70% residents in Glasgow, Stirling and Perth want protected cycling space

A new report has revealed today that over two thirds of residents in Glasgow, Stirling and Perth support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even if that means less space for other road traffic.

The Bike Life report, produced by Sustrans, found that of the 3,300 people surveyed in the three cities, 82% in Glasgow, 69% in Perth and 83% in Stirling, supported the idea.

The majority of people surveyed said they would also like to see more money spent on cycling in their city, and believe their city would be a better place to live and work if more people cycled.

Despite this, the survey found that 7% of residents or less in each of the three cities claimed to usually travel to and from work by bicycle, highlighting huge potential for cycling to increase in these areas.

Sustrans’ Scotland National Director, John Lauder, said of the findings: “Bike Life shows that most people living in Glasgow, Stirling and Perth think cycling is a good thing and are far more supportive of bold and ambitious plans for making it realistic and safe cycling than decision-makers often think. It’s clear, people want. They want dedicated space for people on bicycles even when this means taking space away from cars.

“Scottish government’s doubling of the active travel budget last year to £80 million shows that they recognise that cities across Scotland need to be designed around people, not motor vehicles. Investing in cycling and walking is key to keeping their city moving, and improving health and economic vitality.”

The Bike Life report found that people cycling in the three cities takes up to 14,291 cars off roads each day and contributes £68.4 million to the cities annually in economic benefit in total.

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “These new reports demonstrate the appetite that exists for more high quality cycling infrastructure across Scotland. Equally, the report demonstrates the optimism that people have about the role that cycling can play in improving the quality of our lives in our towns and cities.

“We are determined to make our towns and cities safer, friendlier and more accessible for those who choose to walk and cycle. We will continue to work in partnership with local authorities and our active travel delivery partners, including Sustrans, to reduce barriers and develop an active nation – so that more people can enjoy the benefits of walking and cycling than ever before.”