Portfolio

Community 2011–2016
Links

Cycling and walking
projects for Scotland

Foreword

The Scottish Government is rightly investing record amounts of funding in active
travel in taking steps to tackle the key challenges that are facing us today. Such as
physical inactivity, reducing harmful emissions, improving air quality and reducing
congestion in our towns and cities, all of which are touched on to a greater or
lesser extent by transport. We are committed to improving the lives of everyone in
Scotland by building more and better active travel infrastructure that gives people
the opportunity to choose cycling and walking as their main mode of travel for
everyday, shorter journeys.
I am proud to support the exemplary partnership that Sustrans and the Scottish
Government are creating with stakeholders through the Community Links Programme
and I am encouraged by local authorities’ appetite for more of the same.
Through Community Links we are beginning to redefine our relationship with the
built environment and making the necessary changes to allow people to enjoy the
beautiful Scottish outdoors and to want to spend time there.
With the vast majority of everyday trips, both in rural and urban Scotland being
5km or less, we need travel options that are non-polluting and puts people and
place before vehicles. Cycling and walking provide those solutions and have the
added benefit of enabling people to introduce more physical activity into their day,
resulting in significant improvements in health and wellbeing and offering a fairly
cheap travel option.
As our Northern European neighbours have shown, active travel can be extremely
enjoyable when you have the right infrastructure and environment in place. Through
the Community Links Programme we are creating safe, pleasant and direct routes
for everyone to enjoy. The Community Links Programme also helps to re-imagine
Scotland’s built environment to promote a sense of place in our streets. Sense of
place is what gives us pride in our physical surroundings and sets Scotland’s towns
and cities apart from others around the world, attracting visitors and business
investment. Evidence shows that people cycling and walking spend more money in
small businesses, helping both our local and national economies to thrive.
I look forward to seeing more Community Links projects being delivered in
partnership with our stakeholders and importantly our communities across Scotland.

Humza Yousaf MSP,
Minister for Transport and the Islands

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Introduction

Sustrans Scotland’s Community Links Programme has
been providing grant funding for cycling and walking
projects since 2010. In that time we’ve funded the
creation of over 700 projects which help people to
walk or cycle for their everyday journeys.

Every year, demand for funding has grown as
communities across Scotland recognise the
opportunity to make better connections to the places
they want to get to. To meet this demand Transport
Scotland’s Sustainable Transport Team, within the
Scottish Government, has increased investment in
Community Links from £3m in 2010 to just under £20m
in 2015 and our partner organisations have delivered
projects with ever increasing levels of ambition and
quality. The Cycling Action Plan for Scotland sets out
a vision that “By 2020, 10% of everyday journeys taken
in Scotland will be by bike.” By building on the success
of Community Links to date, we are working hard to
help Scotland to realise this vision.

The collection of Community Links within this portfolio
represent just a small sample of the huge variety of
projects our partners have completed over the past
six years. From safe routes to school in rural Argyll
to segregated cycleways in the centre of Glasgow,
these links all help to increase the number of people
choosing to travel actively. Our aim is to highlight the
value of simple, safe and convenient connections
that people use regularly and that become a part of
everyday life. We hope this will inspire communities
and local authorities to create even more outstanding
cycling and walking projects in future.

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5

Themes

While each Everyday Communities
project is journeys
unique, they At its heart, the
all share By creating good Community Links
certain infrastructure for people Programme is about
themes to travel by foot or by encouraging people
which are bike, we enable more to enjoy being out
essential to people across Scotland and about in their
their success. to benefit from healthier, community. By providing
We’ve picked cleaner and cheaper communities with the
out some of travel choices. opportunity to shape
the projects their local environment,
which we are facilitating
exemplify greater levels of walking
each theme and cycling.
and inspire
others
to think
differently
about their
public
spaces, the
journeys they
make and the
communities
they live in.

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Innovation Placemaking Enabling
environments
Community Links Great public spaces
funding can allow our should be accessible, No project exists
partners the freedom attractive and full of in isolation and the
to explore ideas, movement. Some success of any new
solutions or concepts of our favourite link depends on its
that help to prioritise Community Links context. Sometimes
people who cycle or projects are those we need to change an
walk. These projects that clearly prioritise element of the overall
provide inspiration and people and place environment, such as
set useful precedents over traffic flow, and lower speed limits or a
for others to follow. make the most of congestion charge, to
the streetscapes that allow more ambitious
surround us. and creative projects
to flourish.

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Index

23

1 10

15
18

12 19

4 11

13 9 2 7 6 20
14 8

3 22 5

16 21 17

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People across Scotland have benefitted from Community Links projects.
We work with every Scottish local authority, the national parks, community
groups, educational institutions, charities, businesses and not-for-profit
organisations. Here is a selection of case studies that show the range and
quality of projects delivered through the programme. More detailed technical
information about each project is available on request.

