Bus Priority Work Ongoing Across the City Region (Oct 2022)

Following a Transport Scotland Bus Partnership Fund award to the Glasgow Bus Partnership for initial appraisal work on five bus corridors - consultants are developing bus priority measures aimed at tackling congestion on busy routes to improve journey time reliability and reverse the decline of bus usage across the Region.

This early appraisal work is focused on five key routes from neighbouring council areas into Glasgow city centre where it is anticipated that the introduction of priority infrastructure could encourage more people to travel by bus:

• Maryhill Road (from Bearsden Cross/Boclair Road to Glasgow Central Station)
• Great Western Road (from Kilbowie Roundabout to High Street Station)
• Dumbarton Road (from Clydebank Railway Station to High Street Station)
• Paisley Road West (from Paisley Gilmour Street to Glasgow Central Station)
• Pollokshaws Road (from Glasgow Central Station to Shawlands then Pollokshaws Road to Thornliebank Railway Station and Kilmarnock Road to Eastwood Toll)

Consultants Jacobs and Steer are assisting in this assessment work and are helping local authorities and SPT to develop a business case that can support future bids to the Bus Partnership Fund so that effective bus priority solutions can ultimately be delivered.

A public consultation to identify issues associated with bus travel on the five corridors has also recently concluded - with responses received used to help develop the bus priority options being considered for each route. 

A first stage business case due by late Spring will set out the preferred options for each bus priority corridor. Targeted consultation with communities and businesses including engagement with Area Partnerships and Community Councils will follow to develop the business case further and pave the way for future bids to the Bus Partnership Fund.

The funding from the Bus Partnership Fund that is being used to develop the bus corridors also included an allocation to implement bus priority measures on Howard Street and Hope Street in the city centre.

Howard Street traffic signal enhancements which will prioritise buses is already underway, and proposals for Hope Street are currently in development in conjunction with an SPT-funded project led by the council to create a bus-based Avenue. The funding secured via SPT will also progress improvement works in Renfield Street and for some bus stops to be enhanced, including the installation of high access kerbs and upgraded waiting facilities where possible.  

The Bus Partnership Fund award is also financing work to develop a vision and proactive bus network plan for Glasgow and the City Region. Co-commissioned by the council and SPT on behalf of surrounding local authorities, the aim is to set out the type and level of bus services needed, especially given the recent emergence of Clyde Metro as a draft recommendation out of the Scottish Government's second Strategic Transport Projects Review.

An update on bus travel was brought to the council's Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Committee on 4 October 2022.  You can access the full paper by clicking on this link.