Preliminary Appraisal Summary Table - Targeted Road Safety Improvements

Preliminary Appraisal Summary

Option Description

Targeted Road Safety Improvements

This option focuses on the delivery of targeted road safety improvements on the A96 Trunk Road. The A96 is a strategic trunk road of approximately 155km in length and routes from Raigmore Interchange, Inverness in the west to Craibstone Roundabout, Aberdeen in the east. The A96 Corridor Review appraisal area covers Raigmore Interchange to Craibstone Roundabout west of Aberdeen.

The existing A96 Trunk Road is predominantly a single carriageway; however, there are sections which have been upgraded either to dual carriageway, climbing lanes, or wide single 2+1 carriageways. This option seeks to improve trunk road safety at targeted locations along the route, reducing both real and perceived safety concerns. The extent of this option excludes the A96 Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme as it has received Ministerial consent, as well as the options to bypass the towns of Forres, Elgin, Keith and Inverurie as these are all being appraised separately as part of the A96 Corridor Review. It is considered that the provision of bypasses could reduce or remove existing safety issues in those locations and therefore no further improvements under this option (Targeted Road Safety Improvements) would be necessary.

Although further development is required, it is envisaged that the improvements considered under this option would primarily consist of improvements to road infrastructure which could include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Junction improvements (e.g. right-turn priority; signalisation; at-grade roundabouts; grade-separation)
• Realignment/widening (e.g. at carriageway ‘pinchpoints’ or where the horizontal or vertical alignment is resulting in a safety problem or risk)
• Provision of overtaking opportunities (e.g. partial dualling, wide single 2+1 carriageways and climbing lanes).

These potential interventions that could be delivered through the option are anticipated to improve the overall safety performance of the A96 corridor through reducing the number of accidents and their severity, in addition to improving the overall reliability of the route by reducing the level of disruption caused to road users and local communities.

Relevance

Relevant to all road users in the corridor

This option would support the reliability and resilience of the network for communities and businesses by reducing the impact of accidents on the network, which would be of benefit to key industry sectors such as the food and drink sector and tourism, enabling economic growth to be realised. This option supports Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation, which reaffirms the Scottish Government’s commitment to creating a more successful country through increasing sustainable economic growth; a central feature of the strategy is the approach to supporting investment.

Furthermore, a high quality, well maintained and efficient trunk road network also supports other Scottish Government programmes for active travel, development of connected and autonomous vehicle infrastructure and bus priority investment, and thereby contributes to the low carbon economy.

This option is directly relevant to Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. The framework sets out the vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and the long-term goal of Vision Zero where there are zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland’s roads by 2050 with ambitious interim targets for the number of people killed or seriously injured to be halved by 2030.

The framework is aligned with National Transport Strategy (NTS2) and embeds the Safe System approach to road safety delivery, which consists of five key pillars focusing efforts not only on road traffic casualty reduction (vulnerability of the casualties) but also on road traffic danger reduction (sources of the danger).

For the period between 2015 and 2019, the Personal Injury Accident (PIA) rate on the A96 is lower than the national average; however, there are urban sections where the PIA accidents rates are higher than the national average. There are a number of sections of the route where the Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) accident rates are higher than the national average for trunk A-roads of a similar type.

Estimated Cost

£101m - £250m Capital

Determining the estimated cost of this option is dependent on a number of factors including the type, location, scale and complexity of the proposed targeted trunk road safety improvements. At this stage no work has been undertaken to identify specific locations or the potential interventions and it is recognised this would require examination and assessment at the stages of design development, a level of detail beyond that which is undertaken as part of a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal.

In additional to construction costs, Transport Scotland would also likely be the asset owner on completion for any targeted trunk road safety improvements and is therefore anticipated to take on the operation and maintenance of any interventions, which would have ongoing costs associated with it.

Position in Sustainable Hierarchies

Sustainable Investment Hierarchy / Sustainable Travel Hierarchy

Within the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy, this option sits within ‘maintaining and safely operating existing assets’ delivering interventions to improve both real and perceived road safety issues. This option would also sit across all tiers of the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy.

