The Kelvingrove-Anderston route: views of cyclists and pedestrians

This study was commissioned to explore the views of users of the new Kelvingrove-Anderston cycling and walking route, which connects Kelvingrove Park in the west of Glasgow to the city centre. The research explored people’s views on different aspects of the route, their experiences of using it, and whether it made a difference to their journeys. The views of cyclists and pedestrians were collated using a mixed methodology, which included a face-to-face survey and four focus groups.

The findings show that the route is commonly used for commuting to work. It has encouraged people to change their mode of transport from driving or public transport to walking or cycling, and participants reported faster, cheaper and less stressful journeys as a result.

Safety is a key theme throughout the report, with cyclists indicating that they were willing to undertake a longer journey to take advantage of the route. Some cyclists also reported feeling more confident about cycling during peak hours. The raised kerb was seen to be important for creating a feeling of safety, although there were mixed views as to whether the route was sufficiently safe for children to use on their own. 

Feedback from cyclists suggests that pedestrians and other road users’ awareness of the dedicated cycle lanes, and of cyclists in general, needs to be improved, particularly in city centre locations. Tensions between cyclists and pedestrians or motorists on the route were not uncommon, owing partly to there being a lack of awareness of the route.

Although there were positive reports about the impact of the route in terms of encouraging more walking and cycling, participants suggested that it could be better signposted and that links should be made to existing nearby routes. 

In summary, these findings highlight the benefits of a new safe cycling and walking route that links up a commuting area to the city centre. This new infrastructure, while it could be improved further, is perceived by users to be safer than other on-road alternatives and has encouraged modal shifts to more active and sustainable forms of travel. There is support for the development of similar safe walking and cycling routes in other parts of Glasgow that can contribute to creating a more cohesive active travel network across the city.  

Launch event - presentations and event report

A launch event was held on the 27th of January 2015 in the Lighthouse, Glasgow. This event included presentations from the commissioned researchers, input from an experienced panel and a facilitated discussion around the wider relevance of the research findings. Download the event report.