Glasgow secures £9.3m active travel investment as cycle lane usage reaches record levels
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
More than £9.3 million is being invested in walking, wheeling and cycling projects across Glasgow, as new data shows record levels of cycling on several of the city’s protected routes.
The funding includes a £3.7m award from Transport Scotland’s Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, with £2.8m supporting construction of Connecting Battlefield Phase 2, Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Phases 2 and 3, and East City Way Phase 5, with work due to begin between November 2026 and February 2027.
A further £920,000 will support design work for future projects including Anderston Plaza, Connecting Glasgow Inner North and Inner South, Connecting Greater Govan Phase 1 and Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Phase 4, while the wider funding package also supports public realm, accessibility and active travel measures.
Glasgow City Council Convener for Transport and Climate Councillor Angus Millar said: “This funding will help us deliver further major improvements on the ground while preparing the next wave of active travel projects across Glasgow.”
The investment comes as Cycling Scotland data shows 5,637 bikes were recorded on Victoria Road over 48 hours in May 2026, 38% more than the previous year, with cycling accounting for a record 16.6% of all travel methods recorded there and bikes outnumbering cars at every rush-hour peak.
Other Glasgow routes also recorded their highest-ever cycling figures, with 3,489 bikes on Clyde Street and 2,146 on Garscube Road, while cycling accounted for 13.6% of journeys on Clyde Street and 6.2% on Garscube Road; Byres Road recorded 1,955 people cycling, representing 7.9% of travel on the surveyed section.
East City Way has also seen cycling more than double following route improvements, rising from an average of around 300 daily journeys in May 2024 to nearly 700 in May 2026.
Cycling Scotland chief executive Keith Irving said: “What we see clearly from the data is where local authorities and Scottish Government are investing in protected cycle lanes and improved networks of cycling routes, more people are travelling by bike.”
He added that strong morning and evening rush-hour peaks showed the routes were being used for everyday journeys, while the growing connections between routes were creating a “strong network effect”.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn said: “The data is showing that where high-quality active travel infrastructure is constructed – we see big increases in people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle as a result.”
The latest funding brings Glasgow’s confirmed active travel grant funding for 2026/27 to more than £9.3m, with the Scottish Government investing £226m in active and sustainable travel across Scotland this year.