Active Travel Network Transforming Glasgow Transport System

Published: 4th of October, 2022

Glasgow's emerging network of active travel infrastructure is expanding rapidly, according to a report presented to the council's Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee.

Work on the network is currently underway across Glasgow with many phases of construction nearing completion as the city aims to add 270km of safe, segregated cycle way to existing routes. A key leg of the South City Way, which will link Queen's Park on the city's southside with the city centre, is now almost complete while construction of an extension of the South West City Way, which will connect the city centre and the National Cycle Network with Pollok Country Park is nearing conclusion.

With six Spaces for People cycle ways being upgraded after being confirmed as permanent routes, a further ten routes that were created as temporary cycle ways during the covid pandemic are also in line for conversion to permanent infrastructure.

Detailed plans for other stretches of the proposed network such as the proposed St George's Road and Charing Cross phase of Connecting Woodside going before the public for consultation with proposals being developed for a link between the Emirates Arena and the city centre to be built in time for UCI World Cycling Championships next summer.

Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport, believes the progress on developing the city's active travel infrastructure is increasingly supporting the aim of making walking, wheeling or cycling the first choice for everyday journeys in Glasgow.

Councillor Millar said: "We have ambitious plans for the city's active travel infrastructure and throughout the city we are making clear headway on providing the kind of routes that will encourage a shift to the most sustainable forms of transport.

"Our transport strategy fully recognises the importance of growing participation in active travel as a way to tackle the emissions that fuel climate change.  Safety is routinely listed as the biggest single deterrent to people cycling more regularly and so developing an increasingly connected network of safe, segregated infrastructure will tackle the safety issue head on.

"With the South City Way within touching distance of the heart of the city, the extension to the South West City Way will also see an unbroken connection between the national networks right into Pollok Country Park. These developments will be transformative for people who cycle and will make more and more areas of the city accessible along safe cycle routes.

"Plans are also being put in place for other parts of the city that will see the connectivity grow further still.  Whether it is Connecting Woodside, East City Way, Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove or the Byres Road project, we are starting to join the various dots across Glasgow that will make a city-wide active travel network a reality.

The report presented to councillors also highlighted the success of the council's cycle storage scheme for people living in flats or tenements,  cycle activated signage that improves safety for cyclists at junctions and the on-going expansion of the Glasgow City Hire Scheme.

Councillor Millar added: "How we get about Glasgow is changing and our commitment to active travel is leading that change."

Full details of all the progress on active travel can accessed through the committee paper presented to the Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee, which is available through this link.