Lead Designer appointed for Avenues Plus project in Glasgow

Published: 9 March 2022

The Avenues Plus project is a £21.4million Sustrans-funded project under the Places for Everyone programme. The project will add to the Glasgow City Region City Deal-funded Avenues programme in the city centre to link with neighbouring communities, promoting active travel and increasing connectivity.

Ironside Farrar Limited has been recently appointed as the Lead Designer to work across the four locations on this project:

• Duke Street (High St - Bellgrove St) and John Knox Street (Castle St - Duke St)

• Dobbie's Loan (North Hanover St - Canal St)

• South Portland Street (Carlton Pl - Norfolk St)

• Cowcaddens Road (Cambridge St - North Hanover St)

The full construction of these avenues is expected to be completed by 2026, which will include the following:

• Safer, accessible and well-connected routes to and from the city centre to facilitate local journeys by foot, cycling and wheeling.

• High quality urban realm including segregated cycle routes and wider pedestrian areas with an inclusive design.

• Provision of green infrastructure such as raingardens and urban trees.

• Community Engagement programme with an inclusive design process

• Behavioural Change programme to address barriers to active travel and facilitate active travel.

• Provide secure cycle storage facilities across the city centre and surrounding areas. Phase 1 (trial) will be delivered in 2022 and the lessons learned from this will be incorporated in the Phase 2 (full delivery) of secure cycle storage.

The aims of Avenue Plus include the creation of a series of high-quality walking and cycling links with communities on the fringes of the city centre, featuring cycling storage hubs and programmes to encourage the use of these links, bringing health, social and environmental benefits to Glasgow.

The origin of the Avenues Plus project lies in the recommendation of the Connectivity Commission that the Avenues programme be expanded: Glasgow City Council then submitted a funding bid to Sustrans to extend the scope of the programme to include further Avenues to provide further connections between the city centre and surrounding communities.

Avenues Plus is supported by Transport Scotland via Sustrans' Places for Everyone programme and in collaboration with the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The Avenues Plus programme is a key part of our plans to make the city centre and neighbouring communities more attractive, healthier and sustainable places that are easier to get to and around. The appointment of a Lead Designer marks the next stage in the development of a project that reconnects the city centre to the neighbourhoods on its fringes."

Chiquita Elvin, Head of Programme, Places for Everyone for Sustrans said: "Glasgow Avenues Plus delivers safe and accessible walking, wheeling and cycling routes at a vital time for the people of Glasgow. By neatly linking in with our other projects in the city, including the South City Way and Connecting Woodside, Glasgow Avenues Plus will support cleaner air, healthier people and more enjoyable journeys for everyone."