THE ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL (CITY CENTRE, ABERDEEN) (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT) (EXPERIMENTAL) ORDER 2023

Overview

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL (CITY CENTRE, ABERDEEN) (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT) (EXPERIMENTAL) ORDER 2023

Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in exercise of the powers conferred on them by Sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and of all other enabling powers and after consultation with the Chief Officer of Police Scotland in accordance with Part III of Schedule 9 to said Act and having complied with the statutory requirements of The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, as amended. The Order will be experimental to allow the Council to modify or vary the scheme at short notice once in force, should circumstances require. The effect of the order, which will come into operation on 1 August 2023, is to impose the following traffic management measures on certain roads in Aberdeen: -

‘Bus Gates / Lanes’ will be established: -

• on the southbound carriageway of Bridge Street, between its junctions with Bath Street and Wapping Street.
• on the inside northbound lane of Bridge Street, between its junctions with College Street and Bath Street.
• on the eastbound carriageway of Guild Street, between its junctions with Stirling Street and Market Street.
• on the westbound carriageway of Guild Street, between its junctions with Exchange Street and Market Street.
• on the inside northbound lane of Market Street, between its junction with Guild Street and a point 63 metres or thereby south of its junction with Guild Street.
• on the northbound carriageway of Market Street, between its junctions with Hadden Street and Union Street.
• on the westbound carriageway of Union Street, between its junctions with Market Street and the Adelphi.
• on the outside westbound lane of Trinity Quay, from its junction with Market Street and a point 72 metres or thereby east of its junction with Market Street.

The classes of vehicles permitted to use the sections of road specified above will be buses (a vehicle manufactured or adapted to carry 9 or more passengers, exclusive of the driver), pedal cycles, taxis, private hire vehicles and goods vehicles. As usual, vehicles associated with the Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance and Scottish Fire & Rescue services will also be permitted access in accordance with performing statutory duties. To complement the ‘Bus Gates’ there will be a prohibition on left turns from Adelphi to Union Street, Exchange Street to Guild Street, Hadden Street to Market Street, and Market Street to Guild Street, while similarly there will be a prohibition on right turns from Bath Street to Bridge Street, and St Catherine’s Wynd to Union Street, albeit these prohibition on turns will not apply to the vehicle classes exempt from the Bus Gates / Lanes.

The existing Bus Gates on Union Street, section of eastbound carriageway east of its junction with Bridge Street / Union Terrace, and section of westbound carriageway west of its junction with Market Street, currently restricted to local buses and pedal cycles only, will be amended to provide additional exemptions for taxis, private hire vehicles and goods vehicles, while all buses will be exempt, with the 'local' stipulation no longer being applicable.

Motor vehicles, unless for the purpose of taking access, will be prohibited from all or certain lengths of Bath Street, Bridge Place, Bridge Street, Broad Street, Carmelite Lane, Carmelite Street, Castle Street, Concert Court, Guild Street, Exchange Lane, Exchange Street, Exchequer Row, Green, Hadden Street, Imperial Place, King Street, Lodge Walk, Marischal Street, Market Street, Queen Street, Union Street, Shiprow, Shoe Lane, Shore Brae, Stirling Street, Trinity Lane and Trinity Street.

Vehicles on Union Terrace will be prohibited from turning right onto Rosemount Viaduct, with the exception this restriction will not apply to buses, pedal cycles, taxis, and private hire vehicles.

There will be a prohibition on motor vehicles at any time (a ‘Pedestrian & Cycle Zone’), except for loading from midnight to 11.00am, and from 4.30pm until midnight, on Upperkirkgate, between its junctions with Schoolhill and Flourmill Lane; and on Schoolhill, between its junctions with Back Wynd and Upperkirkgate.

There will be a ‘one way’ restriction on Schoolhill, between its junctions with Belmont Street and Upperkirkgate, whereby vehicles, with the exception of pedal cycles, will only be permitted to travel in an easterly direction.

There will be a ‘one way’ restriction on Upperkirkgate, between its junctions with Schoolhill and Flourmill Lane, whereby vehicles, with the exception of pedal cycles, will only be permitted to travel in an easterly direction.

The layby area on the south side of Schoolhill, located on a section of the road between its junctions with Belmont Street and Back Wynd, will function on any day, between the hours of 7 and 11am, as a bay for the exclusive use of goods vehicles actively loading goods or burden. At all other times the bay will function for the exclusive purpose of disabled parking.

There will be a ‘one way’ restriction established on Trinity Street, between its junctions with Carmelite Street and Stirling Street, whereby vehicles will only be permitted to travel in an easterly direction.

There will be disabled parking bays established on Carmelite Lane (1), Exchange Street (1), Flourmill Lane (2) and Stirling Street (1) – The number in brackets following the road names indicates the number of standard 6.6m length bays to be established on each of the stated roads.

A mandatory 20mph speed limit will be established on certain lengths of Bridge Street, Carmelite Street, College Street, Guild Street and Wapping Street.

There will be a prohibition on vehicles loading goods and burden on the south side of Guild Street, between its junctions with the accesses that serve the Bus Station and the Railway Station.

A plan highlighing the measures, along with the Order and 'Statement of reasons' can be viewed by clicking on the relevant links below:

The Aberdeen City Council (City Centre, Aberdeen) (Traffic Management) (Experimental) Order 2023

Statement of reasons

Plan

The main purpose of the experimental order is to support the City Centre Masterplan by establishing a priority route for buses, while still maintaining access for pedal cycles, taxis, goods vehicles and authorised vehicles (namely, private hire vehicles). This will enhance bus reliability and travel time, thereby encouraging bus services as a sustainable transport option. Similarly, the removal of general through traffic from the roads concerned will establish an improved environment for pedestrians and cyclists, while facilitating future streetscape improvements. In this regard, the order also maintains the 'Pedestrian and Cycle Zone' that has been established on Schoolhill / Upperkirkgate between its junctions with Back Wynd and Flourmill Lane.

In support of the changes there have been recently completed improvements to South College Street that will take account of re-routed general traffic and corresponds with the local roads hierarchy which was updated in 2019. Further information can be viewed at the following link: -

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/roads-transport-and-parking/south-college-street-junction-improvements-project-phase-1

Accordingly,  the B983 (Denburn Road, Wapping Street, College Street, South College Street), Palmerston Place, the A956 (North Esplanade West, Market Street, Trinity Quay, Virginia Street and Commerce Street) will provide alternative routes for general traffic that previously used the roads where bus priority measures will be established.

Why your views matter

In due course, the Council will consider whether or not the provisions of the Experimental Order should be continued in force indefinitely. Within a period of six months beginning with the day on which the Order came into force, or if any or all of the Order provisions are varied or modified by the Council, beginning with the day the latest variation or modification came into force, any person may object to the making of an Order for the purpose of such indefinite continuation. Any such objection must be sent in writing to trafficmanagement@aberdeencity.gov.uk, or to the address at the end, stating the grounds on which the objection is being made.

Any person who submits an objection to a traffic regulation order should be aware that any objection made will be available to members of the Committee, available for inspection by members of the public, distributed to the press, and will form part of the agenda pack which is available on the Council’s website. To that extent, however, they are redacted, with names, addresses, telephone numbers and signatures removed from this correspondence. For information on why and how we use your data please see the Traffic Regulation Order privacy notice on our website https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/your-data/why-and-how-we-use-your-data.

Traffic Management and Road Safety

Operations and Protective Services

Aberdeen City Council

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Aberdeen AB10 1AB