11. River Lossie Cycleway page 10-11
22. Dorrator Loop page 12-13
33. South-West City Way page 14-15
44. Dunblane Station, Access for All page 16-17
55. Lowland Canals page 18-19
66. Edinburgh to South Queensferry Link page 20-21
77. Bo’ness to Blackness page 22-23
88. Innocent Path to the Meadows page 24-25
99. Barleybank Public Space page 26-27
110. Peterhead Cycle Town page 28-29
111. Connecting the Hillfoots page 30-31
112. Dunbeg Jubilee Path page 32-33
113. Bears Way page 34-35
114. The Helix Paths page 36-37
15 Inverness Campus South Bridge page 38-39
1165. Irvine Cycle Friendly Town page 40-41
1176. Links to Borders Rail page 42-43
1187. Aldourie School Path page 44-45
1198. Connecting Seabraes to the Waterfront page 46-47
2109. The Causey page 48-49
2210. Galston to Newmilns page 50-51
2221. Seven Lochs Route Planning page 52-53
232. Clickimin Path page 54-55

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River An invaluable new path along
Lossie the banks of the River Lossie.
Cycleway
A new traffic-free cycling and walking path
DELIVERED BY passes through the middle of Elgin and on to
MORAY COUNCIL the neighbouring village of Lhanbryde, providing
local people with a safe, attractive and healthy
alternative way to get around.

The natural green corridor along the banks
of the river provided an ideal location for the
new path. Running close to the town centre,
residential and industrial areas of Elgin, the
path provides a direct and convenient option
for people to cycle or walk to work, school or
the shops. The views and sounds of the river
makes journeys along the route pleasant and
enjoyable.

Previously, the only options for cycling between
Elgin and Lhanbryde were to mix with traffic
on the busy A96 trunk road or take a three
kilometre detour. Local people can now enjoy a
wide, level path with lighting, which is safe and
comfortable.

Moray Council worked closely with the River
Lossie Trust, HITRANS and Elgin Common
Good Fund to capitalise on flood alleviation
works to help establish the new path. Sustrans’
volunteers in the area are very active and
support the approach taken by Moray Council.

This project has scope for further development
including linking to north and south routes and
re-routing National Route 1 of the National
Cycle Network to bring visitors into the
settlements to benefit local businesses.

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9km

total route length
opportunity created by

flood
defence

scheme

5

new or replacement
bridges for cycling

and walking

Local resident
Lorna (pictured)
now cycles
almost every
day for trips to
the shops and to
see friends.
The new route
means she
doesn’t have to
go near any busy
roads.

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Dorrator A dynamic partnership
Loop project supported by a local
community group.
DELIVERED BY CENTRAL
SCOTLAND GREEN More and more people in the Falkirk area are now
NETWORK TRUST AND enjoying walking and cycling for everyday journeys
FALKIRK COUNCIL along the River Carron. This is thanks to forward
thinking and strong partnerships.

Falkirk Council and Central Scotland Green
Network Trust (CSGNT) worked together to
develop the concept for the loop and adopted the
idea into Development Plans and strategies. Much
of the match funding for the infrastructure came
from Developer Contributions which was only
possible through Falkirk Council’s inclusion of the
concept within these documents. Together these
paths and bridges complete an attractive and
convenient cycling and walking loop, linking key
destinations in the area.

Communities Along the Carron Association
(CATCA) is a group of volunteers committed
to regenerating the river. CATCA joined the
partnership and took the lead in engaging with the
community, promoting the Loop and encouraging
local people to use the paths for short journeys.

Together, the partnership has greatly increased the
number of people walking and cycling in the area.

“Christine explains more:
We consulted with all 16 communities along
the river. Now use of the river as a recreational and
commuter route has exploded. The new paths and
bridges are amazing. They feel friendlier and safer,
they look great, and, because they’ve been built to
a really high specification, they’re open to people
of all abilities – mums with buggies use the new
bridge to get to the shops, and people at the Forth
Valley Hospital can use the path network. Sustrans
is working with our schools and local businesses
too… all encouraging more people to be more

”active and healthy.

Christine Bell, Chair of Communities Along
the Carron Association (CATCA)

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79%

of people on the path
use the network at least

once a week

7x

as many people are
walking and cycling over
the new Dorrator Bridge

than the old one

¼ of
people

using the paths chose to
walk and cycle rather than
using a car for their journey

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South- Revolutionising the cycling
West environment in Glasgow
City Way with two kilometres of urban
segregated cycleways.
DELIVERED BY GLASGOW Innovative design details to
CITY COUNCIL prioritise cycling movements.

Innovative diagonal Cycling between Glasgow city centre and the
city’s southern suburbs is now safer and more
cycle attractive with the installation of the South-West
crossing City Way.

The route provides two kilometres of cycleway
that’s segregated from other traffic by kerbing,
making it suitable for all cycling abilities. The
route links the Tradeston Bridge in Glasgow
city centre to the densely populated south-west
suburb of Pollokshields. Before the cycleway
was installed, the Tradeston Bridge already
had an average of 600 bike trips a day and
Pollokshields also had a high number of people
cycling, but the cycling environment between
the two was hostile due to multiple road lanes,
heavy traffic and difficult road junctions.

Innovative infrastructure has been used
across the South-West City Way to make
cycling journeys convenient and safe: bus
stop bypasses take the cycleway behind bus
shelters along the route to avoid conflict with
pedestrians; Glasgow’s first diagonal cycle
crossing allows cyclists to cross two arms
of road traffic in one direct movement; and a
‘green wave’ traffic signalling system keeps
people on bikes moving continuously along
the route from start to finish. For the majority
of its length, a three metre wide track has been
provided for two-way cycling.

The South-West City Way is a popular
commuter and leisure route for both cycling
novices and veterans. It passes Shields Road
and West Street subway stations, which provide
cycle parking and give the opportunity for
people to switch to the subway for part of their
journey.

