Glasgow has made significant strides in its ambitious plan to expand the city's active travel network, with a recent funding bid submitted to Transport Scotland for 11km of new walking, wheeling, and cycling routes in the Inner North and South areas.

This development is part of a broader initiative to establish a 270km "City Network" of safer, segregated active travel routes, aiming to promote walking, wheeling, and cycling as the primary modes of transport for daily journeys.

The nine new routes, which will feature improved pedestrian infrastructure and high-quality, protected cycle ways, are designed to integrate with existing routes and ongoing active travel projects, contributing to the overall expansion of the network. Should the bid to Transport Scotland's Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) be successful, these routes will progress to the "developed design" stage.

The proposed routes include:

Inner North:

1. Maryhill Road (from Garscube Road, connecting the Woodside project to Bilsland Drive)

2. Bilsland Drive

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3. Hawthorn Street

4. North Canal Bank Street (from Borron Street to Pinkston Road)

South:

5. Shields Road

6. Nithsdale Road (from Dumbreck Road at Dalkeith Avenue to Calder Street/Allison Street at Victoria Road)

7. Darnley Street (from Titwood Road to Nithsdale Road)

8. Titwood Road (from Haggs Road to Darnley Street)

9. Maxwell Road

The funding bid follows a comprehensive review of nearly 55km of potential routes within these two areas. This review involved an in-depth analysis of traffic patterns and parking availability, alongside substantial input from local communities.

This extensive work has resulted in 42.62km of routes reaching the "concept design" stage – 21.82km in the Inner North and 20.81km in the South. Routes not included in the current ATIF bid are slated for future advancement, contingent on successful funding applications.

This progress on route development is the culmination of extensive public engagement efforts in both areas, including numerous pop-up and drop-in events. Further engagement initiatives involved community councils, businesses, and accessibility organisations. Outreach was also specifically undertaken with women, aligning with the city's "Feminist Town Planning" approach.

Feedback gathered during this engagement phase directly influenced the development of additional new routes for the Inner North network and alternative routes for the South, all of which were communicated through public information events and news channels.

The ongoing development of the City Network is deemed crucial for Glasgow's climate change targets and for achieving "Vision Zero," which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on the city's roads, streets, cycle ways, and footpaths.

Following recent adjustments to the national funding structure for active travel, efforts are now underway to enhance collaboration across various council services, explore innovative delivery methods for the City Network, and identify additional funding sources to support the development of active travel routes beyond the "concept design" stage.