A new cycle path has been completed from Glasgow city centre to the Southside

Reaching Glasgow city centre by walking, wheeling and cycling has just taken a step forward with the completion of the South City Way.

With the final leg of the route now fully constructed and ready for use, the South City Way ensures cycling from Queen’s Park in the city’s Southside to Trongate in the centre is possible in 14 minutes along two miles of safer, segregated cycling infrastructure. A walk along the same route is achievable in around 45 minutes.

Passing through the Govanhill and The Gorbals areas of the city, the South City Way is already proving to be hugely popular with just over 3.9m cycle journeys recorded along the route in the past three years, accounting for 13% of all trips along the roads where infrastructure has been installed.

Safety is primary concern for active travellers and the South City Way incorporates several ‘protected junctions’ where traffic signals prioritise active travel and ensure walkers, wheelers and cyclists can safely cross busy roads at all times. The route also links with National Cycle Network 7, which allows further connections to the emerging City Network for active travel to the east, west and south-west of Glasgow.

To mark this significant progress for active travel in Glasgow, Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Minister for Transport and Karen McGregor from Sustrans visited the final leg of the route to be completed, which runs between Victoria Bridge and Trongate.

Councillor Millar believes the finished route will support more sustainable transport when people travel into the city centre.

He said: “The numbers we have for the South City Way speak for themselves. When we create a better balance on our roads network by introducing active travel infrastructure people respond positively.

“Many people want to get about by bike and other modes of active travel but are often put off by safety concerns. It is essential we respond to the desire to travel more often by walking, wheeling and cycling by create a safer environment for this kind of transport.

“Active travel is a cleaner, cheaper and healthier form of travel that can also help to create a more efficient transport network overall. More people making better use of limited road space helps the city’s network run more efficiently and that will make it easier for everyone to get about Glasgow.”

Almost £3.8million in funding for the South City Way was awarded through Places for Everyone, an active travel infrastructure fund backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans. The remaining funding was supplied through Glasgow City Council.

Plans for a City Network for Active Travel aim to ensure no school in Glasgow is more than 400metres from a safer, segregated route and no resident lives more than 800metres from such a route. The council’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme also aims to ensure public realm improvements throughout the city make local amenities more accessible by walking, wheeling, and cycling.

Safer infrastructure projects are currently under construction or development throughout the city. Further details can be found by clicking here.