This option would also contribute to six of the 12 NTS2 outcomes, as follows:

• Provide fair access to services we need
• Adapt to the effects of climate change
• Get people and goods where they need to get to
• Be reliable, efficient and high quality
• Use beneficial innovation
• Be safe and secure for all.

Summary Rationale

Summary of Appraisal

This option makes a generally positive contribution to most of the A96 Corridor Review Transport Planning Objectives (TPOs) and STAG criteria, with a number of neutral impacts for all Statutory Impact Assessment (SIA) criteria. However, it is expected that there will be negative impacts resulting from this option in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios (which are described in Appendix A of the Transport Appraisal Report), specifically considering the STAG Environment criterion.

This option is focused on improving the safety of the trunk road network through the provision of targeted safety improvements along the A96 corridor. This option is therefore anticipated to have a major positive impact on TPO5 in relation to providing a safe, reliable and resilient transport system, as well as minor positive impacts for enhancing communities as places to support health, wellbeing and the environment (TPO3) and contributing to sustainable inclusive growth (TPO4). In addition to the TPOs, the improvements for road safety are anticipated to have a major positive impact on the STAG Health, Safety and Wellbeing criterion. Economic benefits are expected due to improved reliability and an anticipated reduction in road closures, contributing to a moderate positive impact for the STAG Economy criterion, and a minor positive impact for the Equality and Accessibility criterion.

However, improving road safety may encourage more car trips to be made that might subsequently generate an increase in car kilometres, and the footprint for some interventions could increase the current road space, potentially impacting negatively on environmental considerations such as water environment, agriculture and soils, cultural heritage and visual amenity.

Delivery is considered to be feasible with Transport Scotland having significant industry experience of implementing the type of options considered. Affordability is dependent on the complexity and scale of options. Wider public support is anticipated for improvements to the safety of the trunk road network, with this being noted as a major concern for users of the A96 Trunk Road.

It is recommended that this option is taken forward to the Detailed Appraisal stage.

Details behind this summary are discussed in Section 3.

Context

Problems and Opportunities

This option could help to address the following problem and opportunity themes. Further detail on the identified problems and opportunities is provided in the published A96 Corridor Review Case for Change ( A96 Corridor Review Case for Change ) .

Relevant Problem and Opportunity Themes Identified in the A96 Corridor Review Case for Change

Safety and Resilience: From the analysis of accident data, the rural sections of the A96 Trunk Road have overall PIA rates lower than or similar to the national average based on all trunk A-roads of the equivalent type. There are, however, selected urban sections of the A96 Trunk Road that show an accident rate higher than the national average, with specific locations in Forres and Keith. The rate of KSI accidents is also significantly higher than the national average in these two towns, nearly five times the national average in Keith and just above three times the national average in Forres. A number of rural sections of the A96 Trunk Road also have a rate of KSIs higher than the national average, these being between Hardmuir and Forres, between Fochabers and Keith, between Keith and East of Huntly and between Kintore and Craibstone.

The A96 Trunk Road is affected by closures and delays due to accidents, maintenance and weather events. Recommended diversion routes can be lengthy throughout the corridor, up to approximately 65km depending on where the closure occurs. The economic impact of closures can be significant due to the effect on HGVs and the movement of goods.

Socio-Economic and Location of Services: Employment and other key services tend to be found in the three most populous and key economic locations within the study area: Aberdeen, Inverness and Elgin. Considering the travel distances between these three key economic centres and the other settlements in the transport appraisal study area, travelling by sustainable modes is relatively unattractive.

The key economic centres contain essential facilities such as major hospitals as well as a much greater density of education facilities. In addition, almost half of the total jobs in the transport appraisal study area are found within these three locations. Outside of these three areas, people making a trip to a workplace are more likely to travel over 10km, therefore limiting the potential for active travel.

Public Transport Accessibility: Evidence across the transport appraisal study area suggests that outside of Aberdeen, the level of public transport use is low in comparison to the rest of the country. Outside of Aberdeen City, the use of bus for commuting to work is significantly lower than the national average, as it is for rail, with only Insch having a mode share above national average. The Scottish Accessibility to Bus Indicator (SABI) demonstrates that across the transport appraisal study area, the accessibility to bus is low outside of the urban areas of Aberdeen and parts of Inverness.

