Projects that encourage walking and wheeling across Glasgow will receive a £3.6m boost after Glasgow City Council secured funding from Places for Everyone – an active travel infrastructure programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans.
The funding will be used to advance schemes across the Govan City Network active travel route, as well as several Liveable Neighbourhood projects, which improve access to facilities within a short walk, wheel, cycle, or public transport journey from home.
Glasgow’s Transport Strategy has set a target of reducing car vehicle kilometres by at least 30% in support of the city’s net zero carbon city by 2030 ambition.
What’s more, the £3.6m package will provide £2.29m to the Govan City Network, £1.19m for three Liveable Neighbourhoods projects and £136,504 for Flourishing Moledinar, a project aimed at increasing local walking, wheeling and cycling, and pedestrian safety.
In addition to this, the Govan City Network will be developed to ‘more detailed technical design’, making it the first area-based network to be progressed by the council as part of wider plans for active travel infrastructure across Glasgow to boost access to safe, segregated routes. The network will cover the Covering Govan and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital area and provide a direct route into the city centre via Paisley Road West.
The infrastructure will also link into the City Deal funded Govan-Partick Bridge which is currently under construction.
A range of Liveable Neighbourhoods projects will also benefit, including the transformation of Saracen Street’s historic town centre and the development of a new active travel route north of Hamiltonhill.
Other areas of focus for the council including rebalancing roadspace and public realm improvements in Cessnock, which will be developed alongside the Govan City Network and Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership activity on Paisley Road West.
Patrick Harvie, minister for active travel, said: “I’m pleased that Glasgow City Council will now take advantage of a further £3.6m from the Scottish Government – all aimed at transforming active travel infrastructure across the city.
“From Govan to Possilpark, more people will have opportunities to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys and on infrastructure which is safer and more accessible than ever before.
“This supports our vision of making active travel the most popular way to travel for shorter everyday trips. We’re already investing record amounts and by 2024-25, we will be investing over £320m, or 10% of the total transport budget on active travel. This will create healthier and happier communities, right across the country, which will benefit people and our environment.”
The council has said that local communities will be consulted on all schemes as they develop.