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traffic
lane

removed for
segregated cycleway

20%

increase in cycle traffic
across the Tradeston
Bridge since the route

was completed
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Dunblane
Station,
Access
for All

DELIVERED BY STIRLING
COUNCIL

Local

people helped
shape the design

5 schools
in the area were involved
in creating artwork
for the street

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Ambitious community street “ Residents in
design project to transform
a central area of Dunblane. Dunblane, particularly
those who live on
Stirling Road is an important street in Dunblane Stirling Road, look
as it links the bustling High Street to the forward to the proposed
railway station. Sustrans Scotland and Stirling improvements to the
Council have been working closely with the streetscape. [There is]
local community and businesses to reimagine significant support for
the street. The aim is a space that feels more this area becoming a
welcoming, is people friendly and inclusive. more relaxed public
The team want to create a place that caters space with greater
positively for people walking and cycling as well priority to pedestrians
as those with reduced mobility.
Dunblane benefits from a proactive and ”and cyclists.
passionate community. Representatives from
multiple community groups have played an Tim Hughes,
active role in the project, by influencing the
design at steering group meetings, promoting Dunblane Development
the work and organising engagement events.
Residents and businesses in the area have Trust
also helped to shape the design with their local
knowledge and aspirations for the street
and town.
This is an ambitious project that will see the
entire street transformed with vibrant spaces for
people to enjoy and travel through. The design
will improve access to businesses on the street,
and create a high quality place that people
want to visit and spend time in. The design
complements important assets in the area by
creating spaces on the historic bridge over the
Allan Water and alongside visually attractive
Georgian and Victorian buildings.
Pupils from the local primary and secondary
schools have enjoyed working with artists
to create mosaics and decorative signposts
which form central features of the design. The
artworks highlight and celebrate local wildlife
and places of interest in the area.
Stirling Council has led the detailed design
process and the project will be constructed by
the end of 2016.

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Lowland Linking communities through
Canals the Central Belt. A reliable,
enjoyable green corridor for
DELIVERED BY cycling and walking.
SCOTTISH CANALS
Scotland’s canals attract more than 22 million
110km visitors each year and the towpaths provide
of towpath will be fantastic places to walk or cycle and enjoy the
upgraded by Spring 2017 rich heritage, wildlife and green space offered
by the nation’s waterways.
67% Our partnership work with Scottish Canals
is helping to ensure that the canal towpaths
increase in trips on the Forth provide high quality active travel routes for
and Clyde Canal towpaths everyone. The towpath network in the central
between 2011-2015 belt provides traffic-free routes to schools,
residential areas and local amenities across
1.1m Scotland’s central belt. In many instances, the
towpaths provide the most direct link between
trips on the Union Canal key trip generators, offering an attractive
towpaths in 2015 alternative to driving for short journeys.
Since the Community Links Programme began
in 2011, Sustrans Scotland has invested over
£4 million towards improvements on the Forth
and Clyde and Union Canal towpaths to make
them safe, convenient and easy to access.
In the near future, the entire 110-kilometre
Lowland towpath network will be hard surfaced,
providing walking and cycling paths suitable for
users of all abilities and in all weathers.
Some of the key projects Community Links has
supported include the creation of an extensive
path network within The Helix project (see page
37), towpath upgrades at the Falkirk Wheel and
Bowling Harbour, provision of lighting in the
Falkirk Tunnel, installation of solar lighting studs
along the towpath in north Glasgow, and hard
surfacing large sections of the canal towpath.

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“ The regeneration along

Glasgow’s canal network is
helping to revitalise and renew

”communities across our city.

Liz Cameron,
Bailie and Executive Member for Jobs and
the Economy, Glasgow City Council

“ Investment in the canal

network is certainly paying off
by bringing a massive boost to

”the local economy.

Councillor Craig Martin,
Leader of Falkirk Council

Over £4m
of Community Links funds
invested since 2011

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Edinburgh High quality cycle route
to South for everyday travel.
Queensferry
Link Travelling between Edinburgh and South
Queensferry by bike is now quick,
DELIVERED BY THE CITY OF convenient and enjoyable. People can
EDINBURGH COUNCIL enjoy safe walking and cycling for the
whole five-mile journey.
Consistent Alongside the A90 dual carriageway,
quick journey times due to a new widened and elevated path has
direct route great views over open rolling fields,
giving it a ‘fresh air’ feel despite its
Prioritised proximity to a busy road. The rest of this
and section has also been widened and fully
separated from the traffic using anti-glare
uninterrupted safety barriers.
travel by bike On other sections, reduced speed limits
have calmed the roads and people feel
safer and more relaxed when travelling
along or crossing. Elsewhere, signalised
crossings have been re-aligned and
people on bikes and foot have been
given priority.
As a result, a high standard route now
runs between the off-road paths of
Edinburgh, the Forth Bridges and into
Fife. Many more people now cycle
the convenient route between the two
settlements for work and other journeys,
while others use the route as a link to
longer trips and for leisure.
The route is part of the City of Edinburgh
Council’s Quiet Routes Network, which
encourages new and less confident
cyclists to make everyday journeys by
bicycle. It is also part of National Route 1
of the National Cycle Network.

