Sustainable transport in Glasgow is to receive a £12.8m cash injection after the council secured funding from a number of national and regional schemes.
The funding will go towards a range of projects including improving the bus corridor on Renfield Street, supporting the work on the city’s emerging active travel network and encouraging people to make more journeys by walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.
Glasgow’s new transport strategy has set a target of reducing the distance travelled in private vehicles by 30% by 2030 in support of the city’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030. With 40% of transport-related carbon emissions created by the use of private vehicles, a wide spread shift to active travel and public transport is seen as essential for the fight against climate change.
Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Climate and Transport, welcomed the funding awards as a vote of confidence in Glasgow’s plans to create a far more sustainable transport system for the city.
Councillor Millar said: Councillor Millar said: “Our new transport strategy sets out a very clear vision for transforming how we get about Glasgow in future. Moving on from a reliance on private vehicles, especially for the shortest of everyday journeys, is crucial to our effort to deal with the climate emergency.”
“By investing to improve public transport and deliver active travel alternatives, we can encourage more people to leave their car behind wherever possible. And there is also a basic fairness in promoting alternatives to private vehicles when less half of Glasgow’s households have access to their own car – by making public transport alongside walking, wheeling and cycling more attractive options, we are addressing the obvious inequality that currently exists in our transport system.
“There is clearly an appetite for change in Glasgow for a shift towards sustainable transport that will make our neighbourhoods better places to live and improve our health. The funding we have received is a real boost for the city which will help us on this journey.”
The £12.8m package of funding is made up of £1.51m from SPT; £4.07m from the Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes programme; £553,000 from Paths for All: Smarter Choices, Smarter Places; £6.6m from Sustrans and £115,000 from Transport Scotland Direct Resource.
Funding from active travel schemes will go towards to work such as widening and improving footways, enhancing public spaces and installing safe, dedicated active travel space. Projects earmarked for funding including making permanent the city’s Spaces for People infrastructure, the Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Cycling Village scheme and supporting the Battlefield Street Design works.
The SPT funding will be used to enhance a variety of projects to enhance the city’s bus infrastructure and bus operators, SPT and public feedback will help to determine which projects are chosen.
Smarter Choices Smarter Places money will go towards encouraging less car use and supporting opportunities for active travel.
The council agreed to accept the funding at a meeting of the City Administration Committee.