Cowcaddens Road

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Please Note: Cowcaddens Road Emergency Repairs are being carried due to a sinkhole being discovered find out more here.

Connecting the East and West of the City in the North

The Cowcaddens Road Avenue is the latest in a series of major transformation works in and around the city centre.

The project will see improved road and widened pavement surfaces, a new pedestrian junction between Buchanan Bus Station and Glasgow Caledonian University, bi-directional and segregated cycle lanes to provide safer and more efficient routes for cyclists, new benches and improved junctions and crossings on both streets, the planting of 59 new trees (49 on Cowcaddens Road and 10 on Dobbie's Loan) and rain gardens to enhance air quality, manage surface water/reduce flooding risk, and improve the area's look and feel. The work will take place along the 750 metres of Cowcaddens Road and 250 metres of Dobbie's Loan.

The underpass between the bus station and the University will be infilled to address personal safety issues due to poor visibility, with a new stair to be built at the location of the infilled underpass. There will also be - towards the end of the delivery of the project - a change to the layout at Cowcaddens Road / Port Dundas Road junction, with the closure of the north side of the junction to through traffic (with the exception of a permitted Southbound only lane for emergency services).

The Avenues programme forms part of the City Centre Strategy. The priority of this programme is about creating inclusive and sustainable space for people through quality public realm, green infrastructure and innovative technology.

Design Principles
Enhanced, continuous and widened footways	Rain gardens and Street trees	Biodiverse Planting
Segregated cycling lanes separated from other road users	Road carriageways reduced in width	Improved Public Realm
Rationalised and improved street furniture	Architectural lighting features	Road priorities adjusted with clear routes

The design process for the Avenues has been shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement. These consultations included workshops, on-street engagement, and online questionnaires. The feedback gathered from these type of activities aim to shape the new placemaking approach to street design.

Cowcaddens Road is part of the Glasgow "Avenues Plus" initiative, funded by Transport Scotland's "Places for Everyone" programme. Objectives include enhancing green/blue infrastructure (e.g., rain gardens, street trees), providing improved active travel routes, and making the streetscape more inviting for residents, commuters, and students.

Project Details
Key Dates	Initial Community Launch: 26 May 2022. On-street Community Launch Event: 31 October 2022. Stage 4 Consultation Period: 22 March - 19 April 2024. Walking & Wheeling Festival Launch Event: 11 May 2024. Stage 4 Design Completion: Autumn 2024.
Consultation Methods	In-Person Engagement Events included mobile sessions and an indoor exhibition at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). Locations like Buchanan Bus Station and GCU campus were key hubs. Activities included: IceCream Architecture On-Street Engagement: 1,050 contacts, 10 questionnaires completed. Indoor Exhibition at GCU: 170+ conversations, 55 questionnaires completed. Stakeholder Meeting: 27 attendees. Additional activities, like a "Dr Bike" maintenance station, engaged students and cyclists directly.
	Online Engagment online questionnaire ran for 4 weeks, gathering 446 responses. Animations and project plans were shared across platforms like Facebook and the Glasgow City Council consultation hub, attracting 2,800+ views.
Public Opinion	Respondents strongly supported New pedestrian crossings. Segregated cycle routes. Increased green infrastructure (e.g., trees, pocket parks, rain gardens).
	Concerns Safety issues with the Buchanan Bus Station underpass, which 67% of respondents found unsafe. Traffic congestion, particularly on Port Dundas Road and surrounding areas. Cyclist behaviour and speed on shared paths.