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“ This A90 corridor is an extremely “ The changes

important part of the network linking have made a
commuters from Fife and Edinburgh huge difference.
to workplaces along this route and I feel much safer
providing a safer route for children and my ride is
definitely more
”to cycle to school. enjoyable. Good
to see so many
Derek Mackay, more people
Former Transport Minister, Scottish Government
”cycling too.
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James Bowler,

who commutes along

the route for work

Bo’ness to Connecting communities
Blackness along the Forth Estuary
waterfront. A traffic-free
DELIVERED BY FALKIRK path that enjoys great views.
COUNCIL
Residents of Bo’ness and Blackness
3x can now enjoy cycling and walking
between their two communities thanks
the number of trips on the path to a partnership between Falkirk Council,
since the improvements Falkirk Environment Trust, Scottish Natural
Heritage, SportScotland, Blackness Area
accessible Community Council, Community Links
and local landowners. The partnership
coastal path has created a high quality, scenic link by
reinstating a coastal path that had fallen into
84% decline due to erosion.
Following the bank of the River Forth, the
of route users say the path path provides a safe off-road route between
has helped them to be more Bo’ness and Blackness along the easiest
gradient possible. Significant improvements
physically active to the coastline were required, so over
a period of two years the team worked
with specialist consultants to consider the
engineering requirements, resulting in 1.6km
of upgraded route.
Local people now use the new path as
part of their everyday travel and it has
encouraged people who are less active
to try cycling or walking. The project has
opened up a large section of the waterfront
for people with mobility difficulties as the
route is now accessible for all users. In
addition, this project has substantially
improved a section of the long distance
routes of the John Muir Way and Route 76
of the National Cycle Network.
The project has been a huge success and
the level of use of the path has trebled.
Falkirk Council is continuing the route
westwards to Kinneil to benefit more
local people.

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“ The link path to “ Many thanks

Bo’ness is amazing, to Falkirk Council,
I can walk or cycle on behalf of our
to town to pick up community, for
some shopping, playing such a major
attend a fitness role in providing this
class or pop out for high quality path,
a pint without having linking us once
to get in the car. Our again with our friends
favourite weekend and neighbours
treat is to cycle
as a family along ”in Bo’ness.
the shore and go
for tea and cakes. Merv Archibald,
Thank you for finally
making this long Blackness Area
wished for
Community Council
”path a reality.

Helen Brown,
local resident

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Innocent A modern city centre
Path to the cycleway, linking key
Meadows off-road paths.

DELIVERED BY THE CITY OF Edinburgh boasts good quality off-road
EDINBURGH COUNCIL cycling and walking paths. However, some of
these paths aren’t well connected. The City
7 metre of Edinburgh Council has been tackling this
problem and this is one of the first sections
wide on-demand toucan to be completed.
crossings Previously, there were a range of barriers
to safe cycling and walking in the area.
Segregated These included high traffic levels, a lack of
cycleways on busy city space for people on foot or bike and difficult
centre streets crossings. Now, segregated cycleways on
main roads and new crossings overcome
Local these issues to make it appealing to travel
by foot or by bike. The segregated
community created murals cycleways make cycling a safe, enjoyable
transforming a forgotten experience and separate the pavements
from the road. The new signalised crossings
corner of the city are very wide and give people walking and
cycling priority and space.
The community worked with an artist
to create two murals which completely
transformed the Gifford Park vennel – a
narrow lane between two buildings. The
space was previously cluttered, unsightly
and virtually unusable. By clearing the
vennel, removing guard railing and
brightening the space with the paintings it
has become an important cycling and
walking link.
The new route is used by high numbers of
students travelling to and from the nearby
University of Edinburgh. It is also heavily
used by people cycling to work and the
shops as it allows cyclists to travel through
busy parts of the city without dismounting.
Importantly the route joins together
other high quality routes to help create a
consistent network.

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“ This new [link] across the

south of Edinburgh is aimed
at encouraging families and
less confident cyclists to have
a go. This is one of many
exciting cycling projects…
and I look forward to seeing
the network grow as we
continue to invest in cycling

”infrastructure.

Councillor Lesley Hinds,
Transport Convener,
City of Edinburgh Council

“ Although [it’s] called

‘Meadows-Innocent’,
many people just use
sections of the route…
for example for local
shopping. So the
scheme is improving
cycling accessibility
for the local area and
a wide range of trips,
just as much as it is a

”complete route.

Dave du Feu, Spokes
the Lothian Cycle Campaign

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Barleybank Transformation of a
Public neglected urban space
Space that now has a great
sense of place.
DELIVERED BY EAST
DUNBARTONSHIRE A small public space in Kirkintilloch has
COUNCIL been dramatically improved to create a
new and vibrant area for the town. Sitting
New space for community alongside the historic Forth and Clyde
Canal and the striking St. Mary’s church,
events the space is now a venue for community
events, outdoor markets or simply a place
Attractive new access to the to sit and enjoy the scenery.

canal Barleybank was redeveloped as part of
the Kirkintilloch Town Centre Masterplan
which aims to promote active travel by
prioritising cycling and walking through
good quality streetscapes and public
spaces.

Relocating a car park access road reduced
traffic levels in the town centre by directing
vehicles to the bypass. It also created a
great opportunity to make a much larger
and more useful public space.

The canal is recognised as a major
asset to the town centre and its visitors.
However, prior to the redevelopment work
it was inaccessible for people with mobility
difficulties. A new attractive ramp allows
people to explore the canal towpath and
off-road network which links Kirkintilloch
to other towns, villages and the City of
Glasgow.

