Glasgow’s cycling network set for £4.8m boost

Pawel Pietraszewski, Shutterstock

GLASGOW’S cycle network is set to be boosted after the city’s council confirmed that up to £4.8 million of a new grant is to be invested in new routes.

The sum was received by the local authority from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), Smarter Choices Smarter Places (SCSP) and Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes (CWSR).

It will be used to improve the city’s overall transport network, with it set to expand Glasgow’s overall cycling infrastructure as well as bring new routes to the city.

The funding will also see work undertaken to improve the safety of cyclists and other road users, with the council already having recently introduced high visibility electronic road signs which are automatically activated as a cyclist approaches a junction.

Councillor Anna Richardson, city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction, said, “As we look at ways to encourage Glaswegians to shift towards more sustainable methods of transport, we need to ensure that the city has the right infrastructure in place which will allow people to get around safely and easily.

“When it comes to cycling, safety has been one of the key concerns raised by many of Glasgow’s residents. We hope these improvements will encourage people to get out and enjoy the benefits which active travel can bring, across almost every aspect of our lives, from improved air quality, lower congestion alongside helping to improve citizens physical and mental wellbeing.

“It’s also worth mentioning that Glasgow City Council were the first local authority in the UK to install electronic cycle activated signage at junctions, improving the visibility of cyclists as they travel around the city. The additional funding will help support our ambitions to becoming net-zero carbon by 2030 as we look to ensure our place as one of the most sustainable cities’ in Europe.”