Large sections of the population in the transport appraisal study area cannot access key services such as hospitals with emergency departments, or higher education within two hours by public transport. Moray and Aberdeenshire both have low accessibility to these services which are often centralised in more urban areas such as Inverness, Elgin or Aberdeen. As such, public transport is not an option for many trip purposes within the transport appraisal study area.

Health and Environment: Transport is a major contributor to CO ₂ emissions along the A96 corridor, particularly in the Aberdeenshire and Highland Council areas. Transport contributes over 35% of the total emissions in both Aberdeenshire and Highland Council areas and between 25% and 30% in Aberdeen City and Moray. This is potentially an outcome of the high dependence on cars for travel, long travel distances and the levels of road-based freight movements.

The route of the A96 travels through the centre of towns along the corridor such as Elgin and Keith, which puts a relatively large proportion of the population in close proximity to potential noise pollution and pollutants from transport emissions that affect local air quality.

Sustainable Economic Growth: There is an opportunity to support and enhance sustainable economic growth across the transport appraisal study area. The key industries in the region, including food and drink production and agriculture, forestry and fishing have a high proportion of goods movement, as evidenced through the relatively high proportion of HGVs on the A96. A shift to alternative sustainable transport modes could improve journey time reliability, resulting in economic and environmental benefits, with trials being undertaken in recent years to increase the proportion of rail freight movements.

The transport appraisal study area has shown growth in tourism spend in recent years with the rise of whisky tourism and the Speyside Whisky Trail a major component of the economy in this sector. There are opportunities to change the way in which visitors travel to and from the region, and around it. Walking and cycling tourism is one such opportunity and has the potential to create further economic growth by attracting new visitors to the region.

Improving Safety: There is the opportunity to reduce the number and severity of accidents on the A96 Trunk Road on those sections where the PIA and/or KSI accident rates are high when compared to the national average for equivalent urban or rural trunk A-roads. Improving safety for road users would contribute to meeting the targets set out in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 to achieve the 50% reduction in people killed or seriously injured (60% reduction for children). Reducing the level of car-based kilometres travelled would also contribute to a reduction in accident numbers.

Interdependencies

This option has potential overlap with other A96 Corridor Review options and would also complement other areas of Scottish Government activity.

Other A96 Corridor Review Options

• Active Communities
• Active Connections
• Elgin Bypass
• Forres Bypass
• Inverurie Bypass
• Keith Bypass.

Other areas of Scottish Government activity

• Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 ( Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 )
• Climate Change Plan 2018-32 Update ( Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 - update )
• Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021/22 – 2025/26 (IIP) ( A National Mission with Local Impact: Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26 )
• National Transport Strategy (NTS2) ( National Transport Strategy: Protecting Our Climate and Improving Our Lives )
• National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) ( National Planning Framework 4 )
• Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation ( Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation )
• Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 ( Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 )
• Strategic Road Safety Plan (2016) ( Strategy Road Safety Plan )
• Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) ( Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) ) .

Appraisal

Appraisal Overview

This section provides an assessment of the option against:

• A96 Corridor Review Transport Planning Objectives
• STAG criteria
• Deliverability criteria
• Statutory Impact Assessment criteria.

The seven-point assessment scale has been used to indicate the impact of the option when considered under the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ Travel Behaviour scenarios (which are described in Appendix A of the Transport Appraisal Report).

Transport Planning Objectives

1. A sustainable strategic transport corridor that contributes to the Scottish Government’s net zero emissions target.

Targeted road safety improvements are not expected to materially influence overall travel demand along the A96 corridor unless capacity improvements were to be delivered through longer sections of partial dualling. Capacity improvements may encourage people to move further away from employment centres as a result of improved journey time and journey time reliability.

Through reducing the overall frequency of Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) and therefore the associated disruption, there may be slight benefits to transport-related emissions through a reduction in stationary traffic or a reduction in the frequency of lengthy diversions. Implementing improvements to improve safety could also enhance the operation of the network. Given the level of traffic on the majority of the corridor, congestion is not a prevalent issue, and any resulting wider operational benefits are therefore anticipated to be negligible.