Seating, greenery and high quality paving
help create a distinctive gateway into the
town centre which encourages people
to visit the local shops. Artwork created
by local schools and a community group
celebrates the history of the area and form
important features of the space. A time
capsule buried in the centre of the paving
reveals the local community’s sense of
pride for the town.

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“ I think the changes make for a much-improved environment in the

town centre and will hopefully improve the flow of traffic in the town,

”while allowing pedestrians much more freedom of movement.

Gerry McGarry, Local Teacher

“ We need to protect and enhance the town centre wherever

possible, making it a better place to visit, shop, eat out and live,
now and in the future. I’m fully behind the Kirkintilloch Masterplan

”and its aims.

Peter Ciacca, Local Businessman

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Peterhead Infrastructure improvements
Cycle alongside promotion to change
Town the way a whole town travels
has resulted in well-used and
DELIVERED BY highly appreciated cycling and
ABERDEENSHIRE walking facilities.
COUNCIL
The most effective Community Links projects
are generally those where infrastructure
improvements and promotion have been run
in parallel. To this end, Sustrans Scotland has
supported Aberdeenshire Council’s Peterhead
Cycle Demonstration Town since 2008, with
great success.

Residents and visitors can now enjoy 19km of
cycling and walking paths in and around the
town. To generate excitement and enthusiasm
around the new infrastructure, local people also
benefitted from a wide range of promotional
events and resources. These included
roadshows, training events, web-hosted cycle
challenges, route maps and guided rides.
All of this has been supported by strong and
consistent marketing and publicity through new
websites, outdoor media, social networking and
local radio campaigns.

The results have been fantastic with surveys
across the town showing that cycle levels have
increased significantly since 2010. One of the
new paths, the ‘A90 Missing Link’, created a
shared use path running adjacent to the A90
Peterhead bypass, saw the number of cycling
and walking journeys more than triple in one
year, with almost 35,000 journeys taken in 2014.

The project has been a great success due to
strong buy-in from the local community and
the town-wide, strategic approach taken by
the council. Future developments will include
new cross-town, town centre and coastal cycle
routes, more community partnerships and the
ongoing monitoring of cycle use in the town and
surrounding area.

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“ It’s a real pleasure to see people Over 250
riders attracted by a new,
being active and enjoying these annual family bike ride
facilities, and knowing that we are organised by community
putting in place infrastructure and members
facilities that will support many

”generations to come.

Councillor Jill Webster,

former Provost of Aberdeenshire

Promotional
activities to get the community
involved

Town wide
approach

19km

of routes and paths in
Peterhead

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Connecting the communities of
Clackmannanshire by foot and
bike. A network to celebrate.

Connecting Year on year, Clackmannanshire Council has built
the up a series of Community Links projects which
Hillfoots together form a safe route connecting all of the
communities along the foot of the Ochil Hills and
DELIVERED BY tying into the existing Devon Way. By combining
CLACKMANNANSHIRE a number of projects over a sustained period, this
COUNCIL small local authority has been able to build up an
extensive, enviable active travel network.
networkArea wide
created by a series 2011/12: Cambus to Menstrie
of projects Two kilometers of new path on the line of a disused
railway, a new bridge deck over the River Devon, a
“ We’ve been section of walking and cycling friendly road, a newly
surfaced existing track and on-street route signing
using the new cycle links the settlements of Cambus and Menstrie.
path with specialist
adapted bikes. 2012/13: Menstrie to Blairlogie
It’s great to cycle, A new section of shared use pavement between the
walk or use wheel settlements of Menstrie and Blairlogie allows local
chairs to enjoy the residents to access the towns of Stirling and Bridge
of Allan by foot or bike.
”outdoors.
2013/14: Alva to Tillicoultry
Local inclusive cycling group Alva and Tillicoultry are now connected by a high
quality cycling and walking path, which is set apart
from the nearby A91 carriageway. New fencing,
planting and landscaping and even rebuilding part
of a tee for the neighbouring golf club all helped
ensure the highest quality of path was possible. The
path is now a safe, direct and convenient way for
local children to walk, bike or scoot to school at Alva
Academy.

2014/15: Tillicoultry to Dollar
A three metre wide sealed surface, active travel
route linking the villages of Tillicoultry and Dollar to
Strathdevon Primary School, Dollar Civic Centre
and Dollar Community Health Centre. It completes
the last section of the Hillfoots and Alloa to Dollar
route. The paths have since been selected for
Sustrans Greener Greenways project, a large scale
project to survey, protect and enhance biodiversity
along traffic-free paths.

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31

Safely connecting a school
to its community in rural
Argyll.

Dunbeg The local community of Dunbeg was very
Jubilee concerned about child safety and traffic
Path congestion caused by the school drop-
off. Parents and teachers set up a vehicle
DELIVERED BY drop-off zone and walking bus system
ARGYLL AND BUTE to manage the congestion, but more
COUNCIL could be done to remedy the situation. In
response to requests from members of
Requested by the the community, Argyll and Bute Council
utilised funding from the Community Links
Community and LEADER Programmes to create a safe
route to Dunbeg Primary School.
Safe
The route links the residential area of
route to school Dunbeg village to the primary school with a
250 metre long path and timber bridge.
Links into The local community were heavily involved
with the path creation. At the path’s
National Cycle opening event the community council,
Network community members and the school’s
pupils and staff came together and officially
named the route The Jubilee Path. It
provides a safe, pleasant and convenient
option for making journeys by foot or by
bike away from conflict with vehicles, and
has successfully eased traffic congestion at
the school gates. The path has additionally
become a social asset for local people,
which has been particularly important since
the closure of the community hall.

