Controversial Spaces for People changes in Glasgow should be made permanent, says report

What is happening: A report which makes recommendations on whether Spaces for People infrastructure measures should be retained or removed will be considered by Glasgow City Council next week.

What is Spaces for People: Introduced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to suppress the spread of the virus and help manage demand on public transport, Spaces for People has delivered a number of temporary travel interventions across the city to ease physical distancing in public places, mainly through the provision of widened footways, road closures and segregated cycle lanes.

What does the report say: Key recommendations noted in the report include:

• The permanent retention of all segregated cycle lanes
• To keep footway widening measures and urban greening in the city centre around George Square and Merchant City, as well as measures that support physical distancing around city centre train stations and bus stops
• That the ‘People Friendly Streets’ measures at Dennistoun, Shawlands and Pollokshields East should be made permanent
• The removal of all footway widening measures within city neighbourhoods, except for the road closure and associated infrastructure on Kelvin Way

What happens next: Councillors will be asked to note and accept the findings of the independent review at the City Administration Committee on September 16 and to instruct council officers to progress the necessary works required to make Spaces for People measures permanent, or to remove them.