Category: News

Meadows to George Street is one of the winners of Sustrans Scotland’s 2017 Community Links PLUS competition, now known as Places for Everyone. Places for Everyone is an opportunity to conceptualise, design and deliver exemplary and inspirational walking, cycling and placemaking projects in Scotland.

Our vision is to transform cycling, walking, public spaces and accessibility for all on some of Edinburgh’s busiest and most iconic streets.

Our design proposals include new segregated cycleways, wider pavements, and pedestrian priority areas. We propose to close some streets to some types of traffic. We also want to plant new trees and create new public seating areas.

As part of our consultation we wanted to invite people to enjoy a street usually dominated by vehicles, to have time to pause, look up and enjoy the architecture and see the street in a new way.

Join us as we pedestrianise one of Edinburgh most historic streets for a FREE family fun day of buskers, circus performers and incredible art installations on Sunday 9 June, 10am – 4pm.

Street art specialists Open Close will create a huge installation with natural turf covering much of the street road surface. They invite you to claim the space as your own and imagine what Candlemaker Row would be like if it was pedestrianised. How would you use it?

Chris Rutterford is one of Scotland’s leading mural artists and he will be displaying several pieces from his portfolio which largely focus on crowd scenes from iconic Scottish moments. He will also be painting live during the event.

There will be roaming circus performers from Think Circus who will be delivering ad-hoc workshops for any budding acrobats, clowns or jugglers who want to get involved!

A programme of six busking musicians will be playing throughout the day, alongside the Bubble Whisperer, to help bring the street to life.

We invite you to come and participate in this fantastic FREE event and a rare opportunity to see Candlemaker Row pedestrianised! There is no particular schedule for the day and no matter what time of the day you arrive you will be able to enjoy all of our outlined activities.

Date: Sunday 9 June
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Candlemaker Row & Merchant Street

Lowering traffic speeds in towns and cities to 20mph can seem like quite a small change to make to an area, but the move can have a hugely positive effect on local communities and businesses as well as the environment.

Glasgow’s Woodside area has become the latest in Scotland to adopt a lower speed limit. The move, which extends the current 20mph limit in the majority of the city centre, follows on from the completion of Edinburgh’s city-wide reduction in speed earlier this year – which was funded by Scottish Government through our Community Links programme.

Sustrans’ vision is for active travel to become the default option in cities and communities throughout the UK. And there is a growing body of evidence around the world showing that reducing speed limits on roads can reduce the risk and impact of collisions, helps our towns and cities thrive and can make streets more appealing for walking and cycling.

When 20mph limits were introduced in London there was a significant reduction in the number of casualties in road accidents. Evidence from the Department for Transport, meanwhile shows that people on foot are more likely to be severely injured when cars are travelling above 20mph. The move doesn’t just benefit walkers however, and the same study found that drivers were less likely to be injured in collisions at lower speeds.

Safety issues aside, one of the more pleasing findings from Edinburgh’s roll out of 20mph limits was that the changes meant that more children were now playing outside, thanks to the decreased risks. People also report benefits such as less noisy streets – particularly at night – as well as better air quality.

As a winner of Sustrans’ 2017 Community Links PLUS design competition, Connecting Woodside aims to introduce safe, segregated cycle routes, walking opportunities and links to nearby neighbourhoods. However a key part of the project, which is being run in partnership with Glasgow City Council, is also focused on improvements the local area, making it an attractive place to live and visit.
Introducing 20mph limits in residential zones will be key to meeting these aims.

By doing so, the move will help to transform the neighbourhood into a safer, more attractive place for people to live, invest and visit helping to contribute to a healthier, more active Glasgow for everyone.

Find out more about how we can support 20mph schemes in your local area.

Funded by the Scottish Government through our Community Links PLUS design competition, the project aims to transform this busy transport route in the heart of Edinburgh.

Residents are being invited to visit the project webpage to sign up for updates and take part in the online Placecheck tool. The tool allows the public to feedback on what they would like to see improved on specific sections of the planned Community Links PLUS funded route.

Placecheck will be open for feedback until the 31^st July 2018.

There will also be the opportunity to chat with the project team in person on Saturday 21^st July. Tell us what you like, don’t like and what you would like to see improved between 10am – 3pm, near the Greyfriars Bobby statue on the corner of Forrest Road and George IV Bridge.

If you would like to participate but can’t make it along on Saturday, there is also a freepost address:

FREEPOST-RTCHJJEK-TCCZ, G4 MGS, Active Travel Team, The City of Edinburgh Council, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG

Find out more about Community Links PLUS.

