Aberdeen Rapid Transit engagement begins

A public engagement seeking views of the next stage of the proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) has begun this week.

Councillor Michael Hutchison, Chair and Councillor Alan Turner, Vice Chair of Nestrans announced details of the engagement that will run until November 7.

The engagement will be held online, accessible from both Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council’s engagement platforms and will also include in-person and virtual events.

In-person drop-in events will be held on:

In addition, an online event will take place on Tuesday 28 October from 6pm-7pm.  Interested parties are asked to sign up to attend the online event via https://aberdeenrapidtransit.commonplace.is/ 

 

ART is a proposed new mass rapid transport service designed to provide high quality, fast, frequent and reliable public transport across two cross city routes within Aberdeen City Region.

Funding awarded from the Aberdeen City Region Deal is being used to develop a Case for Investment for ART in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans and the North East Bus Alliance.

Councillor Michael Hutchison, Chair, Nestrans said: “Aberdeen Rapid Transit is one of a number of projects that that we are working to deliver in the North East as we move forward with our local and regional transport strategies.

“You can see, across the UK, numerous other cities have something similar to ART in place already, or are looking to deliver that. The North East deserves a modern public transport network, and ART could be a key part of making that happen. That in turn bolsters our Net Zero credentials as we seek to establish our region as a global Net Zero capital.

“This engagement will allow people to have their say, so that public transport meets the needs of the public as best it can, and how we can deliver ART as part of that.”

Councillor Anne Stirling, Chair of the Aberdeen City Region Joint Committee, added: “Aberdeen Rapid Transit has the potential to transform how many people travel in and around our city and region, making journeys faster, more reliable and more sustainable. This is not just a project for Aberdeen, but for those communities who rely on strong connections to the city for work, education and leisure and who would benefit from the proposed hubs in Blackdog, Portlethen and Westhill.

"To make sure this initiative truly reflects local needs, we want to hear directly from the people who will use it. I would encourage everyone – whether you live, work or spend time in Aberdeen or the surrounding area – to take part in the consultation and share your views.”

Two preferred cross city routes for ART were agreed in June 2024, from Portlethen to Craibstone and Westhill to Blackdog.

Key features of ART include priority for buses through dedicated lanes and signal priority, high quality stops that feature level boarding, lighting, CCTV, shelters with seating; mobility hubs that provide park and ride opportunities; high-capacity multi-door zero emission vehicles; ticketing that can be purchased off vehicle and real time information for journey planning.

For further details of the project and to be keep up to date with developments visit https://www.aberdeenrapidtransit.org 

The Aberdeen City Region Deal is a partnership between Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Opportunity North East, Scottish Government and UK Government.

The Deal is one delivery mechanism for the regional economic strategy and is investing in sector innovation projects and infrastructure to support economic diversification and resilience. Signed in November 2016, both Governments committed to jointly investing up to £250 million over a 10-year period. These commitments form part of an overarching £826 million funding package for the Aberdeen City Region Deal.