8 October 2014
Interchange project launched
At the start of September, Transform Scotland launched the 'Interchange' project which audited the ease of combining cycling with public transport networks across Scotland. We analysed 19 bus stations, rail stations and ferry terminals in ten towns and cities across Scotland, from Aberdeen to Mallaig, and from Inverness to Glasgow.
This project concluded that while some stations have excellent cycling facilities, the majority do not, resulting in an uneven experience for cyclists. With coordination and effort, a basic and consistent level could be maintained. By implementing the recommendations of the report and providing funding, cyclists' experience could be transformed. With better cycle facilities, the reach and flexibility of the public transport network could be drastically increased as over 60% of the Scottish population live within a 15 minute cycle to a bus or rail station or ferry terminal.
An overview of the project can be seen in this video, produced for us by Duncan MacLaren of Top Storey Media:
<
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6qLMtbyc2o>
A key goal of the project was to develop the Interchange Toolkit, which allows any groups or individuals, as well as transport operators themselves, to audit their own local transport facilities.
Several other documents were produced as part of the project. The Summary Report brings together the findings of 19 individual Audit Reports and sets out three key recommendations:
- Firstly, that ‘Active Travel Hubs’ -- centres that would provide a variety of services to bike users (e.g. bike hire, bike repair, or advice on cycle routes) -- be established at key transport interchanges.
- Secondly, the establishment of an ‘Active Travel Friendly’ Standard, an award given to consistent and well thought-out facilities.
- Thirdly, the appointment of an ‘Active Travel Architect’ for the design of new or redeveloped major public transport facilities to ensure best practice is met.
Detailed Audit Reports have been published for these transport interchanges:
- Dundee Seagate Bus Station
- Edinburgh Bus Station
- Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station
- Fort William Railway Station
- Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station
- Inverness Bus Station
- Inverness Railway Station
- Perth Leonard Bus Station
- Perth Railway Station
- Stirling Bus Station
- Stirling Railway Station
For the following locations, the Audit Reports assess ‘Sustainable Transport Hubs’ with more than one mode of transport:
- Aberdeen (Bus Station, Railway Station, and Ferry Port)
- Mallaig (Railway Station and Ferry Port)
- Oban (Bus Station, Railway Station, and Ferry Port)
Three 'Thematic Reports' have also been prepared, grouping the audit findings across three topics:
- Bus Stations Report (Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth, and Stirling bus stations)
- ScotRail Stations Report (Fort William, Inverness, Perth, and Stirling railway stations)
- Sustainable Transport Hubs Report (Aberdeen bus, rail and ferry; Mallaig rail and ferry; Oban bus, rail and ferry)
All these documents are available on our website at <
http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/interchange>