Improving the safety performance provides the opportunity to encourage a shift from car-based travel to sustainable modes or improving the reliability and attractiveness of public transport services for local and long distance trips; however, other measures would be required to support modal shift for any significant impact on road-based transport emissions to be realised.

While the types of options within this grouping do not, on their own, prioritise a modal shift to more sustainable modes, they do help support the provision of a safe, efficient and reliable trunk road network which is integral to wider Scottish Government programmes relating to active travel and bus priority investment.

Overall, the option is scored as neutral impact against on this objective under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

2. An inclusive strategic transport corridor that improves the accessibility of public transport in rural areas for access to healthcare, employment and education.

The frequency and integration of public transport services is a problem in the corridor, which is highlighted by the reliance on private vehicle use and by higher than average car ownership levels across the region. This is due to the largely rural nature of the region, where providing public transport can be a challenge due to dispersed population and settlement patterns. While some options could benefit local and longer distance bus services that use the A96 Trunk Road, they are unlikely to have a direct impact on service frequency and coverage. This option is therefore not anticipated to have a notable impact on issues relating to the accessibility of public transport services, which are linked to wider issues related to the provision, frequency and integration of public transport in the area.

Overall, the options are anticipated to have a neutral impact on this objective under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. A coherent strategic transport corridor that enhances communities as places, supporting health, wellbeing and the environment.

A reduction in the number and severity of accidents as a result of the types of improvements considered in this option would deliver health benefits to individuals by providing a safer environment to travel.

Although further development of the option is needed to understand the size, scale, and location of potential targeted safety improvements, this option may address existing severance on the A96 where the route bisects local communities.

Reducing the overall frequency of collisions and their associated impacts are likely to improve the overall sense of place for communities where there are identified safety performance concerns. With several sections of the route having a higher KSI and PIA rates than other comparable road types ( Reported Road Casualties Scotland table 5(b) ) , it is likely that the option could reduce real and perceived safety concerns on the route. This is anticipated to encourage a shift from car-based travel to active modes, which should result in a minor positive benefit to health and wellbeing in urban areas.

The majority of the benefits associated with this option are likely to be felt most by people who have access to a vehicle within a region where there is greater dependency on car use to access key services such as employment, education, healthcare services ( Car or Van Availability per Household 2011 in A96 Corridor Review Case for Change ) .

Overall, it is anticipated the options within this grouping are likely to have a minor positive on this objective under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

4. An integrated strategic transport system that contributes towards sustainable inclusive growth throughout the corridor and beyond.

The trunk road network within the corridor plays a vital role in supporting the local economy, facilitating the movement of goods throughout the area, connecting people to employment and education opportunities as well as providing businesses with access to the labour market.

The improvements included within this option may support opportunities to strengthen the reliability of supply chains locally, regionally and nationally by reducing the potential for road closures through addressing road safety concerns. The A96 Trunk Road is important for facilitating local and regional movements whilst also providing access to wider transport links, providing onward links via strategic connections to other areas of Scotland. For example, the A96 connects with the A9 in the west at Inverness, providing links for onward travel towards Perth, Dunblane and Thurso, and in the east, the A96 connects with the A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the A92, providing onward links towards locations in Aberdeen City, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Dundee.

Associated improvements in reliability and resilience from reducing the impact of accidents on the network would help to improve confidence in the trunk road network, providing benefits not only to businesses but also individuals in accessing opportunities both within and out with the region.

Due to the improved confidence in the trunk road network provided for rural and remote communities as a result of enhanced reliability and resilience resulting from a reduction in the impact of accidents on the network, the potential improvements considered as part of the option are expected to have a minor positive impact on this objective under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

5. A reliable and resilient strategic transport system that is safe for users.

Generally, the PIA rate on the A96 is lower than the national average; however, KSI rates on some rural sections are higher than the national average ( Accident Rates in A96 Corridor Review Case for Change ) . There are also perceived safety concerns on the route, such as the lack of safe overtaking opportunities, which can result in driver frustration and poor driving behaviours.

