Cycling trips surge by 43% as Glasgow's active travel network grows

Glasgow is seeing a boom in active travel, with 4.65 million cycling trips recorded between January and August this year - a 43% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The data - collected from 88 automatic cycle counters across the city, provides a consistent and reliable measure of cycling activity year-on-year.

Although individual cyclists may pass more than one counter during a journey, the recording method remains unchanged, ensuring the figures reflect a genuine and sustained growth in cycling.

Supporting this trend, the City Deal backed Govan-Partick Bridge, which opened in September 2024, has already recorded over 1.4 million crossings. Notably, one in five of these journeys were made by cyclists, demonstrating growing public confidence in Glasgow's active travel infrastructure.

And, as the bridge data is recorded separately from the city's 88 automatic cycle counters, the increase in cycling activity across Glasgow looks to be even greater than the counter figures alone suggest.

The rise in cycle journeys coincides with Glasgow's ambitious programme to reshape the city's transport system through major infrastructure investment.

Recent projects have delivered safer cycling corridors, upgraded footways, and enhanced public spaces - all designed to make walking, wheeling, and cycling more accessible, comfortable, and attractive.

Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport and Climate, welcomed the new data, saying: "These figures show that more and more Glaswegians are choosing active travel to get about the city - a clear sign that our investment in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure is making a real difference.

"The very significant rise in cycle trips recorded this year comes after a bumper year of delivery in new infrastructure - with the opening of the Govan-Partick bridge, the extension of the Connecting Battlefield project linking up much of the southside, and various projects completed in the north, west and east end of the city.

"We know that when we build safer, high quality cycle infrastructure, many people feel more confident to choose the bike as an option for everyday journeys. By continuing to expand the City Network of safe, segregated active travel infrastructure, we're extending that option to more people across Glasgow."

Among the recently completed active travel projects is the South City Way - a 3km fully segregated cycle route offering a high-quality, direct connection from Queen's Park to Trongate in the city centre, making the journey achievable in just 14 minutes.

Connecting Battlefield has also made progress, with phase one now complete. This new route provides convenient access to key destinations including Queen's Park and the New Victoria Hospital, and links with the South City Way at Victoria Road. Preparatory work for phase two begins at the end of the month, focusing on Grange Road, the Battlefield Rest junction, and Battlefield Road at Mount Florida - with main construction set to start next year.

The George V Bridge has undergone a full road layout transformation this summer, featuring new pedestrian crossings, segregated cycleways, and cycle-friendly junctions. Its northbound cycle lane will connect to the future Broomielaw/Clyde Street Avenue, while the southbound lane already links with the popular South West City Way.

In Woodside, the Charing Cross junction was redesigned last year to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists, including a new link between Sauchiehall Street and St George's Road. Work is now progressing along the St George's Road corridor, where a two-way cycle lane is being constructed to connect directly with Garscube Road.

The Byres Road Public Realm Improvements project is now in phase two, delivering protected cycleways that will form a continuous route between Great Western Road and Partick Cross. This new infrastructure will connect with existing routes at Yorkhill and extend toward the National Cycle Network along the River Clyde.

Construction is also underway on the Argyle Street West Avenue, which will stretch from beneath the Kingston Bridge to the junction of Argyle Street, Jamaica Street, and Union Street. The project includes high-quality pavements and a dedicated cycleway to support active travel.  While nearby Avenues - Holland Street, Cambridge Street, and Sauchiehall Precinct - are already complete.

Multiple schemes under the Avenues and Avenues Plus programmes are also currently under construction or scheduled to begin soon, in and around the city centre.

Construction is set to begin shortly on the first phase of Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove - a project aimed at creating a more welcoming environment for people walking and cycling in the area. Public space improvements will focus on Gilbert Street, Radnor Street, Haugh Road, Yorkhill Street, and Sandyford Street.

Additional route designs are also being progressed for Connecting Greater Govan, the Inner North and South, an active travel route on West Nile Street, and the NCN7 cycle network, which will link Smith Street in Whiteinch with the Riverside Museum.

With construction continuing and design work progressing on future routes, Glasgow is steadily advancing its vision for a more sustainable, people-friendly transport network.