Strong support for more investment in sustainable transport, survey finds.

Published: 19 March 2024

Glasgow residents want more funding for liveable neighbourhoods that encourage walking, wheeling and cycling as well as investment in public transport.

These are some of the main findings from a survey of city residents for Sustrans' 2023 Walking and Cycling Index, which held an independent poll of 1333 Glasgow people aged 16 or over between March or June last year.

The survey found that 77% of people supported the creation of more 20-minute neighbourhoods, 78% wanted more funding for public transport with 58% of residents supportive of more segregated cycle ways. Almost half of residents (49%) wish to walk or wheel more often and 44% would like to cycle more. According to the survey almost all residents (94%) will walk or wheel at some point while 56% walk or wheel at least five days a week.

The last survey was held in 2021 when many covid pandemic restrictions were still in place and the 2023 survey has since found an increases in the regular use of all modes of transports such as walking or wheeling, driving, public transport and cycling.

The council's own figures identified a 29.4 % increase in the use of segregated cycle ways in 2023 compared to 2022, based on journey counters on South City Way, West City Way, South West City Way and Connecting Woodside.

Cllr Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport, said: "Supporting active travel to be a viable option for everyday journeys is right at the heart of our transport plans. It is very encouraging that people are responding positively with wide support for our efforts to roll out safe active travel infrastructure across Glasgow.

"Where we have installed safer, segregated cycling infrastructure we have seen a substantial growth in cycling with a near 30% rise in use of our five City Ways last year alone. That amounts to almost 1.2million bike journeys along the City Ways in 2023 and I am confident we will see this number grow again in 2024 as we push ahead with work on new lanes around the city.

"As the safer routes begin to join up and more places become accessible by segregated lanes, the evidence points to increasing numbers getting about Glasgow by bike in the years ahead. The research in the Walking and Cycling Index shows there is strong support in Glasgow for investment in active travel. People want a better environment for walking, wheeling and cycling on city streets and in their neighbourhoods.

"We are fully focused on creating the conditions that will support the shift to healthier, more sustainable travel options throughout Glasgow."

Karen McGregor, Director, Sustrans Scotland, said: "I'd like to thank the people of Glasgow who gave us their time to take part in the Walking and Cycling Index. The evidence of the Index is clear - Glaswegians want to see investment in safer choices which give them more freedom to walk, wheel and cycle more often.

"They want better pedestrian crossings and clear, well-maintained pavements which are accessible for people in wheelchairs and safer for older people to walk along.  They want connected cycle paths which are safe for their young people to travel along; and they want to see these healthier connections joined up with public transport links."

She added: "Glasgow has already made brilliant progress towards making this a reality. Since the last Index assessment was conducted in 2021, Stockingfield Bridge has created the first walking, wheeling and cycling link between the communities of Maryhill, Gilshochill, and Ruchill in North Glasgow. Last year, the South City Way connected Glasgow city centre to the southside via a safe and direct active travel corridor, with 13% of all journeys along Victoria Road now being made by bike.

"The data presented by the Index, and the success of these projects, shows that Glasgow City Council has the backing of the public to deliver on their vision of a safer, better-connected city for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle around."

You can read the Walking and Cycling Index report for Glasgowby following this link.

Last year, people in Scotland's Walking and Cycling Index cities walked, wheeled or cycled around 2.8 million miles, or 115 times around the world, every day. And every year walking and cycling in these cities prevents 4,251 serious long-term health conditions and 1,174 early deaths, adds £1.1 billion to local economies, and saves 90,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on Glasgow's approach to cycling can found by following this link.

Glasgow's Liveable Neighbourhoods programme focuses on designing places where residents can meet most of their everyday needs within a relatively short walk, wheel or cycle from their home. This reduces car dependency and supports high quality places that people can live and spend time in. Covering every area of the city, these community-driven plans identify local projects to create more people-friendly streets where active and more sustainable forms of transport are prioritised. Liveable Neighbourhood plans also link with area-wide active travel schemes such as Connecting Woodside and Connecting Battlefield.