Key Facts
Road Network
There are currently 43 kilometres of motorway and 1,708 kilometres of all-purpose roads in Glasgow. The backbone of the road system, the M8 motorway, runs from Port Glasgow to Edinburgh and passes through Glasgow. The M8 motorway links via the M73 to the M74 to Carlisle and the South, to the M80 and M73 to Stirling and the North, and via the M77 to Ayrshire and the south-west of Scotland.
The M74 motorway currently terminates at Fullarton but is being extended to join the M8 motorway at Kingston, south of the City Centre. This M74 Completion project is being promoted by the Scottish Ministers with Glasgow City Council the Appointed Agent and is scheduled for completion in 2011. The funding partners are Transport Scotland, Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council. In addition, Glasgow City Council is proposing to construct the East End Regeneration Route (Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in 2012), which together with the M74 Completion offers the potential to accelerate the regeneration of Glasgow’s East End (the Clyde Gateway).
Car Ownership and Journeys to Work
The 2001 Census of Population indicated that 56% of households in Glasgow have no car. This compares to 34% for Scotland as a whole. Recent Scottish Household Surveys have suggested that this situation has not altered and that Glasgow residents remain dependant on public transport.
A large proportion of journeys into Glasgow are made by car. Many of these originate from surrounding areas with higher car ownership levels. This movement results in congestion on key roads into the City and high demand for City Centre parking spaces during peak periods.
The 2001 Census of Population revealed that 34% of all journeys to work by Glasgow residents were by public transport (29% by rail/subway and 71% by bus), 49% were by car and 14% by cycling and walking. The remaining 3% relates to all other modes of travel.
In the wider conurbation almost three quarters of all journeys are by car with only some 15% by public transport.
There are around 15,000 permanent public parking spaces, off and on road, within the City Centre. The Council’s charging policy for public parking spaces is directed at encouraging short-stay shopping and business trips and reducing the number of car commuter journeys into the City Centre. The aim is to limit the volume of traffic on the road network during peak periods and also to combat carbon emissions from vehicles.
Bus Travel
Bus travel plays a major role in public transport provision in the wider Glasgow conurbation, is the dominant mode of transport in the City, and accounts for a third of total mileage. Although 40 separate bus companies operate locally, 70% of mileage is registered by ‘First’ Bus Glasgow.
The introduction of free bus travel for older and disable people in 2006 boosted bus patronage within the west of Scotland at large by nearly 10%. Bus use is steadily increasing as improvements are made to infrastructure, the bus fleet, timetabling and public information. Bus corridors have helped to improve the efficiency of bus transport while bus operators are addressing air quality through the use of cleaner fuels and the accessibility of their fleet by increasing the number of low-floor buses which allow access for people with disabilities and others
Walking/Cycling
Walking and cycling are efficient, cost-effective, sustainable and healthy modes of travel. Within Glasgow, walking accounts for 16% of all trips and 51% of trips to school. The challenge is to improve on these figures, particularly as 35% of all Glasgow trips are less than 2 kilometres in length. Provision of a good pedestrian network is particularly important as walking forms part of most journeys.
The Scottish Household Survey (2005) indicated that 2% of adults travel to work or education by bicycle in Glasgow, and approximately 1% of children cycle to school. Glasgow is committed to increasing the level of cycling in the City, providing and promoting a high quality cycle network to encourage modal shift from the private car and improving accessibility for those who do not have access to a car. Glasgow’s cycling network extends to 231km and includes bus/cycle lanes, on-road lanes, off-road tracks, designated routes in parks and signal crossings at main roads.
Rail Travel
Transport Scotland (an Agency of the Scottish Government) is responsible for the ScotRail franchise. The key stations within Glasgow are Queen Street (serving the north of Scotland, north west and north-east of Glasgow and Edinburgh) and Central (providing services to south Glasgow, South West Scotland, London and the South).
Patronage on the rail network has risen to record levels over the last decade. This growth in demand has prompted bids for extra network capacity, and although Network Rail’s Route Utilisation Strategy for Scotland and Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review are not explicit about specific infrastructure improvements, problems at Queen Street and Central stations continue to underline the case for a Glasgow Crossrail scheme joining up the rail networks north and south of the Clyde. This would not only increase connectivity at the regional level (with regeneration spin-off benefits for Glasgow) but also complete a key missing link in the national transport network. Within Glasgow, use of the City Union line would allow rail connections with the Subway at West Street, while new stations are envisaged at Glasgow Cross and Gorbals.
