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Roads  >  Strategic Leadership (Roads)  >  Union Street Pedestrianisation

Union Street Pedestrianisation

In March 2004 the City Council approved the recommendation to proceed with informal non-statutory public consultation on the Union Street project proposals. The consultation period ran throughout June 2004 and closed on 2 July 2004.

The pedestrianisation of the section of Union Street between Bridge Street and Market Street is one of the key elements within the Urban Realm Strategy. This strategy is a series of projects, which aim to enhance the environmental and economic aspects of the City Centre by revitalising the central core.

Current issues of concern

• High concentration of pedestrians, yet very narrow footways.
• Concentration of bus stops conflicts with the demand to create greater opportunities to cross.
• Largest concentration of accidents in the city centre.
• The "feel good factor" experienced here is poorer than that of many other cities.
• Any restriction of traffic on Union Street creates severe problems with displaced traffic causing excessive delays to other road users. 

These pages outline the work undertaken to date in relation to the various factors that are a consequence of, or affected by, the possible pedestrianisation of Union Street between Bridge Street and Market Street.

They detail the possible economic outcomes of the scheme, the necessary infrastructure requirements to deliver a network that will cope with predicted city centre traffic levels in future years as well as pedestrianisation, and the next stages required to deliver a successful pedestrianisation scheme.

The consultation focused on the solutions required to deliver not only pedestrianisation but also, more importantly, a city with room for the traffic growth that will be generated by various committed developments in the central core of the city.

Draft Report on the City Centre Transport Infrastructure and Pedesrianisation of Union Street

On Monday 11 October 2004, the City Council published the draft report on the City Centre Transport Infrastructure and Pedesrianisation of Union Street.

Full Draft Report - City Centre Transport Infrastructure and Pedesrianisation of Union Street

This report contains a summary of the public and stake-holder consultation undertaken, as well as details of the additional work undertaken in the last six months including an Environmental Assessment and further traffic modelling.

The recommendations contained in the report are:

• Agree in principle, and without prejudice for the outcome of the future necessary legislative procedures, that Union Street from Bridge Street to Market Street should be fully pedestrianised;
• Agree that this requires to be supported by the range of traffic management and infrastructure measures as provisionally identified, prior to the pedestrianisation being introduced, to ensure efficient traffic distribution around the City Centre;
• Note the provisional optimised program of works and agree to a 5 – 7 year program of phased installation of the various traffic management and infrastructure measures, with the pedestrianisation being introduced as soon as possible within this time frame;
• Agree the construction of improvements along the College Street corridor, subject to the detailed alignment being approved by the Environment & Infrastructure Committee;
• Agree the construction of improvements along the Berryden Road corridor from it’s junction with Maberly Street to the vicinity of Bob Cooney Court, subject to detailed alignment and the results of an option appraisal for the Berryden Road/Hutcheon Street junction being approved by the Environment & Infrastructure Committee with the option appraisal including public consultation;
• Agree to the alternative junction arrangement proposed for the Market Street/Guild Street junction which removes the need for buses to route through The Green;
• Instruct the appropriate officials to progress the various elements of the project in accordance with the proposed program for the overall project, including the installation of VMS and the Wapping Street gyratory improvement at an early stage and detailed analysis to optimise junction layouts;
• Instruct the appropriate officials to enter into discussions with the Union Square developers regarding the timing and delivery of the measures associated with their development;
• Agree to the use of consultants as necessary to be employed on a quality/price basis;
• Instruct the appropriate officials to report to the relevant committees at key stages in the program and routinely update Members at full Council on the progress of the overall project; and
• Refer this matter to the non-housing capital process and instruct officers to report on the potential for initial funding to the Energising Aberdeen Board for consideration.

A supporting document containing the full details of the consultation exercise and the relevant reports on environmental impact, traffic modelling etc, all as referred to in the draft report is available to view at St Nicholas House. To arrange a time to view the document, please contact Joanna Beveridge, Principal Engineer on Tel: 522618.