In the event of closures due to accidents, diversion routes can be significantly longer than the primary route, with closures sometimes lasting several hours or longer. This can lead to significant disruption to road users and also have knock-on effects, particularly where the movement of goods and services is restricted, undermining the confidence in the network.

The types of improvements considered as part of this option would result in safer operation of the network. This would in turn impact on the reliability and resilience of routes through reducing the impact of accidents and associated delays and/or diversions. The options may also address operational issues on some routes, particularly during the peak summer tourist season.

Evaluations of road schemes following the Scottish Trunk Road Infrastructure Project Evaluation (STRIPE) framework provides an illustration of the potential benefits, as illustrated by the 3-year-after-opening project evaluations for the following schemes:

• A9 Bankfoot junction improvement involving the removal of right-turn movement across the main A9(T) carriageway to/from the B867 and Bankfoot village through improvement to the existing A9/B867 and realignment of a minor road to provide a left in/left out junction on the A9 resulted in an 80% reduction in accidents. ( 3YA Evaluation Report for A9(T) Bankfoot )
• A9 Ballinluig grade-separation resulted in over a 90% reduction in accidents. ( 3YA Evaluation Report for A9(T) Ballinluig Junction Improvement )
• A9 Helmsdale widening scheme (including the provision of climbing lanes) resulted in a 60% reduction in accidents. ( 3YA Evaluation Report for A9(T) Helmsdale Phase 2 )
• A76 Glenairlie overtaking scheme resulted in a reduction in accidents of 75% ( 3YA Evaluation Report for A76(T) Glenairlie ) .

Overall, it is anticipated that this option would have a major positive impact on this objective under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios d ue to the potential the reduction in the number and severity of accidents over the whole length A96 Trunk Road and the potential corresponding improvements to resilience and reliability this would have.

STAG Criteria

1. Environment

Targeted road safety improvements would likely result in minor positive impacts on the safety of the trunk road network. This could improve connectivity and resilience on the network, assisting with the ability of remote communities to connect with facilities and employment. The trunk road network is important to the operation of bus services both in connecting settlements to the cities of Inverness and Aberdeen, and in connecting the rural environs to the urban settlements. Safety improvements through targeted improvements/upgrades are likely to reduce disruption from accidents and reduce congestion, supporting enhanced access for all road users. This could enhance opportunities for rural and local communities to access key services, employment opportunities and healthcare for example.

The improvements may increase the overall use of private vehicles through reducing congestion and making car travel more attractive. As a result, the option may result in an increase in traffic and car kilometres travelled which could have a minor negative impact, for example in terms of a slight deterioration in air quality and an increase in noise. This would have a minor negative environmental impact.

This option could have negative impacts in terms of the natural resources required for the construction process. Depending on the scale of the option(s), the materials chosen and their source, there is the potential for a negative effect.

The targeted road safety improvements have the potential for adverse environmental impacts, with some of these being potentially significant for example on the water environment, biodiversity, agriculture and soils, cultural heritage, landscape and visual amenity. Such impacts could either be direct (such as demolition/land loss/habitat loss) or indirect (such as impacts on setting or views). The A96 corridor and its surroundings, contain various regional, national, and international designated sites, including for example Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Ramsar wetland sites of international importance, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserves (NNRs), and Nature Reserves. The area also contains various Gardens and Designed Landscapes, Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and undesignated heritage sites. There are also large swathes of Long-Established Woodland (of plantation origin), pockets of Ancient Woodland (of semi-natural origin) and areas with Tree Preservation Orders. The Local Development Plans also contain settlement development limits, which in turn contain areas zoned for various forms of development. A number of areas within the corridor are also susceptible to flooding.

As the appraisal is a high-level, strategic assessment, the construction footprint of the potential improvements, such as Partial Dualling, Wide Single 2+1 carriageways and climbing lanes is currently unknown, hence there is a degree of uncertainty over the environmental impacts. The scale of the impacts would be dependent on further design development and the location of the targeted road safety improvements being determined and therefore at this stage, the extent of impacts is uncertain.

