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ASH was commissioned as landscape architects by engineers FaberMaunsell on behalf of tie, for Tram routes 2 & 3, which form part of a larger network of trams for the City of Edinburgh. CEC sought powers from the Scottish Parliament, by means of a Private Bill, to construct and operate:
- Tram Line 2: between St Andrew Square and Newbridge via Edinburgh Airport.
- Tram Line 3: would have run from St Andrew Square to the south-eastern periphery of Edinburgh
Tram Line 2 has now received parliamentary approval for the construction of approximately 17.5 km of tramway. Other infrastructure required would include stops and a depot for maintaining the trams and co-ordinating their operations.
Tram Route Environmental Consideration
As part of the application for the Private Bills, Environmental Statements have been prepared, in order to identify the likely environmental effects of Tram Lines 2 & 3. ASH's role has been to:
- Carry out Environmental Impact Assessment (landscape, visual, cultural heritage)
- Prepare outline landscape mitigation proposals
- Assist in the preparation of a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) assessment
- Contribute to a Design Guide for the tram system as a whole
- Provide expert witness support at the parliamentary inquiries
City of Edinburgh Tram Analysis
Before developing the present routes in detail, a number of alternatives were considered. The decision to adopt the routes currently being promoted was determined through the analysis of a wide number of factors including:
- Engineering feasibility
- Traffic and transport considerations
- Safety
- Environmental effects
- transport and planning policy
- Economics
- Accessibility
- The extent to which the scheme integrates with other transport infrastructure