Update 31/08/2019: Community Links PLUS has become part of Places for Everyone. Details for the new programme can be found here.

The latest updates on Meadows to George Street can be found at the dedicated project site.

What is the South City Way?

Delivered in partnership with Glasgow City Council, the South City Way will deliver a 3km segregated cycle and pedestrian route from Queen’s Park to Stockwell Street in Merchant City and help transform the environment along the route by creating community spaces and green areas.

South City Way was the first winner of the Community Links PLUS design competition. Managed by Sustrans Scotland and funded by the Sottish Government, Community Links PLUS seeks big, bold and innovative projects to restore the balance of Scotland’s streets in favour of people walking and cycling.

Who can apply for a grant?

To be considered for funding, communities must demonstrate that they are a constituted group.

Projects must aim to either encourage more people to travel by foot or bike, or improve the appearance of areas, alongside the South City Way or within 500 metres of it. This could include, for example, organising led cycle rides, setting up a local walking group or creating a community artwork. It could also mean buying or building planters for trees and plants for a local group to maintain, re-purposing spaces for a community area or cycle parking.

How much can be applied for?

Grants of up to £5,000 are available.

When can I apply for a grant?

Constituted community groups can apply for funding through our online portal.

The closing date for the initial round of applications is 29th August 2018.

For more information read the SCW Small Grants Fund Guidance or for more information contact the team on CLPlus@sustrans.org.uk or call us on 0131 346 1384.

Following extensive community consultation, Glasgow City Council and Sustrans Scotland have announced that they have rebranded the Woodside Mini Holland active travel project as ‘Connecting Woodside’.

The project, a winner of Sustrans Scotland’s 2017 Community Links PLUS (CLPLUS) design competition, will deliver world-class walking and cycling infrastructure throughout the Woodside community. Through its area-based approach, benefits to the community will include improved health, wellbeing and an enhanced environment.

Pupils at St Joseph’s Primary School in Woodside contributed to the rebranding through submitting creative name suggestions which assisted in shaping the brand of Connecting Woodside. Staff and pupils were joined by Sustrans Scotland CLPLUS Project Co-ordinator, Marie Davis, and Glasgow City Council’s Convenor for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, Anna Richardson, to announce the updated branding.

The new identity reflects the aims of the project which is to connect Woodside to the wider city for sustainable travel as well as the Woodside community. This will be achieved through implementing an area-based approach to improve walking, cycling and public space.

Sustrans Scotland Head of Project Delivery, Infrastructure, Matthew Macdonald said: “The new project name, Connecting Woodside, reflects the input and engagement of local Woodside residents and community groups.

“This is an exciting first step in the transformation of the area into a neighbourhood which will be safer and more pleasant for people to live in and travel through by foot or by bike.”

Connecting Woodside originally took inspiration from London’s Mini-Holland competition and transport infrastructure in the Netherlands. Part of the project will include a segregated cycle route along St George’s Road from Charing Cross to Possil Road and will connect to the Sauchiehall Street “Avenue” that is currently being delivered through the City Deal Regeneration.

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction at Glasgow City Council, said: “The pupils have played a key part in helping rename Connecting Woodside. It fits perfectly. This million pound development will connect Woodside to surrounding areas and beyond, making it safer and better for people walking and cycling.

“Connecting Woodside is more than segregated cycle routes and will transform the area through the improved pedestrian and cycling access, increased cycle parking facilities for residents, schools and businesses as well as public realm improvements.”

The proposal also includes the expansion of the cycle network into the city centre, St George’s Road, Woodlands Road, Garscube Road and the Forth and Clyde Canal in a bid to encourage cycling as the favoured commuter option. The project has the potential to provide a launch pad for a similar approach across Glasgow.

In addition to the health and wellbeing benefits that the extensive cycle network will bring to the surrounding area, Connecting Woodside will strengthen local economies and improve road safety encouraging people to walk and cycle.

Susan Allan, head teacher at St Joseph’s Primary School, said: “Staff, pupils and parents have collectively welcomed the Connecting Woodside project which will create safer routes for our pupils to walk and cycle to school, after school clubs and leisure facilities. We’re excited to watch the area flourish and transform into a community that favours transport by bike or foot.”

Successful projects in the CLPLUS competition are funded by the Scottish Government, with local authorities match funding the grant. Connecting Woodside was awarded £7 million for the development of the programme over the next three years with Glasgow City Council providing a further £1 million in addition to city deal funding for Sauchiehall Street.