Further environmental assessment would be undertaken if targeted road safety improvements are progressed through the design and development process, in order to assess the location and scale of specific environmental impacts as well as to identify appropriate mitigation where required. Design and construction environmental management plans would also be developed to consider how to protect and enhance landscape, drainage, amenity, biodiversity, and cultural heritage. Appropriate environmental mitigation and enhancement measures would also be embedded as the design and development process progresses.

Overall, at this preliminary stage in the appraisal process, the potential impacts of a suite of targeted road safety improvements are considered moderate negative for this criterion in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ Scenarios, although this would be subject to the location and design of such improvements. If the environmental constraints are avoided or adequately mitigated, then adverse environmental impacts could be reduced.

2. Climate Change

Any new infrastructure would be designed in such a way to minimise the potential effects of climate change, to reduce the vulnerability at that location to the impacts of climate change such as material deterioration due to extreme weather leading to deterioration of surface such as softening, deformation and cracking, surface water flooding and damage from periods of heavy rainfall.

In the short term, greenhouse gas emissions would occur due to construction activities undertaken to deliver the various safety improvements associated with this option, including indirect emissions from the manufacture and transportation of materials and emissions from the fuel combusted by construction plant and vehicles.

Targeted road safety improvements are not expected to materially influence overall travel demand and trips along the A96 corridor unless capacity improvements were to be delivered.

The level of contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, would depend on the nature and the location of the improvements.

Overall, this option is expected to have a neutral impact on this criterion under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Generally, the PIA rate on the A96 is lower than the national average ; however, KSI rates on some rural sections are higher than the national average. Factors contributing to accidents include characteristics of the road network. For example, a lack of safe overtaking opportunities can increase driver frustration which can contribute towards the occurrence of accidents as drivers attempt unsafe overtaking manoeuvres to pass slower moving vehicles. Road geometry and the understanding of junction layouts can also contribute in some circumstances. This is of particular relevance to tourist routes in the region, with the A96 Trunk Road facilitating access and connectivity to multiple tourism assets.

The types of improvements considered as part of this option would result in the safer operation of the network. This is particularly relevant at locations where evidence suggests there is a safety problem or there is a potential safety risk. With several sections of the route having a higher KSI rates than other comparable road types, it is likely that the option could reduce real and perceived safety concerns on the route.

Evaluations of road schemes following the Scottish Trunk Road Infrastructure Project Evaluation (STRIPE) framework provide an illustration of the potential benefits, as illustrated by the 3-years-after-opening project evaluations for the following schemes:

• A9 Bankfoot junction improvement involving the removal of right-turn movement across the main A9(T) carriageway to/from the B867 and Bankfoot village through improvement to the existing A9/B867 and realignment of a minor road to provide a left in/left out junction on the A9 resulted in an 80% reduction in accidents .
• A9 Ballinluig grade-separation resulted in over a 90% reduction in accidents .
• A9 Helmsdale widening scheme (including the provision of climbing lanes) resulted in a 60% reduction in accidents .
• A76 Glenairlie overtaking scheme resulted in a reduction in accidents of 75% .

This option has the potential to slightly improve resilience and journey times for those travelling by car or bus, which should provide minor benefits for accessing local healthcare and wellbeing services.

It is anticipated that this option will have no impact on the personal security of travellers and their property.

There is potential for negative environmental effects on visual amenity during construction and operation of the infrastructure. Further assessment would be undertaken to identify and mitigate any impacts as part of the design development process.

Overall, it is anticipated that this option would have a major positive impact on this criterion under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios, predominantly due to the potential the reduction in the number and severity of accidents over the whole length A96 Trunk Road.

4. Economy

The A96 plays an important strategic role in the regional economy of the north-east of Scotland, facilitating the movement of goods throughout the area, connecting people to employment and education opportunities as well as providing businesses with access to the labour market. Safety improvements on the A96 Trunk Road could help support the existing local economy as well as support potential future growth in key industries by creating a more reliable and resilient network.

This option would also result in wider economic impacts at a national, regional and local level for both transport users and non-users, with the potential to result in positive changes to economic welfare. The improvements included within this option may support opportunities to strengthen the reliability of supply chains locally, regionally and nationally, by reducing the potential for road closures through addressing road safety concerns. The A96 Trunk Road is important for facilitating local and regional movements whilst also providing access to wider transport links that provide more strategic connections to other areas of Scotland. For example, the A96 connects with the A9 in the west at Inverness providing links for onward travel towards Perth, Dunblane and Thurso, and in the east the A96 connects with the A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the A92, providing onward links towards locations in Aberdeen City, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Dundee.

