New lights and wayfinding are to be installed between Union Street and Union Square along with additional bus stopping points and improved passenger facilities at bus stops on Guild Street.
A total of £300,000 of Bus Lane Enforcement surplus funding is to be used in the Carmelite Street area for wayfinding and lights and £200,000 for lights in around the new Aberdeen market building at Carnegie’s Brae and East Green. £50,000 from Transport Scotland’s Bus Infrastructure Fund and £995,000 from the North East Bus Alliance’s Bus Infrastructure Fund will cover the new bus infrastructure.
Convener of Aberdeen City Council Finance and Resources Committee, which approved the move today, Councillor Alex McLellan said: “These improvements will make a difference to people walking between Union Street and Union Square and bus passengers using Guild Street.
“The new lights and wayfinding will be attractive as well as be a visual guide for people going between the two locations and we look forward to when they get installed.”
Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “These bus, lighting and wayfinding improvements will complement the City Centre and Beach Masterplan and help the city centre continue to be an attractive place to work, live, and visit.”
A report to committee said the works to enhance bus stopping provisions on Guild Street are expected to be complete by the end of the 2025/26 financial year. They are:
- north side (Tivoli side) – the current shelter will be replaced with a shelter reallocated from Union Street Central. This will be installed to the east of the current location, to be more central between Stirling Street and Exchange Street, which will allow for improved two buses stopping and boarding/alighting at one time at either side of the shelter. A bus stop pole is also planned for the north side, which would be located around 15metres east of Exchange Street to allow further bus stopping.
- south side (bus station side) – the current shelter will be relocated a couple of metres to the east of its current location. This is to ensure a sufficient gap for a new stop. A second bus shelter (bus stop) will be located to the west of the existing stop, which will provide two bus stops also on the south site. A shelter already removed from Union Street Central will be installed as the second stop.
The works for Carmelite Street (north section only) would include repairs and cleaning to existing planters, enhancing existing planting, repairs to paving surfaces, lights suspended from cables, and enhanced wayfinding.
The report said for Carnegie’s Brae and East Green, new energy-efficient lights would be installed along with removing redundant fittings and repainting the tunnel ceilings to enhance aesthetics and the impact of new lighting equipment. The lighting design would allow flexibility for colour changes and timing adjustments to support local cultural venue operations and city centre events, creating a vibrant and welcoming environment aligned with the City Centre Masterplan.
The lights for Carnegie’s Brae and East Green are to be installed once resurfacing works to Carnegie’s Brae have been completed.