A senior member of the team bringing the Eden Project to Dundee has backed a park and ride scheme for the city.
At the latest estimate, green visitor attraction the Eden Project was expected to bring around 500,000 visitors to Dundee each year.
Head of experience Blair Parkin suggested a park and ride scheme could form an integral part of the transport plan around the new attraction.
Park and ride ‘necessary’
He said: “The most controversial part of any large development is always traffic and parking. It’s one of those challenges.
“This is a net zero project. We drive around in electric Volvos. Sustainable transport is at our heart. We’re just starting the journey of making the sustainable transport plan for that location.”
He said the Eden Project team will shortly finish an updated demand assessment “to see what’s happening with visitor attractions around the world”.
That could change the 500,000 visitor figure. But there is no doubt the attraction will create huge extra demand in Dundee.
He suggested a park and ride scheme was a “necessary part of any transport strategy”.
He added: “The project that we’re developing at Morcambe, park and ride is at the heart of what we’re doing there.
“We’ve worked with the transport authorities, the regional government, the county, the city and the town to get an integrated plan.
“I would expect over the next 24 months to develop something similar in Dundee.”
Park and ride plan has long history
Many have discussed a park and ride scheme for Dundee in the past. Perth commuters take advantage of the site next to Broxden roundabout to park their vehicles before travelling by bus into the city centre.
Plans to place a park and ride in the Tay Bridgehead car park have been in the pipeline for more than a decade.
Although the plans appear stuck in a rut after £300,000 of funding towards the project slipped through the net.
Many have also suggested an additional site to the west of Dundee. Especially in the context of a Low Emission Zone now covering much of the city centre.
Some have suggested Dundee Technology Park would make an appropriate site.
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “While consideration of strategic park and ride sites forms part of the Regional Transport Strategy being prepared by Tactran, we will work in partnership with Eden in exploring a transport assessment for the proposed development.”
Conversation