'Big Year' for Active Travel in Glasgow in 2024

Published: 30 January 2024

An extensive programme of active travel infrastructure that will see twelve projects completed or started in 2024 has been outlined at the council's Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods City Policy Committee.

The 12 projects will all contribute to the effort to create a City Network for active travel that will add 270km of safer, segregated routes to existing routes across the city and eventually ensure no-one in Glasgow is more than 800 metres from a dedicated cycle way.   This follows significant progress last year with the completion of South West City Way, South City Way reaching into the city centre and the extension of East City Way along London Road.

North west, north east and south Glasgow will all see progress with new cycle ways and other measures to support active travel this year, which will help to strengthen connections with existing routes and allow for longer, uninterrupted journeys on segregated infrastructure.

Work has just started on the first leg of Connecting Battlefield, which will link with southern end of South City Way and New Victoria Hospital. The final, city centre leg of South City Way is currently nearing completion while the first phase of the City Deal-programme for Byres Road, which runs between Partick Cross and University Avenue, is expected to be finished by Spring this year.

The North East Active Travel Route, which incorporates cycle ways and improvements to footways in Barmulloch and Balornock, is expected to break ground in the early part of 2024 while the installation of new infrastructure in the Blackhill and Provanhill areas of the city, as part of the Flourishing Molendinar project,will begin later this year.

This summer work will also get underway on the latest phases of Connecting Woodside, which will include improvements at Charing Cross to ensure a connection with Sauchiehall Avenue, and Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove, which will link between Radnor St and Sandyford Street where access to the National Cycle Route NCN 75 will be possible.

The programme also includes the completion of the city centre Avenues project at Holland Street this summer alongside the conclusion of improvements on Sauchiehall St precinct and the Cambridge St Avenue. Construction of the Avenue for Argyle Street West, between the Kingston Bridge and Central Station is due to start this Spring. The city centre will also see improvements to infrastructure along Broomielaw.

Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport, said: "It is clear 2024 is going to be a big year for active travel in Glasgow. An extensive programme of infrastructure projects has been put together and these will be delivered at pace across the city throughout the year.

"There was great progress last year with South City Way reaching the city centre and the extension to East City Way.2024 will see another significant leap forward in Glasgow's active travel provision.

"The 12 projects that will either start or be completed this year will make sure an increasing number of places in the city are accessible by safer, segregated infrastructure. These projects will connect with Glasgow's existing infrastructure and that will support the aim of active travel becoming a more realistic choice for everyday journeys.

"There is also considerable design work being undertaken and we are very hopeful many of these projects currently under development will translate to work on the ground in 2025. Our objective is to create a City Network that reaches all parts of Glasgow.

"When combined with our Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, we want to ensure that safer routes for active travel are easily accessible for all residents. There is an urgency to our work on active travel as we must decarbonise our transport network if we are to tackle the emissions that fuel climate change.

"Reallocating space on our roads so we encourage more walking and cycling will also create a fairer and more efficient network for all road users. The plans and commitment are in place and the on-going transformation in active travel in Glasgow will hopefully move to another level during 2024."

Several other projects are undergoing work in the design phase this year, including the second phase of work on Byres Road, the Avenues Plus scheme for John Knox Street and Duke Street. Design work for key elements of the City Network Delivery Plan, which covers Govan City Network, North City Network and South City Network, is also being progressed.  Development of the Liveable Neighbourhood programme, which will help make local communities more accessible for active travel and link with the City Network is also moving forward.

Full details of the active travel programme for 2024 can be found in the paper presented to the Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods City Policy Committee on January 30, 2024, which is available by following this link.