Walking and cycling boosted by ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ path

It opened to cyclists and pedestrians in summer 2013 after the unfinished overpass across the M8 motorway was finally completed, and renamed the Anderston Footbridge.

The so-called ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ was left hanging in mid-air for decades after the shopping centre that it was meant to link to failed to materialise.

The GCPH study found that nearly half of participants surveyed (45 per cent) had changed their journey to take advantage of the new route, while almost one in four had switched from driving or taking public transport to make their journey to and from town by bike or on foot after the new route opened.

Participants reported faster, cheaper and less stressful journeys as a result, and cyclists in particular welcomed the raised kerb feature of the route which separated them from traffic.

Bruce Whyte, a member of the GCPH research team, said: “The Kelvingrove-Anderston route, while it could be improved further, is perceived by users to be safer than other on-road alternatives and has encouraged modal shifts to more active and sustainable forms of travel.

“It is interesting that there is support for further development of this type of safe infrastructure in other parts of Glasgow and that people would like to see more routes in order to create a more cohesive active travel network across the city.

“If more journeys in Glasgow were made by bike or on foot, our population would be healthier and happier and we would have cleaner air in our city, as our streets would be less dominated by motor traffic.”

Councillor Archie Graham, depute leader of Glasgow City Council and executive member for the Commonwealth Games, said: “It’s fantastic that the famous ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ is generating so much enthusiasm and is encouraging more people to walk or cycle, which is one of our key legacy ambitions from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“The route allows cyclists and walkers to get where they want to go safely under their own steam and is proving to be a vital link in the city’s transport infrastructure.”