don to Garthdee, including on Ellon Road, King Street, Holburn Street and Garthdee Road.

Also part of these plans would be 11.1 miles of “shared active travel route”, where both pedestrians and cyclists would be welcome, between Ellon and the Murcar roundabout.

The Active Travel Priority Package plans. Image: Aberdeen City Council

These plans would cost £20 million.

The consultation identifies the following potential advantages and disadvantages of each package of approaches.

Here’s what it says about the active travel priority proposals:

Pros:

Provides continuous and direct network for people wishing to walk, wheel or cycle.
Supports a modal shift to active travel.
Provides long-distance active travel opportunities.

Cons:

Reduction to footway width on Holburn Street and King Street.
Longer bus journey times.
Reduces the ability to deliver Aberdeen Rapid Transit.
Longer car journey times.
Reduction in available on-street parking at all times.

2: The £10 million Public Transport Priority Package

The consultation’s design for how roads would look like under option two. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

The second package of plans the council wants public feedback on focuses on making new bus lanes for the benefit of public transport users.

It would involve making eight miles of new bus lanes designed to support the creation of the Aberdeen Rapid Transit system, and would also include junction improvements to “accommodate bus priority”.

One city-bound bus lane would be made between the Murcar roundabout and the Parkway.

The Public Transport Priority Package plans. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

And bus lanes in both directions would be created between the Parkway and Garthdee Roundabout.

Again, here’s what the consultation says the pros and cons are:

Pros:

Improves buss journey times and supports service reliability.
Supports modal shift to public transport.
Supports the implementation of Aberdeen Rapid Transit.

Cons:

Reduction to footway width on Holburn Street and King Street.
No dedicated cycling facilities provided.
Longer car journey times.
Reduction in available on-street parking during bus lane hours of operation.

3: The £35 million Multi-Modal Transport and Travel Package

The consultation’s design for how roads would look like under option three. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

The third package of ideas is designed to be the best of both worlds of the first two, and create new bus lanes as well as new cycling and active travel routes.

11.9 miles of segregated cycle lanes from the Murcar Roundabout to Garthdee, including on Ellon Road, King Street, Holburn Street and Garthdee road would be built.

The Multi-Modal Transport and Travel Package plans. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

And 11.1 miles of shared bicycle and pedestrian route would be made from Ellon to the Murcar roundabout.

The proposals indicate 9.5 miles of new bus lane within this package, which would be between the Murcar Roundabout and Garthdee.

The consultation’s stated pros and cons for this approach are:

Pros:

Provides continuous and direct network for
people wishing to walk, wheel or cycle.
Supports modal shift to active travel.
Provides long-distance active travel opportunities.
Improves bus journey times and supports service
reliability.
Supports modal shift to public transport.
Supports the implementation of Aberdeen Rapid
Transit.

Cons:

Reduction to footway width on Holburn Street
and King Street.
Longer car journey times.
Reduction in available on-street parking at all
times.
Requirement for third party land.

4: The £15 million Public Transport Priority and Active Travel Parallel Routes Package

One section of the mapped proposals for option four. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

This package of plans is designed to build “dedicated facilities for public transport and alternative facilities for active travel”.

What this would mean is separate routes, some prioritised for buses, and some for cyclists, running close to each other.

It would create eight miles of bus lanes along the main route, and six miles of segregated cycle lanes along Ellon Road and Garthdee Road.

The Public Transport Priority and Active Travel Parallel Routes Package plans. Image: Aberdeen City Council.

Active travel routes, parallel to the bus priority routes, would be created along Hardgate and Golf Road.

And 11.1 miles of shared cycling and walking route would be made from Ellon to the Murcar Roundabout.

The consultation lists these as the pros and cons of this approach:

Pros:

Provides continuous and direct network for
people wishing to walk, wheel or cycle.
Supports modal shift to active travel.
Provides long-distance active travel opportunities.
Improves bus journey times and supports service
reliability.
Supports modal shift to public transport.
Supports the implementation of Aberdeen Rapid
Transit.