The first phase of Glasgow City Council’s Connecting Battlefield active travel project has significantly improved public space and created a new, segregated cycle way on Queen’s Drive which extends south onto Langside Road.
The cycle way, which is seeing around 900 daily users, provides easy access to key destinations such as Queen’s Park and the New Victoria Hospital. The route also links to the South City Way at Victoria Road – offering people who cycle a direct, speedy path into the city centre.
Traffic signals now prioritise those walking, wheeling, and cycling in the area. Widened, resurfaced footways and step-free pedestrian crossings have enhanced accessibility, while upgraded street lighting now illuminates the area.
Local greenspaces have been improved with low-level planting, while the historic railings surrounding Queens Park on Langside Road have been refurbished, as have the lanterns which adorn the park entrance gate pillars.
To highlight the significant progress made in active travel in Glasgow, Cllr Angus Millar, the City Convener for Transport and Climate, recently joined Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, along with active travel supporters from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Bike for Good, and the local community group South Seeds, to visit the first phase of the Connecting Battlefield project.
Councillor Millar believes that the new route and improved public spaces will support more sustainable transport in the area. He said:
“The success of the first phase of the Connecting Battlefield project shows that where we provide safe, segregated active travel infrastructure, more Glaswegians will make use of it. This project directly connects to the South City Way cycle route to the city centre and is a great example of how we are building up a connected network of routes that help people get about the city safely by bike and on foot. Encouraging more people to travel actively can create a cleaner, more cost-effective, and healthier transport network that makes the best use of our limited road space and operates efficiently for everyone.”
The first phase of Connecting Battlefield which was completed last November, was funded by Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Transformation Fund.
Phase two – which will focus on Grange Road, Battlefield Rest junction and Battlefield Road at Mount Florida – is currently at the detailed design stage, with construction expected to start in Autumn 2025.
Work on a City Network of active travel routes is currently underway across Glasgow with several phases of construction now complete as the city aims to add 270km of safe, segregated cycle ways to existing routes. Development of our Liveable Neighbourhoods programme, which will help make local communities more accessible for active travel and will link with the City Network, is also moving forward.
(Pic: Glasgow City Council)
