Glasgow receives £4.8m funding for active travel ahead of COP26

Glasgow City Council is being awarded an additional £4.8m in grant funding to help support the city’s sustainable transport network and help promote active travel.

The new funding, which comes from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), Smarter Choices Smarter Places (SCSP) and Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes (CWSR), is part of the city’s ambition to become net-zero carbon by 2030.

The additional funds will be used towards helping expand Glasgow’s cycling infrastructure and the number of cycle routes as the city prepares to host the fast-approaching COP26 climate conference in November.

The conference is being held at the SEC from 01-12 November as the world’s nations seek to reverse the impact of global warming.

“As a business we are committed to the electrification by 2030 of the 30,000 fleet of cars and vans we manage,” says Martin Brown, Chair of Fleet Alliance, which is headquartered close by the conference centre where COP26 will take place.

“But we also recognise that fleet electrification is not enough by itself to reduce climate change. We are positively beginning to support active travel in our company. It has the double benefit of no emissions and keeping staff fit.”

In addition to the enhanced funding, Glasgow has also been prioritising cycling safety with 16 electronic road signs that activate when cyclists approach junctions.

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, commented: “As we look at ways to encourage Glaswegians to shift towards more sustainable methods of transport, we need to ensure that the city has the right infrastructure in place which will allow people to get around safely and easily.

“When it comes to cycling, safety has been one of the key concerns raised by many of Glasgow’s residents. We hope these improvements will encourage people to get out and enjoy the benefits which active travel can bring, across almost every aspect of our lives, from improved air quality, lower congestion alongside helping to improve citizens physical and mental wellbeing.”