As part of the project, the consultants
TP&E delivered an assembly to the school
about the construction of the path, using
the topic of site safety and engineering
work to cover subjects in the school
curriculum.

The path also connects the eastern part of
the village to The Caledonia Way, Route 78
of the National Cycle Network and provides
a safe route for walking or cycling to Oban
and has been used for school outings with
the pupils.

32

‘‘

“ The children want to walk more. My child now asks to walk
”rather than go to school in the car.
“ The children like to take their time walking along the path to

and from school. They chat and socialise. In school they’re

”always taking about who they saw or spoke to on the path.
“ Before the route was there I occasionally ran on the road if I

wanted to exercise but now I run on the route which links well
to the NCN and it has made me more mobile. Lots of residents…

”[use] the route as it is away from the traffic.

Quotes from the community

33

Bears The beginnings of a new era
Way of transport infrastructure
in East Dunbartonshire.
DELIVERED BY EAST A segregated cycleway
DUNBARTONSHIRE alongside the busy A81.
COUNCIL
A new 1.3 kilometre cycleway has provided a
Over 1100 much-improved environment for both cycling
cycle trips are taken and walking between Burnbrae Roundabout on
on the new path the outskirts of Milngavie and Hillfoot Station in
on average each week Bearsden. The cycleway allows people who are
not confident cycling on what is a busy road to
Bike priority make local trips, commute, travel to the train
over 4 road junctions station or visit Mugdoch Country Park by bike.
along the route
In 2014-15 East Dunbartonshire Council delivered
the first phase of what will ultimately be an all-
abilities, traffic-free link from Milngavie Station to
Glasgow City Centre, a key commuting corridor.
Using funding from Community Links and
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the Council
replaced advisory cycle lanes along the busy A81
with a fully kerb-separated, bi-directional cycleway.
The Council’s work to improve active travel and the
public realm in the area was nationally recognised
when the project won a Scottish Transport Award
for‘Achievements in Cycling’.

The Council continues to promote the route
through the local media, with short video interviews
on its website and using social media, as well as
with signage, adverts and branding along
the length of the cycleway itself.

3 bus stop 34
bypasses

“ I feel really safe using the “ I basically
”cycleway.
“ This will definitely bought this
bike because
encourage more people to of the Bears
Way… [it’s] the
”cycle. best thing since
“ I think there should be sliced bread.
”more cycleways like this. My car’s sitting
“ It’s a positive move forward. in the garage
”I think it’s fantastic. this afternoon...
a win, win
Quotes from users
of Bears Way ”situation.

35 Local resident

and new cyclist

The Helix An extensive new network
Paths of paths connecting the
communities around the iconic
DELIVERED BY THE new green space. A great
HELIX TRUST example of partnership working.

16 Best known as the home of The Kelpies, The Helix
has regenerated 350 hectares of land between
communities connected Falkirk and Grangemouth into a new urban green
by the paths space. It features an imaginative combination
of cultural heritage, structural engineering and
27km environmental features.

of high quality paths A partnership of Falkirk Council, Falkirk
Community Trust, Scottish Canals and Central
Scotland Green Network Trust have been
supported with Community Links funding for the
design and delivery of The Helix path network
since 2010. There are now more than 27km of
high quality walking and cycling paths throughout
the site, connecting to the 16 local communities
around its boundaries.

The network links into several long distance
walking and cycling routes including National
Routes 76 and 754 of the National Cycle Network
and The John Muir Way. The new paths also form
part of a 16 mile cycle route connecting local
attractions such as The Helix, The Kelpies, The
Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House.

The Helix has rejuvenated the existing Forth and
Clyde Canal by upgrading the towpaths in the
area for people to walk and cycle. One kilometre
of new canal with accessible towpaths was built
to provide an attractive and safe walking and
cycling link between Grangemouth and Scotland’s
extensive canal towpath network.

Future plans for The Helix focus on increasing
sustainable travel to the park - over 2 million
people have visited since the park opened
in April 2014. Investment in local cycling
enterprises is providing more opportunities for
people to cycle and increased promotion is
encouraging commuting and recreational travel
by bike and foot.

36

“With the new Helix paths and the growing cycle network in the
”Falkirk area, you can cycle for miles without ever going near a road.

Ben Williams, Sustainability Officer, The Helix

“ The path is

great, it really
makes us feel
like part of the

”Helix now.

Local resident

37

Inverness A big business and education
Campus destination connected to the
South heart of the city.
Bridge
At Inverness Campus, Highlands and Islands
DELIVERED BY Enterprise (HIE) designed in low carbon
HIGHLANDS AND transport options from the start. The core
ISLANDS ENTERPRISE Campus area offers priority to people walking
and cycling and the site is well served with
Over a network of footpaths and cycleways,
connecting to the nearby Life Science district
1400 and Inverness City Centre beyond.

people cycle or walk the The South Bridge provides an essential new
new link every week walking and cycling link over the railway
line, linking the local communities east of
Inverness with the local Retail and Business
Park, Inverness Campus and onward links to
the hospital and the city centre. The route was
created by utilising an existing agricultural
bridge and creating 500 metres of new path,
offering an attractive, direct and traffic-free
alternative to the much longer route along the
busy A9 and A96 trunk roads.

