Check out this blog about work we have been doing to improve active travel and sustainable transport and moving towards safer, more accessible and healthier streets in West Glasgow.

With lots of new infrastructure changes ongoing in the city centre, including improved cycle and walkways on the George V Bridge, we look at what’s going on in West Glasgow to make getting around greener, safer, healthier and more accessible. 

Schools

We’ve been working with several schools in West Glasgow to encourage more active travel, reduce congestion and air pollution and boost safety, health and happiness. 

Pupils from St Brendan’s Primary School and Clyde Primary School recently launched a new poster and banner campaign designed in collaboration with us. The pupils are calling on parents and staff to choose active travel one day a week, reducing the number of cars and air pollution around the school gates and allowing more space for walking and scooting to school.

Whiteinch Primary School’s walking bus continues to be a great success, regularly seeing 20 pupils join - almost a quarter of the school! We’re pleased to see one of the Ward 12 Area Partnership Neighbourhood Infrastructure Improvement Fund (NIIF) proposals for a controlled crossing at Victoria Park Kindergarten, a key crossing of the walking bus. We’ll be supporting Whiteinch Primary to apply for funding to design and print some Walking Bus hi-viz jackets soon.

We were pleased to be part of Scotstoun Primary School’s Day of road safety action recently, along with the council, police, community council and Parents for Future Scotland. Scotstoun Primary is one of several schools we’ll be supporting to create School Travel Plans in the new term, gathering data and action planning to enable safer, healthier, greener school streets and journeys.

Another proposal in the NIIF is for a section pf pavement to be installed in Fore Street which would allow a Park'n'Stride zone to be established for St Paul's Primary School in Scotstoun Street.

Cycling

Glasgow Eco Trust recently hosted the annual Aye Cycle Glasgow gathering, bringing together people and organisations across the region working to improve cycling. Around 40 people attended, hearing from Sahir Permall, cycle adventurer and leader in the third sector, and discussing topics from school cycling, improving access for marginalised groups, infrastructure and funding. 

Check out the Aye Cycle Glasgow website to find out more about cycling activities, services and routes.

We have also been out on the National Cycle Network with our Bike Breakfasts engaging with people walking and cycling and offering free Dr Bike checks.

West Glasgow Feminist Transport Group

After the success of the Feminist Transport Forum in February, the Feminist Transport Group has been meeting to discuss their next steps. In the coming months they will be organising some ‘feminist walkabouts’. First up is Thornwood roundabout, looking at the experience of using the roundabout and what would make it better (including assessing the council’s redesign). Let us know if you’re interested in joining the group or attending these feminist walkabouts. 

Feminist Cycle Maintenance

At the start of the year we ran 8 cycle maintenance workshops for people of marginalised genders. Over the course of the sessions we were delighted to enable members of our community to build confidence and skills to care for and fix their cycles. If you’re interested in more of these sessions please let us know.

Better Buses for Strathclyde campaign

Glasgow Eco Trust was one of the original supporter's of the Better Buses Strathclyde campaign which was set up 18 months ago by Get Glasgow Moving. The campaign is calling on Strathlcyde Partnership for Transport and the Scottish Government to bring the Strathclyde bus network back into public control (franchising) and ultimately public ownership.

The campaign has been very successful to date and over 4000 individuals responded to the recent Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy. We were also delighted to be able to recruit new supporters to the campaign including Kingsway Community Connections, Whiteinch Community Council, Scotstoun Community Council and Thornwood Community Council.

Get Involved

It's been a busy few months with lots of progress being made. If you’re interested in improving safety and accessibility and reducing air pollution in West Glasgow, get in touch with our Active Travel and Sustainable Transport Coordinator at [email protected]. If you’re a parent, find out more about joining Parents for Future Scotland’s active travel and air pollution campaign at www.parentsforfuturescotland.org.uk/.