Monday June 22nd 2026
Glasgow Council Chamber
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Drew Sandelands
Frustrated councillors want the Scottish Government to recognise the “transformational” impact of active travel investment in Glasgow.
Changes to how national funding is allocated to projects, like new cycle lanes, in the city have caused “uncertainty” over delivery.
The council has committed to providing around 270km of segregated cycle routes — but only 54.4km is now expected to be delivered by 2032.
Active travel programmes in the city have been reviewed after Transport Scotland moved from a multi-year funding model to single-year allocations.
A new scaled-back delivery framework, known as ‘Connecting Glasgow’, was approved on Thursday, which sets out the council’s priorities over the next six years.
But Councillor Jon Molyneux, Glasgow Greens co-leader, said: “I guess it is a source of frustration that the funding landscape is the way it is.
“The approach that has been outlined does make sense, it’s the best way of aligning the resource that we have with something that can be delivered, but it doesn’t meet the full level of ambition that I think we have for the city.”
He asked about transport convener Cllr Angus Millar’s plans to meet with new Scottish Government transport secretary Stephen Flynn.
“I think the city will probably have a lengthy shopping list for him [Mr Flynn] but I think it’s really important that we use that opportunity to persuade him of the transformational opportunity that active travel investment in Glasgow can have,” Cllr Molyneux said.
“Not just for improving transport and ability to get around the city but obviously the climate impact and the health and wellbeing impacts as well. I hope that we can make him a fully fledged ambassador for cycling in Glasgow.”
Cllr Martha Wardrop, Glasgow Greens co-leader, added a five-year programme of ongoing funding is needed to support delivery, and Cllr Lana Reid-McConnell, Greens, said she was concerned the changes “could be a significant barrier” to meeting climate targets.
Cllr Millar confirmed he has written to the new transport secretary and his correspondence outlined the “progress that has been made in terms of the delivery of active travel in Glasgow”.
“Clearly there is a very strong case for investment in active travel in Glasgow, we are seeing the numbers coming through on the network,” he added.
“We are seeing that modal shift as we expand the number of protected and safe cycle routes for people to choose as a more realistic option for their everyday journeys.”
Cllr Millar told the city administration committee that annual funding means “when it comes to larger scale corridors we then have to segment projects into smaller batches so it can be delivered in one financial year”.
He said the council could have taken forward more projects with multi-year funding, which allows the “ability to plan for projects that span multiple financial years as opposed to the current position, which means the programme essentially stop-starts relative to the funding coming available.”
Funding is now available via a “competitive bidding process” to Transport Scotland’s active travel infrastructure fund (ATIF).
‘Connecting Glasgow’ will see the completion of a 23km inner orbital loop around the city, linking communities such as Dennistoun, Maryhill, Govan, Shawlands and Calton.
A further 31km of proposed new ‘spoke’ routes will extend the network to “key destinations and neighbourhoods”, the council said.
After the meeting, Cllr Millar said: “As protected active travel routes expand, more Glaswegians are choosing the bike for everyday journeys. This plan focuses on completing and connecting routes by 2032, prioritising projects first which can fill gaps in the network and build on the momentum we have seen with growing numbers of users.
“Glasgow’s commitment to a citywide network of safe, connected routes remains clear, and by maintaining a strong pipeline of projects, we can move quickly as funding becomes available and respond to growing demand.”
A full list of roads where work is planned can be found here: https://onlineservices.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/viewDoc.asp?c=P62AFQDNUTDX0G0GNT
Routes which have not been prioritised at this stage will be reviewed in 2027/28 to “identify a suitable delivery approach”.
Councillors agreed in March to write to the Scottish Government to highlight the council’s concerns with funding changes. A Transport Scotland response acknowledged the concerns, but noted the “challenging medium-term financial position facing the Scottish Government”.
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