Wednesday March 18th 2026
Glasgow City Chambers
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Catherine Hunter
Proposals to deliver more than 54 km of priority walking, wheeling and cycling routes by 2032 have been set out by Glasgow City Council.
The routes sit at the heart of a refreshed approach that unifies the City Network and the Liveable Neighbourhoods programmes as part of ‘Connecting Glasgow’ to speed up delivery and better connect communities.
At the centre of the six‑year plan is a fully connected orbital route looping around Glasgow , linking neighbourhoods from Dennistoun and Maryhill to Govan, Shawlands and Calton.
The council will finalise the list of priority routes and progress early schemes to ‘shovel‑ready’ stage ahead of upcoming national funding rounds.
It also remains committed to delivering around 270 km of segregated cycle routes across the city with the remaining routes from the 2023 delivery plan, which have not been prioritised at this stage, to be reviewed in 2027/28.
During a recent environment committee meeting councillor Jon Molyneux asked that the city convenor continue to engage with Transport Scotland to highlight the importance of the project.
Councillor Molyneux said: “I recognise that there is a huge amount of work going on and it is detailed and robust but it is fairly clear that the funding arrangements don’t work for what should be seen as a strategic transport project.
“I think Glasgow is different to potentially any other local authority in Scotland both in terms of the level of planning that we have already done and the potential for equity.
“I think there is a real need for Transport Scotland to recognise what we are trying to do here and I don’t think that penny has dropped so I hope the convenor can keep making that point so we can keep getting the strategic level of delivery that matches our ambition.”
The council will now establish the Connecting Glasgow programme board, confirm priority projects and prepare funding bids where appropriate.
Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Transport and Climate, said: “The Connecting Glasgow programme will deliver safe, high-quality connections between neighbourhoods across the city as well as improvements to public spaces in the heart of communities.
“More and more Glaswegians are choosing the bike for everyday journeys, as access to protected routes makes cycling a more realistic option for many people. As we’ve built more segregated cycle infrastructure, we’ve seen numbers continue to grow – with a 43% increase in recorded journeys on our cycle network between 2024 and 2025.
“And as part of this new delivery plan, we will see more parts of the city connected together by 2032 – focusing on the routes and neighbourhood improvements that will have the biggest impact. By preparing a strong pipeline of projects ready to move when funding becomes available, we can accelerate delivery and address the growing demand for safe cycle routes.
“Glasgow has long had the ambition to build a city where walking, wheeling and cycling are realistic, attractive options for more people. Connecting Glasgow sharpens that ambition, giving us a clear path forward and ensuring residents see meaningful change sooner. This is about creating a healthier, fairer and better‑connected city and making those benefits felt in every community.”
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