PROPOSALS seeing streets in Stonehaven designated as active travel routes and redesigned for this purpose are under consultation.
Nestrans (North East Scotland’s Regional Transport Partnership), Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council have developed a draft Regional Active Travel Network. This is guided by a national transport strategy putting private cars at the bottom a new pecking order in decision-making where active travel is given priority.
Active travel is people-powered transport: walking, wheeling (including wheelchairs, scooters, prams and buggies) and cycling.
The consultation document cites various benefits of leaving the car in the garage including health and well-being and reducing impact on climate change.
It states: ”By developing the network now, Nestrans, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council will:
- Set out the future policy direction for active travel in the region
- Set out priorities and programmes for delivery of projects
- Guide potential applications for funding”
Towns across the region have been examined and people-friendly routes proposed. In Stonehaven, Slug Road, Arduthie Road and Mill O’Forest/Lowood Road are designated as primary streets. This would mean the addition of separated cycle lanes – one such design is shown below. According to the document, some on-street parking would have to be moved.
Other streets around the outskirts of the town and leading into the centre are designated as secondary streets where there is an element of vehicle separation with a cycle route, but some mingling may be required.
There appears to be a certain lack of informed detail in the online map as the beach promenade and boardwalk route are described as primary mixed traffic routes.
Region-wide approach
The consultation reveals a vision of a series of projects across the North-east – and asks for your views on it.
Councillor Alan Turner, chair of Nestrans, said: “We all have much to benefit if more people could walk, wheel and cycle more often. Delivering high quality routes everywhere through the region will take many years, but by setting out the regional network now we want to show our ambition for change and, more importantly, make a strong case for investment to come to the North East.
”Our draft network is a good start on this process, but we want to hear the views of people from across the region to help us understand whether we have got the scale of ambition for the network right, as well as any detailed suggestions for specific changes that we should make.”
More information about the network and a link to the survey to give your feedback is available atRegional Active Travel Network StoryMap. People unable to access the information or survey can contact the team by phoning 0131 659 1547 (between 09.00 and 17.00, Monday to Friday). The consultation will run until Sunday 2nd June 2024.
Feature image – Arduthie Road is one of Stoneahaven’s streets identified as being a contender for cycle lanes.