The bridge is very well used by people cycling
and walking: between February and September
2016, over 50,000 journeys were made over
the South Bridge. Over 11,000 of those trips
were by bike – about 50 per day. It is not only
Campus users that walk or cycle the route;
locals use the bridge to access a variety of
shops and leisure facilities.

priorityCampus area offers

to pedestrians and cyclists

38

Match
funding

from Highlands and
Islands Enterprise

“ The Campus is a great

example of the provision of
safe, pleasant and well thought
through cycle facilities leading
to a marked increase in the
numbers of people cycling to

”their place of work or study.

Karen Thomson,

Senior Manager, Highlands & Islands Enterprise

39

Irvine A town-wide strategy to
Cycle encourage more cycling and
Friendly walking in North Ayrshire’s
Town largest town.

DELIVERED BY NORTH During 2013, Irvine’s residents and businesses
AYRSHIRE COUNCIL were invited to work with North Ayrshire Council
to generate ideas to make the town more cycle
Behaviour friendly. The council produced a questionnaire,
provided pop-up information stands and hosted
change projects were events where local people were encouraged to join
coordinated to complement in.
The aim was to think long-term about
the infrastructure work improvements that would fundamentally change
the way people travel throughout Irvine.
Local As a former new town, Irvine benefits from an
extensive path and open space network, but
community and businesses residents felt that these weren’t being used to their
heavily involved full potential. In particular, the town contains a
number of underpasses and footbridges crossing
wide, fast roads, causing concerns about safety.
Irvine Cycle Friendly Town is still in its early
stages, but already three and a half kilometers
of new cycle paths have been built, along with
other improvements, including dropped kerbs,
cycle counters and additional cycle parking
and signage, while local businesses have been
assisted in supporting their staff to walk or cycle to
work.
A project to renovate and upgrade an uninviting
underpass in the main shopping area will
accompany other actions to make the town centre
feel more people-friendly in the coming year.
Irvine Cycle Friendly Town has been a success
thanks to the combination of improved paths
and routes along with community and business
engagement. Businesses have been supporting
their staff with bike maintenance sessions and free
bike repair kits. This has resulted in more school
children, commuters and older residents getting
on their bikes as part of their day to day life.

40

‘‘

“ The improvements… have benefitted the area as a whole, local

people, people working in the area and local businesses. The project
has improved the overall accessibility of the town and Enterprise
Area and made it more attractive and marketable… Employees
within the Enterprise Area are now regularly using the paths for

”travel to and from work and for lunch time walks.

Marion Francis, Irvine Bay Regeneration Company

41

Links to A blueprint for cycle-rail
Borders integration in rural Scotland.
Rail Quality paths for everyday
trips to stations.
DELIVERED BY
MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL, During planning and construction of the new
SCOTTISH BORDERS Borders Railway line, Sustrans Scotland worked
COUNCIL AND in close partnership with Midlothian Council,
NETWORK RAIL Scottish Borders Council and Network Rail to
identify and implement active travel links to all
stations.
Both councils were keen to make all stations as
accessible as possible by foot or by bike and
so matched Community Links funds against
the pathways created by Network Rail as part
of the project. The resulting links provide safe
and easy access to all the communities along
the line, and tie in with excellent cycle storage
facilities at every station.
Six Community Links funded projects in the
Scottish Borders Council area now provide
good walking and cycling access to new
stations at Tweedbank and Galashiels,
including:
• A new path, including a toucan crossing,

linking Tweedbank to its new railway station
• A walking and cycling link to Clovenfords

and Galashiels town centre
• Well-lit, cycle-friendly ramp linking Wood

Street in Galashiels to the path alongside
the railway
Community Links funded projects in the
Midlothian Council area now provide safe and
easy access to new stations and include:
• New toucan crossings and shared use
paths allowing people to cross the busy A7
to access Newtongrange Station.
• A link across the railway connecting
Bonnyrigg cycleway to Eskbank Station.

42

“ Network Rail worked

extremely productively with
Sustrans, Scottish Borders
Council and Midlothian Council
to ensure that safe routes to
and through stations were
created. Together, these links
help to make the Borders
Railway a modern, safe and

”accessible railway.

Carol Deveney, Network Rail

43

Aldourie A community-led cycling and
School walking path to be proud of.
Path Connecting a community and
school in the Scottish Highlands.
DELIVERED BY
THE HIGHLAND Pupils at Aldourie Primary School near Loch Ness,
COUNCIL can now walk and cycle to school safely thanks to
the creation of a new 700 metre path.
80%
Before the installation of the path, pupils living to
of adults on the path said that the north east of the school who wanted to travel to
their children use the path at school by foot, bike or scooter had to use the busy
B862 road. This was a major barrier for parents
least once a week allowing their children to travel to school alone
and many parents chose to drive their children to
100% school.

of people surveyed said they Since its opening, the number of children being
felt safer using the path driven to school has fallen and many parents now
instead of the road allow their children to travel to school along the
new path unaccompanied.

The path is also being used by the school as a
teaching resource, for cycle training, physical
education and cross country running, mini-beast
hunts and nature watching and even maths
projects.

It is also regularly used by members of the local
community, as well as cycle tourists visiting Loch
Ness, as there are great views of the countryside
from the path.

The path is now part of The Caledonia Way,
National Route 78 of the National Cycle Network,
which runs all the way from Campbeltown at the
southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre to Inverness
in the north.

