West of Scotland Conurbation Public Transport Strategy

THE CHALLENGE

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) needed to develop a public transport strategy for the Glasgow area that fully supported local government plans for regional economic growth and proposed changes to residential, retail, education and leisure provision.

The resulting strategy had to take account of Glasgow’s strategic place in the wider transport network (particularly the rail network) as well as the needs of the city and the wider travel-to-work area. It also needed to recognise potential technological changes to transport provision, such as the future role for bus rapid transit (BRT) and opportunities for tram/train or LRT alongside Glasgow’s unique subway.

The strategy had to be accessible to a general audience but have sufficient technical rigour to withstand scrutiny by agencies such as Transport Scotland and to give SPT confidence for their future detailed implementation plans.

SYSTRA’S ROLE

SYSTRA undertook a comprehensive baselining exercise drawing on existing data sources including data collected for the preparation of the Strathclyde regional transport model (SITM) and the national Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS). This baseline formed the basis of a pre-appraisal report that began the process of identifying transport options.

Stakeholder involvement through workshop sessions and a wide-ranging analysis of all transport modes were central to the process of identifying new strategic approaches. Of the proposals that emerged, those that best matched the strategic objectives set for SPT were integrated into a multi-modal strategic plan which was tested with modelling tools to assess potential use and to estimate the likely switch from private car to more sustainable modes.

The strategic plan was presented in a suite of documents which included a detailed appraisal and a non-technical report ensuring that the requirement to communicate effectively to all stakeholders and decision-makers was met.