'Radical' plans to reconnect and rejuvenate Glasgow unveiled



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Projects to reconnect Glasgow's outlying areas and "radically transform" the city center were launched by an independent commission.

The Glasgow Connectivity Commission calls for action to bridge the connectivity gap that separates the prosperous areas of the city from people with transportation isolation and lack of opportunities.

The report released Thursday, the first of the two, focuses primarily on the city center, as it indicates that any improvements in connectivity must begin from there, "propagating through the arteries of the regional economy" .

It contains proposals that would pave the way for the largest reconstruction of the downtown cityscape in nearly half a century, giving greater priority to pedestrians and allowing the creation of public spaces "Worthy of a big European city".

The proposals include greater use of car parks and bus terminals to reduce the number of vehicles in the city center, as well as the acceleration and extension of the Avenues project in order to improve the street landscape.

The commission also invites Glasgow City Council to continue its plans to build a roof for the M8 at Charing Cross, creating a new pedestrian area outside the Mitchell Library.

Professor David Begg, transport expert and chairman of the commission, said: "Glasgow is a major European city and the economic center of Scotland. But not all of its citizens are connected to the opportunities offered by the city – which hinders its growth potential.

"And its streets, especially in the city center, do not offer an experience worthy of a major European city, the result of decades of planning decisions that favored the use of the car on pedestrians and which has debadd its public spaces.

"The recommendations included in this report offer the opportunity to radically transform Glasgow's downtown core – ensuring it becomes an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest – while ensuring better quality of life." linking all citizens to create inclusive growth.

"We have relied on the very positive work already undertaken by Glasgow City Council, such as the Avenues project, the low-emission area, the bicycle facilities and the newly formed bus partnership. But a progressive approach to these problems is not enough. The time has come to act in a radical way. "

The commission also said that Glasgow needed better buses to develop and thrive, noting that people in socio-economically disadvantaged areas tended to rely more on bus services.

It calls for bus priority measures and service improvements to reverse the decline in customer numbers and generate 25% pbadenger growth over five years.

The report also calls for the completion of a network of safe, high quality and separate cycling routes connecting the city center to the suburbs and outlying areas, as well as separate bicycle corridors crossing the city center. downtown and connecting these arteries.

The Glasgow Connectivity Commission was created by Glasgow city council chair Susan Aitken last November. He was asked to make independent recommendations on improving connectivity in Glasgow.

In June, he released tentative results showing that Glasgow, compared to similar prosperous European cities, was using a greater proportion of its downtown core used by roads, a lower urban population density, a dramatic drop in urban density, and use of buses and gaps in its fixed rail network. .

A second report will be released early next year and will deal with issues beyond the control of City Council, including the development of the rail network, the strategic road network, and the governance of transportation planning.

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