Associated improvements in reliability and resilience from reducing the impact of accidents on the network would help to improve confidence in the trunk road network, providing benefits not only to businesses but also individuals in accessing opportunities both within and outwith the region.

Further to likely benefiting local communities and businesses across the region, the role of the A96 Trunk Road as a key transport link to provide access and connectivity to high quality tourism assets is likely to improve the overall attractiveness of using the route for travel and also improve the overall perception for road users who may be relatively unfamiliar with the route itself.

An economic assessment to calculate the Transport Economic Efficiency (TEE) of this option has not been undertaken at this stage of appraisal as no decisions have yet been made regarding the scale or design of any interventions within the option. The interventions within this option are generally not anticipated to result in any notable benefits to both private and business users in terms of travel times and vehicle operating costs. This option is, however, anticipated to provide safety benefits through the reduction of accidents on the route, and hence should increase the reliability of the route, which would provide benefits to users as the requirement for lengthy diversions should reduce.

Overall, this option is expected to have a moderate positive impact in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios on the Economy criterion due to the potential to create a more resilient and reliable corridor that would benefit suppliers, businesses, visitors, and customers, whilst also encouraging further economic growth through key industries and tourism.

5. Equality and Accessibility

The A96 corridor has high car ownership/availability compared with the rest of the country . This is primarily due to the area being largely rural in nature where there is greater dependency on the private car to access employment, education, services and maintain social contact. More rural areas may be impacted to a greater extent by incidents, such as collisions, where remote communities are served by a single access route that forms part of the trunk road network.

The trunk road network is also important to the operation of local bus and inter-urban services. Safety improvements and the associated reduction in disruption from collisions on the network would support access for all road users, particularly for those in rural areas where the road network is of vital importance in linking communities with key services, employment, healthcare and education. However, it is considered unlikely that the improvements considered as part of the option would have a significant impact on public transport accessibility or affordability in the region. The proposed improvements considered as part of the option would also provide fewer benefits to individuals who do not have access to a private car, as well as those unable to drive.

This option is not expected to impact the active travel network coverage along the transport appraisal study area, though designs for individual interventions could include provisions for active travel improvements such as safe crossing facilities, where appropriate.

Reference should also be made to the SIAs in Section 3.5.

Overall, this option is expected to have a minor positive impact on this criterion under both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios as a result of the improved access for all road users, particularly improving the reliability of connections for people in rural areas to access key services.

Deliverability

1. Feasibility

As the option would constitute improvements on the trunk road network, Transport Scotland would likely be the promoter and procuring body for targeted road safety improvements, which could be delivered on a project-by-project basis. Transport Scotland has a strong track record in delivering road safety improvements across the wider Scottish trunk road network.

A detailed assessment would require to be undertaken to fully establish the details of any targeted road improvements that may be delivered. However, any interventions are not expected to differ from existing road safety improvements which are regularly implemented on other trunk roads throughout Scotland. It is therefore likely that any proposals would have a precedent already in terms of delivery.

Land purchase and Public Local Inquiries could also be a potential requirement.

The engineering constraints could vary significantly from location to location along the A96 corridor, both between, and within communities. This could include various existing residential and business properties, roads, rivers and railways that intersect the route. Any proposals would also have to consider geotechnical constraints, potentially poor ground conditions. There are also various environmental and planning/land use constraints which have been outlined in previous sections.

Despite the constraints and challenges outlined, the work undertaken to date indicates that this option is considered feasible.

2. Affordability

As the improvements considered as part of the option are yet to be determined, targeted road safety improvements can have a varied associated cost which is primarily dependent upon the scale, complexity and location of any interventions. More significant measures such as junction improvements and route realignments are likely to have a higher cost estimate than less intrusive measures such as the closure of access points off the A96 Trunk Road as well as any signage and lighting improvements. Larger scale options could be potentially more expensive due to specific localised issues, such as the requirement for structures, land purchase or localised ground conditions.

