Glasgow’s South City Way segregated cycle route sets new Scottish record

Riders attracted by separated lanes in Glasgow increase cycling share to new high

Segregated bike lanes on a busy commuter route which were hailed as a trailblazer to boost riding have achieved a new cycling record, The Scotsman has learned.

Cyclists using the new South City Way in Glasgow accounted for nearly 13 per cent of all traffic using the corridor between the city centre and Queen’s Park on the south side.

The figure, recorded in Victoria Road at the south end of the route, is the highest recorded in 14 surveys involving 100 streets by official development body Cycling Scotland over the past six years, excluding during the Covid pandemic when vehicle traffic fell sharply.

The South City Way in Victoria Road. (Photo by Cycling Scotland)

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The survey, compiled over 48 hours on September 20-21, also included a 3.6 per cent cycling share in Lothian Road, Edinburgh, 2.8 per cent in Great Junction Street in Leith, 2.2 per cent in Millburn Street in Inverness and 2.1 per cent in King Street in Aberdeen. Cathedral Street in Glasgow recorded 1.7 per cent.

Cycling Scotland said the figures also compared to a cycling share across Scotland of 1 per cent to 2.3 per cent.

On Victoria Road, a total of 3,739 bikes were recorded out of a total of 29,318 “travel methods”. The 1.5-mile South City Way was hailed by cycling group Sustrans as an “exemplar” for similar schemes when it received £6.5 million funding seven years ago.

Robin Ellis said the South City Way made a "massive difference" to her commute. (Photo by Cycling Scotland)

It described the lanes, which are separated from both road and pavement, as the “most ambitious street improvement project”. The-then transport minister Humza Yousaf – now First Minister – stressed the crucial role of such schemes in giving people the confidence to cycle.

Jen Symington, a frequent user of the route, said: “I use the cycle path most days to travel to work, and I feel safer using it. I’m six months pregnant and it’s been helping me to keep cycling. I avoid using roads and I feel safer using a space like this that’s just for bikes.”

Robin Ellis, who commutes to work on the South City Way several times a week, said: “A lot of the roads in the area are filled with so many large vehicles, lorries and commuter traffic, so it makes a massive difference to be able to take the cycle route and feel a lot safer and protected. The route’s also much quicker than any other way of getting to work.”

Dave du Feu, of Lothian cycle campaign Spokes, said: “Congratulations to Glasgow City Council and Sustrans for the excellent results on the South City Way, showing the importance of segregated bike lanes on major roads.”

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Cycling Scotland chief executive Keith Irving said: “This is the clearest evidence yet that when Scotland builds good quality cycling infrastructure, it gets more people cycling, cutting emissions.”

Glasgow City Council transport convener Angus Millar said: “These figures show without a shadow of doubt that when we make it safer to do so, more and more people want to travel by bike. The success just adds impetus to our efforts to create a city network for active travel that ensures safe, segregated infrastructure for cycling all across Glasgow.”