A modern, efficient and enjoyable city requires a roads infrastructure that permits easy access and traffic flows, minimises congestion and delays, and distributes traffic from and to key arterial routes.

 

The growth and pace of development within the Inverness area has put considerable pressure on the roads infrastructure. Congestion problems continue with little prospect of the significant public investment needed to alleviate them.

 

But progress is being made on the planning necessary to develop and, with the right level of investment, introduce solutions. The Highland Council’s Transport Team engaged consultants to produce a strategic and micro-simulation transport model which can interface with standard traffic management and planning tools. A base model is now available, capable of examining current demands and simulating future scenarios for all forms of transport – cars, buses, trains, aircraft and boats. It covers the area from the A82 at Torvean in the west to the A96 at Delnies to the east, and the A9 north to the Munlochy junction and south to Daviot. The model will be made available to developers who will be encouraged to fully examine the impact of proposed developments and build in design solutions. The Highland Council has also strengthened its Strategic Transport Team, creating a team of four to fully exploit the transport model.