Any improvements delivered on the trunk road network and their associated cost are likely to be borne by Transport Scotland.

3. Public Acceptability

Wider public support is anticipated within the corridor for road safety focused improvements on the trunk road network; however, specific schemes may draw varied public opinion. For example, some potential negative perceptions can be expected from certain stakeholders regarding the perceived road-based focus as well as the impact of construction on communities. This potentially includes landowners and others within communities directly impacted by improvements.

There is, however, likely to be support from stakeholders in the wider business community with there being a view that economic growth may in part be constrained in the region as a result of the lack of reliable and resilient transport infrastructure and poor connectivity. Depending on the response to individual improvements as part of the wider option itself, there may be the need for Public Local Inquiries.

Notwithstanding, stakeholders have raised concerns associated with the current safety performance of the A96 Trunk Road in terms of both the frequency of collisions and their associated casualties but also the significant disruption that can also be caused. As the option would deliver targeted safety improvements to both address corridor-wide issues but also at identified specific areas of concern, it is likely that that interventions within this option would seek to address many of these existing concerns and improve the quality of the route.

Public consultation undertaken as part of this review indicated general support for road safety improvements, with 50% of the respondents considering improving road safety as a top priority, citing concerns over a lack of overtaking opportunities and traffic volumes in congested and built-up areas.

Statutory Impact Assessment Criteria

1. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

An SEA has been prepared and has helped inform the Environment criterion of the STAG appraisal. There is also considerable overlap between the SEA and the Climate Change criterion. The SEA utilises a set of SEA objectives that covers a wide range of environmental topics including Climatic Factors, Air Quality, Noise, Population and Human Health, Material Assets, Water Environment, Biodiversity, Geology and Soils, Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Visual Amenity. The full SEA, including scoring and narrative for each of the Preliminary Appraisal interventions and Detailed Appraisal packages is presented in the SEA Draft Environmental Report ( Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Draft Environmental Report - A96 Corridor Review ) .

2. Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA)

Targeted road safety measures could potentially provide an improved sense of road safety for all road users including those walking, wheeling, and cycling. This could provide positive impacts for protected characteristic groups who are more likely to walk, wheel or cycle and are more vulnerable to fear of road danger, including children, young people, women and older people.

The improvements included within this option are though not anticipated to have a notable impact on protected characteristic groups with less benefits anticipated for individuals who are unable to drive and/or do not have access to a private car, particularly due to the likely rural location of any improvements where there is greater dependency on travel by private car.

The extent and magnitude of construction required to deliver targeted road safety improvements may result in negative impacts during both construction and operation stages for local communities. The construction of the scheme may impact groups who are more vulnerable to noise, vibration and air quality impacts such as children, older people, disabled people, and pregnant women. Furthermore, during operation, some forms of road safety improvement such as widening or providing overtaking opportunities could create noise, air quality and traffic impacts for communities along the route . There could also be instances of potential severance, though interventions would be designed to account for pedestrian and active travel movements. The level of direct impact will be dependent on the final location of targeted road safety improvements and the types of communities affected.

Overall, the option is likely to have a neutral impact on this criterion in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

3. Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA)

Targeted safety improvements may potentially positively impact children and young people through reducing the frequency of collisions and their associated causalities and severity, which may reduce the proportion of children and young people being negatively impacted.

As the types of interventions included within this option are more likely to be implemented in rural areas, they are not anticipated to have a material impact on child pedestrian casualties, which would be more likely to occur in urban areas.

Overall, this option is likely to have a neutral impact on this criterion in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.

4. Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment (FSDA)

Evidence shows that people from deprived neighbourhoods are more likely to be injured or killed as road users. However, as the types of interventions included within this option are more likely to be implemented in rural areas, the benefit to those from deprived areas is anticipated to be the same as the general population. It is acknowledged that wider factors affect road casualty rates and that more detailed assessment work is required to understand the safety benefits associated with individual schemes and how this might impact on people from deprived areas.

Overall, the option is likely to have a neutral impact on this criterion in both the ‘With Policy’ and ‘Without Policy’ scenarios.