I'm assuming this is a different Fergus Ewing than the one who was Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity between May 2016 and June 2018, responsible for the A9 dualling project, and the Transport Minister's boss. That Minister being one Humza Yousaf).
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Is dualling the A9 really that bad?
(583 posts)-
Posted 6 months ago #
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Officials recommended that Ministers pursue Option 2. A particular concern being that pausing the programme could lead to the lapsing of some statutory authorisations, particularly relating to land acquisition. Ministers have three years from the date on which they publish confirmation of a Compulsory Purchase Order to implement the Order, i.e. take title to the land. The Order falls if title is not taken within that three-year period. Once the land is acquired, there is no time limit for development to begin
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New report
Posted 4 months ago # -
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More pedestrians & cyclists were killed on the streets of Glasgow in the first half of the year than die every year on the A9, but somehow we can find £8bn for the latter, just about enough to rebuild every school and hospital north of the fault, or 500 miles of new railway
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https://twitter.com/david_mccraw/status/1737455749905674254?
Posted 4 months ago # -
So the Scottish Government remains committed to the A9 dualling. The project completion date is pushed back to 2035.
The estimated total scheme cost of A9 Dualling is £3.7bn at April 2023 prices. When adjusted for inflation, that is equivalent to £2.45bn at April 2008 prices, which is well within the original cost estimate of £3bn at 2008 prices.
Nice to see that major road projects get cheaper when you wait 15 years. Especially as large parts of it will now be privately financed - which has an (ahem) chequered history when it comes to offering value for money.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Has the ‘business case’ been revised (ever)?
Posted 4 months ago # -
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Cab Sec for #NetZero @MairiMcAllan announces new road building citing #safety as justification.
But is a single multi-billion pound road scheme the most effective way to save lives?
1 road = 120 years of @scotgov budget for all road safety measures for all of rest of Scotland.
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Posted 4 months ago # -
STV just said that rail fares are going up 9% in Scotland.
Combine that with a four lane A9 versus a single track / one lane railway and I think traffic will increase on one and fall on the other. Particularly as EVs are cheap to run.Posted 4 months ago # -
@chdot - no updated business case that I am aware of. However, there seems to have been a significant downgrade in the predicted road safety benefits of the dualling scheme.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition wrote to the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee today (20/12/23), stating:
The improved safety expected from dualling is a crucial benefit from A9 Dualling. It is forecast that A9 Dualling will result in an average of 3 fewer fatality casualties and 6 fewer serious injury casualties each year.
However. the 2016 Case for Investment (page 55), states that the dualling will result in 6+ fewer deaths per year.
The road safety benefits of dualling now seem to be half of what they were. It could be that these new figures take account of the average speed cameras and 50mph HGV speed limit, which did not feature in the original calculations.
However the new figures were worked out, they represent a significant reduction in any financialised "benefits" of the dualling programme.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Thanks
Posted 4 months ago # -
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#ScotBudget & #ClimateCrisis
The Scot Govt's own carbon assessment table, accompanying the budget, classes roughly 75% of its #TrunkRoad expenditure as
"highly negative"
for climate emissionsCarbon assessment spreadsheet
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https://twitter.com/spokeslothian/status/1738178776339566754
Posted 4 months ago # -
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Searing stuff from @shelterscotland @alisonj_WATSON in today’s Herald on the factors and political decisions underpinning the housing crisis. https://heraldscotland.com/politics/24158523.humza-yousaf-no-credibility-says-shelter-scotland-boss/ including prioritising unaffordable tarmac (A9) over affordable housing
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https://twitter.com/streetwurrier/status/1764205233909968971
Posted 1 month ago # -
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A9 Dualling website launched - you can register for updates through the link
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Posted 1 month ago #
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