STAG assessments of the Modern Transport System & MTS projects
Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG)
All major transport projects which will involve Scottish Executive (SE) funding now require to be appraised through a methodology developed by the SE with the assistance of consultants Steer Davies Gleave, SIAS and WS Atkins. The methodology, Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), was issued as a consultation draft in 2001. A final version incorporating amendments based on the experience of its application over the last 2 years was published in 2003. The appraisal process requires that projects are objective led and appraised. Projects need to demonstrate that they are based on an assessment of transport objectives and that they address present and future problems. Options need to be developed and tested against these objectives and problems.
The STAG methodology is in 2 parts. The Part 1 appraisal is intended as a simple and quick method to establish that a project meets its objectives. A project proposal which 'passes' the Part 1 appraisal will normally then be subjected to a more detailed Part 2 scrutiny which provides a detailed assessment of a project's impacts and benefits. The Part 2 centres on an appraisal against the 5 objectives set out in the Transport White Paper Travel Choices for Scotland 1998, namely; Environment, Safety, Economy, Integration and Accessibility, which are to be used to gauge the potential value of proposals to improve transport at the local or national level.
The STAG methodology incorporates the requirement for detailed traffic modelling and economic and financial appraisal of projects. The economic and financial appraisal appraisal incorporates the value for money Transport Economic Efficiency measures (TEE), and also an additional Economic Activity and Location Impact (EALIs) which seeks to measure wider impacts on employment and income which can result from certain types of transport scheme.
The outcomes of the STAG require to be summarised in an Appraisal Summary Table (AST) and made publicly available along with the detailed results of the assessment. The STAG methodology also provides for monitoring and evaluation procedures following project implementation, the processes being designed to allow projects to be fine tuned to achieve what was hoped from them and to allow communication to all stakeholders on the effects of initiatives.
Use of STAG by NESTRANS
With SE funding support NESTRANS has been applying the STAG methodology in the development and appraisal of its overall transport strategy and individual transport projects. The experience gained has provided important feedback on the methodology itself and has contributed to the amendments being incorporated in the final version of the STAG Guidance.
Regional Transport Strategy - the MTS
Whilst considerable work had already been undertaken in developing and appraising alternative transport strategies for the north east, both by NESTRANS and through the two local authorities, NESTRANS decided that it would be appropriate to follow the STAG methodology in developing and appraising alternative transport strategies including its favoured strategy, the Modern Transport System. The SE agreed that the strategy only needed to be appraised to the level of Part 1, with individual projects then to being subjected to the full STAG Part 1 and Part 2 appraisal.
This work followed the STAG Part 1 methodology in setting objectives and generating options for appraisal. The main options including the MTS were then appraised against a do minimum and base case (planned investment) scenarios, and were each modelled and financially appraised through the Aberdeen Sub Area Transport Model (ASAM) which had been commissioned by the SE to provide the North-East with a transport model in advance of the new Transport Model for Scotland which is currently being developed. An EALI was also commissioned from consultants to identify any wider economic benefits of the strategy.
Based on the appraisals the STAG Part 1 clearly demonstrates that the MTS is the strategy that best meets the objectives established, achieves the SE's own 5 transport objectives, and provides good value for money when set against other alternatives and against other Scottish projects recently given funding by the SE.
The documentation for the MTS STAG comprises an Overview and 10 appendices. You can view these documents by selecting from the links below. Please note that some of the documents are very large - if you can't access them from your computer, you may have to view them in situ (see note at bottom of list of appendices for details).
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route - Northern Leg Consultation on Options
Appendices
| A. Modern Transport System - Outcome and Objectives and Objectives |
| B. Modern Transport System Problems and Opportunities - Summary of Problems and Analysis of Problems |
| C. Assessment of Objectives against Problems and Opportunities - Explanation and Assessment |
| D. Modern Transport System Options and Component Project Categories - Summary of Options and Matrix of Options |
| E. Assessment of Categories against Objectives - Explanation, Summary and Assessment |
| F. Assessment of Categories against Problems and Opportunities - Explanation, Summary and Assessment |
| G. Option Sifting |
| H. Transport Report |
| I. TEE Report (this is included in Appendix H above - see appendix G) |
| J. EALI Report |
The full documentation is accessible for inspection in the Roads sections at the offices of both Councils: for Aberdeen City Council at St Nicholas House, Broad Street, Aberdeen and for Aberdeenshire Council at Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen.
