Additional signage and advance warning measures have started to be installed for the new city centre bus priority measures which will make the bus gates even clearer to drivers approaching them.
These modifications are being installed after an initial period of monitoring and the works support the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) for the bus priority measures without changing the traffic order.
The work to be carried out in the next few weeks includes:
Bus gates/lanes - sections of coloured surfacing applied to the carriageway, while regulatory bus gate signs will be placed against yellow backing boards;
The bus gate on Union Street at the Adelphi, and similarly on Bridge Street at Bath Street, will have the addition of a traffic island;
Three additional advance directional signs to make the bus gates even clearer to drivers approaching them;
The signage on Union Terrace with the ‘no right turn’ at the junction with Rosemount Viaduct will be a stand-alone sign to further emphasise the restriction.
The bus priority route, which started almost three months ago, is helping to reduce travel times for buses in the city centre which will in turn encourage more people to use sustainable or active travel, which is one of the goals of the City Centre Masterplan.
Bicycles, taxis, and goods vehicles are able to access the bus priority route. Access to the Trinity Centre car park and roads adjacent to the restrictions is maintained.
The bus priority route minimises the amount of general traffic on Market Street (north of Guild Street), Guild Street (east of Wapping Street), and Bridge Street by stopping traffic from using these streets as through-routes.
The B983 (Denburn Road, Wapping Street, College Street, South College Street), Palmerston Place, the A956 (North Esplanade West, Market Street, Trinity Quay, Virginia Street and Commerce Street) are alternative routes for general traffic which previously used the roads where bus priority measures will be established.
The new South College Street junction improvements, which received £10million of Scottish Government funding, were delivered to provide extra capacity for general traffic and an alternative route ahead of the new bus priority route being introduced.
A six-month-long public consultation as part of the ETRO remains open until 24 January 2024 and people can take part in the consultation which is on the City Council’s website at https://consultation.aberdeencity.gov.uk/operations/citycentre-experimental-tro-2023/