Subway Travel
Operating on a 10.4 kilometre double track circular route, the Subway links the City Centre with the West End and locations on the south side of the River Clyde. With over 40% of users interchanging, it continues to maintain its role as a hub of the wider transport system in the West of Scotland. Despite peak capacity constraints, 14.45 million passengers used the Subway during 2007/08. The network allows convenient transfer between rail and bus networks. For example, at Buchanan Street (Queen Street Station) passengers can access main-line and suburban train services, while Govan offers interchange with the local bus network and Partick with the rail and bus networks.
Air Travel
Glasgow International Airport, located 8 miles west of the City Centre near the M8 motorway at junction 28, is Scotland’s premier international gateway. BAA bought the airport from Glasgow Corporation in 1975 and has invested over £350 million developing it. Open 24 hours a day, the airport has around 8.4 million passengers per year with an average of 237 flights a day to more than 90 national and international destinations. BAA recently spent £31 million developing ‘Skyhub’ a major new terminal extension and, over the next ten years aim to invest more than £200 million building a modern, 21stCentury Gateway for Scotland. (See Glasgow Airport Link below).
Projects
2014 Commonwealth Games
SPT is seeking to develop a Games Route Network to and between games venues and is working on a transport plan for the Games on behalf of the Organising Committee. The Transport Plan is a statutory document covering all aspects of transport for the period of the Games and will form the basis of all transport planning at Games time. Games Lanes will ensure athletes are able to access their training and competition venues with the minimum travelling time and in addition, provide an efficient transport service for spectators and Games employees. The Games Route Network will be converted for public transport use after the Commonwealth Games has ended.
Clyde Fastlink Project
Through the Clyde Corridor Transportation Study, the Council and SPT have assessed the potential for new public transport routes to serve the emerging areas of development on the north and south banks of the River Clyde. The study identified the need for improved public transport provision along the Clyde Corridor with Bus Rapid Transit being the preferred mode. A route for Clyde Fastlink was developed in more detail on the north bank between the City Centre (Central Station) and the Glasgow Harbour development and planning permission was obtained in 2006.
Building on from the work undertaken on the north bank route subsequent work was undertaken on a Clyde Fastlink regional network linking to Clydebank and the Golden Jubilee Hospital on the north and the Southern General Hospital and Braehead/Renfrew on the south bank of the Clyde. Development work on the first north bank phase is progressing with the overall scheme estimated to cost £100m - £150m. This is being further developed as a Regional Project with particular attention being given to the route to the Southern General Hospital and extending the network east to serve the Commonwealth Games Village and East End venues.
Walking/Cycling Projects
Significant progress has been made in the development of cycling as a viable transport mode. Achievements include the:
- upgrade and maintenance of paths included in National Cycle Network, including NCN 7 Glasgow to Loch Lomond and NCN 75 Glasgow to Edinburgh
- establishment of the Bellahouston Cycle Activity Centre, including a cycle track for use by cyclists of all ages and abilities, as well as competitions
- promotion of cycling in parks through the Pollok Country Park mountain bike trails and parks cycle routes
- 40 schools benefiting from the Safer Routes to School Schemes which encourages more pupils to walk or cycle to school
- promotion of cycling through the ‘Fit for Life’ map and events including European Mobility Week, Bike Week and Walk to School Week
To encourage a higher proportion of Glasgow’s citizens to use cycles for commuting, utility and leisure trips, a study will be undertaken to identify the barriers to cycling; and incentives to increase cycling. Existing cycle infrastructure will be reviewed and improvements implemented, where appropriate. For example, to ensure that cycle routes are continuous and located on desire lines free from parked vehicles, wherever possible.
Child cycle training is vital in giving children the confidence and ability to cycle safely and encourage cycling in the future. The Council will continue to support cycle training, especially for children. Marketing will include the ‘Fit for Life’ cycle packs, awareness raising and promotion through workplace and school travel plans.