The initial phase of the "Connecting Battlefield" initiative in Glasgow has significantly upgraded public spaces and introduced a new, segregated cycle way on Queen's Drive, extending south onto Langside Road. This major active travel project aims to enhance the safety and accessibility of these routes for people walking, wheeling, and cycling.

The new cycle way is already seeing approximately 900 daily users, providing convenient access to key destinations such as Queen's Park and the New Victoria Hospital. The route also connects directly to the South City Way at Victoria Road, offering cyclists a swift path into the city centre.

Improvements in the area include traffic signals that now prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, along with widened, resurfaced footways and step-free pedestrian crossings to enhance accessibility. Upgraded street lighting has also been installed to illuminate the area.

Local greenspaces have been enhanced with low-level planting, and the historic railings surrounding Queen's Park on Langside Road have been refurbished, as have the lanterns adorning the park entrance gate pillars.

To highlight the progress, Councillor Angus Millar, Glasgow's City Convener for Transport and Climate, recently visited the completed first phase of the project alongside Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, and representatives from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Bike for Good, and local community group South Seeds.

Councillor Angus Millar believes the new route will encourage more sustainable transport: "The success of the first phase of the Connecting Battlefield project shows that where we provide safe, segregated active travel infrastructure, more Glaswegians will make use of it. This project directly connects to the South City Way cycle route to the city centre and is a great example of how we are building up a connected network of routes that help people get about the city safely by bike and on foot. Encouraging more people to travel actively can create a cleaner, more cost-effective, and healthier transport network that makes the best use of our limited road space and operates efficiently for everyone. It is crucial that everyone has easy access to safer routes for active travel and I look forward to the project's second phase starting later this year which will deliver improvements in the Grange Road area."

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Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop added: "I am pleased to see the extensive use of the first phase of Connecting Battlefield, which was funded through the Scottish Government's Transport Scotland's Active Travel Transformation Fund. The positive response to the new cycle way shows just how important active travel routes such as this one are to local communities across Scotland. Active travel routes like this one, enable more people to save money, live healthier lives and leave their car at home to reduce their emissions. To support the ambitions of Scotland's local authorities for more high-quality active travel infrastructure, we are investing £188 million into active and sustainable transport in 2025-26. This will help ensure more people and communities across Scotland can benefit from easier sustainable travel options."

John Clelland, a Healthcare Support Worker with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and a local resident, regularly uses the new route for his commute to New Victoria Hospital. He commented: "I use the route almost every day either going to or from work, or to get to other parts of the local area. It's definitely an improvement and you can see it's being well used by people walking or cycling. I know a lot of people who work in the hospital who use it as part of their journey to get here, and it seems to be encouraging more people to walk or cycle to work. As a pedestrian it is good to see the improvements that have been made to prioritise the busy crossing for those of us on foot."

Alberta Gutteridge, Head of Operations at cycling charity Bike for Good, noted: "Having recently relocated to Glasgow from London, it has been such a delight to discover how easily I can navigate the City of Glasgow safely by bicycle. And working for Bike for Good, I have the privilege of seeing how being able to cycle with confidence can transform lives. Each additional phase of active travel routes widens the possibilities for increasing numbers of people to change their lives and improve the health of their local community."

Lucy Gillie, General Manager of community organisation South Seeds, highlighted the benefit for local facilities: "South Seeds has transformed derelict changing rooms on the recreation ground into a community hub, and this segregated cycle route enables residents to travel to and from the site easily and safely by bike."

The first phase of Connecting Battlefield was completed last November, funded by Transport Scotland's Active Travel Transformation Fund. Phase two, which will focus on Grange Road, the Battlefield Rest junction, and Battlefield Road at Mount Florida, is currently at the detailed design stage, with construction anticipated to begin in Autumn 2025.

Work on a wider City Network of active travel routes is ongoing across Glasgow, with several construction phases already complete as the city aims to add 270km of safe, segregated cycle ways to existing routes. Development of the "Liveable Neighbourhoods" programme, designed to make local communities more accessible for active travel and link with the City Network, is also progressing.