Works begin on Glasgow’s multi million pound active travel project

The South City Way – Glasgow City Council’s winning design in the Scottish Government funded Community Links PLUS competition – will deliver a 3km segregated cycle and pedestrian route from Queen’s Park in city’s southside to Merchant City (December 6th).The Minister for Transport and the Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP, joined local business owner, Shoaib Shafaatulla, Deputy Director of Sustrans Scotland, Daisy Narayanan, and Glasgow City Council’s Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, Anna Richardson, for the start of initial works.The South City Way (SCW) won the 2016 Community Links PLUS (CLPLUS) competition run by Sustrans Scotland.In addition to the creation of world class active travel infrastructure in a densely populated area of Glasgow, the SCW will deliver a host of community, health and business benefits through its place-making approach.Funded by the Scottish Government and run by Sustrans Scotland, the design competition delivers pioneering and game-changing projects which inspire public bodies in Scotland to design better places and spaces for people to live, walk and cycle in for everyday journeys.Granted £3.25 million of funding from the Scottish Government with Glasgow City Council match funding the investment, the SCW is expected to be complete in late 2018. On completion, journey times between Queen’s Park and the city centre are estimated to take 30 minutes on foot and 12 minutes by bike.The first phase of works on Albert Avenue and Albert Road in the southside of the city will see the sections of these streets that adjoin to Victoria Road transformed into attractive and pedestrianised public areas with cycle racks and green space.In addition to creating a segregated route between Queen’s Park and the city centre, central to the SCW’s vision is the redevelopment of Victoria Road as a place for sustainable walking, cycling, bus and rail travel.Delivering such sustainable infrastructure will support smaller retailers in the area, create healthier communities and deliver safer, more attractive streets. Works on Victoria Road will commence in early 2018.