The STAG overview is on the NESTRANS website and the Aberdeenshire Council website.
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The STAG methodology has been adopted in developing a corridor for the northern leg of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR). This will complete the establishment of a corridor for the AWPR from the A90(S) to the A90(N), the corridor for the western leg having been decided by Grampian Regional Council in 1996 and subsequently endorsed by the successor authorities, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. The overall justification for the AWPR is made in the STAG of the MTS, which has demonstrated that, the MTS integrated package of measures, including the WPR is the best option and provides good value for money.
The STAG for the AWPR(N) has been undertaken in 2 stages, the identification in Stage 1 of 18 possible routes which were initially appraised and consulted on in late 2002, with the subsequent narrowing down to 3 options in Stage 2 which were appraised in detail and were the subject of public consultation in early 2003. That appraisal effectively constituted a STAG Part 1½ and entailed the appraisal of traffic and economics being undertaken for the full AWPR route as part of the appraisal of the 3 AWPR(N) options.
A recommendation on a preferred scheme corridor was endorsed by a joint Committee of both Councils, the North East Strategic Planning Committee in March 2003 with a recommendation to both Councils meeting later in April to endorse the corridor. Once approved the preferred scheme for the AWPR(N) will be combined with the endorsed corridor for the AWPR(W) and as full route and taken forward to the next stage of design and consultation through a Part 2 STAG.
The documentation for the AWPR STAG comprises and Overview and 17 appendices. You can view most of these documents by selecting from the links below. Please note that some of the documents are very large - if you can't access them from your computer, you may have to view them at the council's offices - see note at bottom of list of appendices for details.
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route - Northern Leg Consultation on Options
Appendices
| A. Modern Transport System STAG Appraisal (The Appraisal is the overview document plus Appendices A - J in the section above) |
| B. Modern Transport System & Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Objectives |
| C. Modern Transport System & Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Problems and Opportunities |
| D. Assessment of Objectives against Problems and Opportunities - Explanation and Assessment |
| E. Stage 1 Engineering and Environmental Reports |
| F. Stage 1 Public Consultation Report - September 2002 Council Report with Appendix on Consultation |
| G. Stage 2 Environmental Assessment Report - Volume 1 (written report) |
| H. Stage 2 Engineering Report |
| I. Stage 2 Air & Noise Addendum Report; Comment on Air & Noise Environmental Assessment; Response from Mouchel; Response from MVA |
| J. Stage 2 Traffic Report using ASAM Output; Delivering a Modern Transport System |
| K. Stage 2 TEE Report using ASAM Output (included in Appendix J) |
| L. Stage 2 EALI Report |
| M. Stage 2 Public Consultation Report |
| N. Stage 2 Assessment of Routes against Objectives - Summary and Assessment |
| O. Stage 2 Assessment of Routes against Problems - Summary and Assessment |
| P. Route Assessment Booklets (available for inspection in offices listed below) |
| Q. Summary Table and Appraisal Summary |
The full documentation is available for inspection in the Roads sections at the offices of both Councils:
Aberdeen City Council, St Nicholas House, Broad Street, Aberdeen and
Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen.
Contacts
| John Wilson - Managing Agent, Willowbank House, Willowbank Road, Aberdeen | Tel 01224 332300 E-Mail: johnw@aberdeencity.gov.uk |
| Ewan Wallace - Head of Transportation, Aberdeenshire Council | Tel 01224 665228 E-Mail: ewan.wallace@aberdeenshire.gov.uk |
| Derick Murray - Director of NESTRANS | Tel 01224 625524 E-Mail: derickmurray@nestrans.org.uk |
Related Links
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
Aberdeenshire Council
NESTRANS
Planning and Infrastructure
Traffic Scotland
