Glasgow City Council has confirmed that a new project aiming to make Byres Road more friendly to pedestrians will begin early next year. On-street parking is expected to be limited, while sidewalks will be expanded, and cycle paths will be added.
The project will begin on the lower half of the busy road, on the stretch from Dumbarton Road to University Avenue. A section of the street will also be made into a one-way area. A 20mph speed limit and restrictions on traffic entering side streets will be introduced as well. The Council says the scheme will aim to discourage motorists from using Byres Road as a way of getting across the West End.
The scheme is also expected to further develop a new active-travel path and economic corridor from the West End to Govan. A key piece of that concept is a new pedestrian bridge currently being built over the River Clyde, next to the Riverside Museum.
The project follows other successful pedestrianisation projects across Glasgow, including the Avenues programme, and the pandemic-era Spaces for People scheme. These programmes have been well received throughout the city and have been credited with helping its post-COVID recovery.
The West End in particular is becoming more pedestrian-friendly. Kelvin Way in Kelvingrove Park remained closed to cars after the pandemic, while the University’s western expansion has been designed with pedestrians at heart.
The recently opened St. Mungo’s Square in front of the new Advanced Research Centre connects the expansion to the rest of campus, while also creating a new path from the Kelvingrove Museum to the Byres Road area. University Avenue sidewalks have also been expanded last year, specifically in the area neighbouring the new James McCune Smith Learning Hub.
Fully support, more of this!