Pop-up cycle lanes in Glasgow to be made permanent

The move means 17 pop up cycle lanes around the city, bigger footpaths and ‘urban greening’ measures will become permanent.

The schemes were installed during the pandemic.

An independent review recommended most should be retained. Councillors decided to keep the majority at the City Administration Committee on Thursday.

Labour councillors made an attempt to stall the process of making them permanent – calling for more information first. Their amendment was rejected.

Labour Councillor Eva Murray said charity RNIB, which represents people with sight loss, expressed concerns about schemes being introduced at “speed” with “minimal consultation.”

Councillor Murray explained how the RNIB pointed out some “paving extensions created a hazard by extending into roads without the inclusion of dropped kerbs”.

The politician also revealed RNIB felt pop up cycle lanes were “poorly designed” with floating bus stops, which didn’t take account of disabled people getting on or disembarking.

Councillor Anna Richardson, SNP, city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction, said: “I am conscious there are concerns around the disability access for a lot of these measures. The team have been very aware of this from the beginning.”

She said boarding bus features will be “upgraded” to be “suitable” on the cycle lanes. The politician said the measures were initially installed on the assumption they were temporary.

Councillor Richardson pointed out there must be a speedy response to tackle climate change.

She said: “While we should look closely at consultation results and take on board what might be causing concerns – we have to ensure we are acting in the best interest of the Glaswegians who will travel along these roads as well as those who live on them.

The SNP politician said: “Everyone of our constituents will be affected by air pollution and climate change.”

Conservative councillors failed in a bid to get seven cycle lanes scrapped over concerns most local people living close by didn’t want them.

The opposition politicians had wanted to get rid of the active travel routes in Royston Road, Great Western Road and Provanmill Road among others.

But a consultation on the schemes shows that an overall majority supported them.

Glasgow Conservative environment spokesman, Councillor Kyle Thornton, commented: “It makes a mockery of the consultation for the views of local communities on footway widening and bike lane installations to be ignored.

“It’s just not good enough for the concerns of those residents who actually live in and around these pop up lanes to be overridden over by the wishes of those who aren’t affected by the disruption they can cause.”

The council has attracted £799,000 funding from Sustrans to carry out the work on the Spaces for People projects.

Spaces for People schemes here to stay:

17 Pop up cycle lanes in Glasgow to be made permanent

Riverside/Broomielaw

Bilsland Drive

Hawthorn Street

Dumbreck Road

Provanmill Road

Great Western Road

Argyle Street

London Road

Wallacewell Road

Cambridge Street

Gorbals Street

Howard Street

Cumbernauld Road

Brockburn Road

Braidcraft Road

Royston Road

Clarence Drive

City centre Spaces for People projects to remain permanent

George Square road closures and urban greening

Merchant city, footway widening and urban greening

City Centre footway widening at travel hubs

Neighbourhood Spaces for People projects to be kept

Dennistoun, People friendly streets

Shawlands, People friendly streets

Pollokshields East, People friendly streets

Kelvin way, Road Closure and Urban greening.