44

‘‘

“ It’s a lot easier than cycling on the road and it’s a lot safer.
”This will definitely encourage more people to cycle.
“ I would let my kids come up from the village to the school
”and up the path and back again because I know it’s safe.
“ People are more likely to take that route now that there is the

path. It will take a lot of people off the main road. It will make a

”big difference.

Quotes from users of the new path

45

Connecting Bridging significant barriers to
Seabraes cycling and walking.
to the
Waterfront A major project in Dundee has transformed the
walking and cycling experience on the River Tay
DELIVERED BY DUNDEE esplanade and improved walking and cycling
CITY COUNCIL connections between the city’s waterfront area
and the University of Dundee, Seabraes Digital
Media Park and the West End of the city.
Delivered in partnership with Dundee City
Council as part of its wider Waterfront Plan, the
project consisted of two separate stages:
• The reduction of an existing four-lane dual

carriageway down to two lanes, reallocating
road space to pedestrians and cyclists and
creating two new controlled crossing points.
• The construction of a new landmark bridge
spanning 49 metres across the main east
coast rail line. The new bridge was designed
to align with one of the new controlled
crossing points, linking the University and
surrounding area to the existing green
circular cycle route and National Route 77 of
the National Cycle Network.
Before the bridge was constructed there was
approximately a mile in distance between the
existing crossing points over the railway line.
The new bridge is already experiencing high
levels of use and is a modern, elegant structure
that will encourage more sustainable travel in
the future.
During construction of the bridge, the contractor
engaged local primary schools in curriculum
support activities. In conjunction with the
Institution of Civil Engineers and Dundee City
Council, the contractor carried out a two-day
workshop called‘Bridges to Schools’in which
the school pupils built and walked across their
own twelve metre cable-stayed bridge and
learned about civil engineering, teamwork and
communication in the process.

46

49

metre

bridge across the main east
coast rail line

2

carriageway
lanes removed

“ From a staff point of view, and 62%

customers, [the new bridge and path is] of respondents say the
route enhances the area
”a brilliant thing.

Tesco Staff Member

47

The
Causey

DELIVERED BY THE
CAUSEY DEVELOPMENT
TRUST AND THE CITY OF
EDINBURGH COUNCIL

5O0ve0r

people each day were
attracted by the hugely

popular trial

Local community
wants to see a people

friendly
space

48

Inspirational community “ We’re delighted
driven placemaking scheme to
rebalance the streetscape for that The City of
people to enjoy. Edinburgh Council, in
partnership with CDT,
When people feel relaxed, comfortable and has appointed a design
stimulated by their surroundings, walking or team to develop a final
cycling become more appealing travel options. design for The Causey,
Creating a place where people are prioritised based on the ideas and
over vehicles is a main objective of The Causey aspirations of local
project in Edinburgh.
”people.
The project began as part of the Six Cities
Design Festival, when a neglected and car- David Wood,
dominated traffic island was temporarily
transformed into a vibrant tropical island- Chair of The Causey
themed space for local people to enjoy.
Development Trust
The event was a great success and highlighted
the powerful effect that good quality public space
can have on people’s happiness and health.
This was the catalyst for members of the local
community to form the Causey Development
Trust (CDT) and pursue the permanent
transformation of the area into a‘people space’.
Sustrans Scotland was delighted to assist the
trust with support from the urban design team
and Community Links funding.

CDT involved as many people as possible in the
design process, and ensured that everyone’s
input was valued.The design removes road
space to create a flexible, interesting place for the
community, which will play host to community
events recreating the buzz of the historically
significant meeting place.The proposals aim to
make an inspiring place where people feel welcome
when walking or cycling through the area.The
designs celebrate the history of the area and the
surrounding architecture.There are places to sit and
relax and theTrust, with the support of Edinburgh
World HeritageTrust, has purchased an ex-police
box to be used as a community information point.

The City of Edinburgh Council is working in
partnership with CDT to deliver the detailed
design and build of this exciting project.

49

Galston to A valuable local link to
Newmilns improved health and
well-being.
DELIVERED BY
EAST AYRSHIRE A new off-road path is enabling the
COUNCIL residents of Galston in East Ayrshire to
improve their health and well-being by
supporting walking or cycling around the local area.
The traffic-free route links into surrounding
local housing and is safe and pleasant for
economy everyone to use, including children travelling
to the local recreational grounds.
Important asset to The path is wide, level and lit with solar
the annual lighting to allow everyone, including
disabled users, to travel along it at all times
walking of day. A local contractor delivered the
festival project as their first cycling path and has
achieved a high quality finish.
Delivered in partnership with Strathclyde
Partnership for Transport and East Ayrshire
Council, the cycle route has been delivered
in two phases. The shared use path
delivered in the first phase is an extension
of the popular and well-used Sir Chris Hoy
Way which links Galston to the nearby
village of Hurlford. The traffic-free path
was extended to connect to local housing,
then follows quiet residential roads through
Galston village to the local recreation
ground. The second phase of the project
has continued the traffic-free path to the
periphery of neighbouring community
Newmilns. Future phases of the project will
upgrade the existing route from this point to
complete the link into the centre
of Newmilns.
The Kilmarnock Active Travel Hub is
promoting the new route and led-rides have
been organised on the new path. The path
will also be an important additional asset for
the annual Irvine Valley Walking Festival.

50