Marlyn Glen, MSP for North East Scotland, has been in touch with me in my capacity as Chair of the Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN) asking what proposals exist to provide for future Park and Ride facilities for Dundee.
Having discussed the matter with the Director of TACTRAN, here's the response to Marlyn's question :
The TACTRAN Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) contains a specific proposal to develop bus-based Park & Ride/Park & Choose networks in Dundee, Perth and Stirling, with the aim of improving sustainable access and reducing congestion in all three main regional centres.
During the development and appraisal of the RTS an outline Park & Ride strategy, building on existing experience and facilities at Perth and Stirling, and extending this to include Dundee, was subjected to initial "high level" assessment. This identified a positive case for developing regional Park & Ride and assumed the introduction of an additional 8 or 9 bus/coach-based sites, 4 of which would potentially be around Dundee.
During the development and appraisal of the RTS an outline Park & Ride strategy, building on existing experience and facilities at Perth and Stirling, and extending this to include Dundee, was subjected to initial "high level" assessment. This identified a positive case for developing regional Park & Ride and assumed the introduction of an additional 8 or 9 bus/coach-based sites, 4 of which would potentially be around Dundee.
These would be aimed at improving access on the eastern (A92), northern (A90) and western (A90) approaches to Dundee, and on the southern approach via the A92/Tay Bridge. In the case of the first three corridors it is likely that sites would be located in Angus and Perth & Kinross, with the southern corridor served by a site at the south end of the Tay Bridge in Fife.
As you will be aware, we are currently awaiting Ministerial approval of the RTS. In the meantime we are developing various aspects of the Strategy, including commissioning more detailed work on defining the regional Park & Ride strategy. This will involve identifying more specific site options and a prioritised implementation programme.
The intention is to complete this work over the next 6 months, with a view to having a more defined set of proposals for inclusion in our RTS Delivery Plan, and for funding consideration through the Comprehensive Spending Review and the ongoing Strategic Transport Projects Review.
We are also in discussion with neighbouring Partnership SESTRAN, who will lead on taking forward the scheme on the southern approach to Dundee, which will be located in their area.
The work we will undertaking over the next few months will enable us to develop more specific proposals, including identification of proposed sites on each of the corridors. This will be followed by more detailed scheme design and appraisal on each corridor, in accordance with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).
This stage of project development will include consideration of detailed matters such as city centre traffic management and bus priority measures, in conjunction with Dundee City Council.
We hope that the above illustrates that TACTRAN views development of Park & Ride at Dundee, and our other regional centres, as a key element of the RTS. We anticipate that we will be in a position to progress developement of specific corridor-based proposals in the latter part of this year.