A new walking and cycling route in the north of Glasgow, the regeneration of Ayr town centre and green infrastructure travel links in Aberdeen, are amongst a number of active travel projects revealed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday.
The projects are amongst more than 200 across Scotland receiving a total of £27 million of funding through walking and cycling charity, Sustrans Scotland’s and Transport Scotland’s flagship programme providing advice, support and infrastructure for walking and cycling, Places for Everyone.
Details of the Programme’s major projects were announced in Perth in July.
By improving walking, cycling and wheeling links in communities across the country, and making it safer and easier for people to choose more active and sustainable ways of travelling for shorter journeys, the projects will also be supporting Government’s priorities to reduce carbon emissions from transport.
Confirming the projects, the First Minister said: “On climate change Scotland is leading globally – but we must support local action too. We are investing over £500 million in new bus priority infrastructure, to make journeys faster, greener and more convenient.
“We want people to walk and cycle more too – reducing our carbon footprint and improving our health.
“So I can announce today new investment for local projects the length and breadth of our nation.
“From Ayr to Aberdeen, a fund of £27 million will support more than 200 schemes to make it easier for people to cycle and to walk.
“That is acting locally as we lead globally in making our contribution to tackling the climate emergency.”
Details of the first of the Places for Everyone funded projects are as follows:
Design of Accessible Ayr, Ayr (South Ayrshire Council)
Accessible Ayr aims to transform the accessibility of Ayr town centre for people on bike and foot as well as those with reduced mobility, through regenerating High Street Sandgate and River Street. By significantly improving the public space and creating a safe route to cycle through the town centre, the project aims to link the centre to neighbourhoods in the north of the town as well as the beach and the education campus to the east. The project has provided an important catalyst to bring together stakeholder groups with an interest in active travel and accessibility in Ayr and aims to integrate and expand existing and new behavioural change initiatives to complement the material elements of the project.
Design of Killearn to Balfron via Boquhan, Stirlingshire (Killearn Community Futures Company)
A community led project to build an accessible, traffic free walking and cycling route linking the villages of Killearn, Balfron and Boquhan in southwest Stirlingshire. The Places for Everyone funding will give the community group the opportunity to carry out design and feasibility studies for the route.
Construction of Maidencraig Active Travel Links, Aberdeen (Aberdeen City Council)
This ‘green infrastructure’ project will use the recent creation of a flood management and wetland area as an opportunity to provide for, and prioritise walking and cycling in the Maidencraig area of Aberdeen. As well as upgrading existing paths, the project aims to create new routes linking Skene Road, Bressay Brae, Samphrey Rd and Maidencraig Way helping to create safer, more accessible and attractive walking and cycling links. The paths will also help link to Lang Stracht Road and Skene Road as well as local schools, community areas, Woodend General Hospital and the Den of Maidencraig Local Nature Reserve as well as to the site as a green space itself.
Design of Musselburgh Active Travel Links, East Lothian (East Lothian Council)
Places for Everyone is funding the design of key walking and cycling routes which identified in the East Lothian Active Travel Improvement Plan and other reports, more specifically those routes in and around the Musselburgh area that link to works happening in Edinburgh City and Midlothian.
The project will initially focus on three routes that will help everybody to actively travel through and around Musselburgh, making shopping, getting to work or school and other everyday journeys easier, safer and quicker.
Design of North City Way, Glasgow (Glasgow City Council)
PFE is funding the design of the North City Way (NCW) – a continuous traffic free, segregated cycle route, which aims to link Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire and Milton in Glasgow to the City Centre.
The route would go through the Sighthill, Cowliars and Port Dundas communities, create a new walking and cycling bridge across the M8 and end at the proposed North Hanover Street Avenue.
The funding will also support engagement and consultation with local communities, which will help to shape the look, feel and direction of the final route, whilst also encourage long term behaviour change.
Once completed, it is hoped the route will make it safer and easier for people on bikes travelling from the north of Glasgow to get to the city centre.
This investment is part of the Scottish Government’s £80m active travel budget. Find out more about how the Scottish Government is working to build an active nation.
Sustrans Scotland works closely with communities, the Scottish Government and other partners to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to safe walking and cycling routes.
The organisation provides advice, support and funding for the creation of infrastructure that makes it easier for people to walk and cycle for everyday journeys.
Walking and cycling charity Sustrans Scotland launched the Places for Everyone fund in March 2019. The fund is a combination of what was previously known as the Community Links, Community Links PLUS and Safer Routes to Schools funds. Places for Everyone is supported by Transport Scotland to invest in projects that create safer, more attractive streets and places for people to walk, cycle and wheel in.
And meanwhile in the capital …
The city council is seeking views on proposals to improve cycling and walking along a key route connecting Cameron Toll shopping centre, Little France and Edinburgh BioQuarter.
The City of Edinburgh Council, in partnership with NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise and the University of Edinburgh, launched a consultation on initial plans this week and will hold a series of drop-in events during October, when the public can find out more about the project.
Designs, which have been funded by SEStran (South East of Scotland Transport Partnership), aim to encourage more people to travel on foot or by bike. They include a segregated, two-way cycle lane, improved junctions and crossing points and better connections to other walking and cycling routes between the sites.
Feedback received as part of the consultation will help inform final designs for the corridor, with construction work expected to begin in April 2021.
The route, forming part of Edinburgh’s Active Travel Network, is key to the Edinburgh BioQuarter’s travel plan, which identifies the promotion of active travel as a central component. Plans for improvement recognise the anticipated expansion of the hospital and BioQuarter campus as major regional employers and research facilities, enhancing infrastructure between Cameron Toll and Little France, including links from Dalkeith Road, King’s Buildings and Mayfield Road to Cameron Toll.
Drop-in events will take place at the following locations and times:
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh – Main Mall, Wednesday, 16 October, 11am – 6pm
University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Chancellor’s Building, Thursday, 17 October, 11am – 4.30pm
Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, outside EE store, Saturday, 19 October, 11am – 4pm
Edinburgh BioQuarter, Building Nine, Tuesday, 22 October, 11am – 6pm
Find out more about the project and take part in the consultation online.
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