August 31 2022

Glasgow City Council has presented plans to reform South Portland Street in the latest stage of efforts to remodel the city centre around active travel.

The ‘Avenues Plus’ project joins similar initiatives at Cowcaddens Road, Dobbie’s Loan and Duke Street to introduce street trees, widen footways, minimise street clutter and introduce cycle lanes & improved lighting.

Funded by Transport Scotland, via the Sustrans ‘Places for Everyone’ programme, the work will connect a short stretch of the surviving street to a planned linear park through Laurieston that follows its original longer alignment.

Once the centrepiece of the Georgian district of Laurieston, South Portland Street was built by architect Peter Nicholson as the broadest street in the area on behalf of the Laurie brothers.

Ironside Farrar have prepared a range of traffic management options to facilitate the changes; including permitting a right turn from Coburg Street at Norfolk Street and reversing the direction of Coburg Street and South Portland Street.

A drop-in event will be held today at 37 South Portland Street between 13:30 and 18:00.  

6 Comments

#1 Posted by Sue Pearman on 31 Aug 2022 at 10:11 AM

I like this proposal, though I think it would be much better if they tried a bit harder to retain the existing trees.
And if they're intending to link into the 'linear park' in Laurieston it might be a good idea to make that wheel friendly/accessible - there's no way of getting onto it from the south side... not 1 drop kerb across the entire length. Nor any route for cyclists through the car barriers or gates, apart from on the pavements. Joined-up thinking is in demand I think.

#2 Posted by dr spok on 3 Sep 2022 at 11:39 AM

The trees benches and and planting should be on the pavement side so pedestrians don't have to cross the cycleway for a seat. The less forced interaction the better.

#3 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 6 Sep 2022 at 09:09 AM

#2 - I kind of agree, on the other hand moving the cycle route away from the road is safer for cyclists.

A compromise might be some planting between road and cycle path, and seating/planting between cyclists and pavement?

#4 Posted by modernish on 6 Sep 2022 at 14:55 PM

Having a look at the revised road layout there does seem to be an inordinate amount of traffic lights! The junction at South Portland Street and Norfolk Street is particularly messy. At the moment there are no traffic lights and people seem to be able to negotiate the junction. In the proposal there are lights for the cycle lane and the road cross both routes!

#5 Posted by Lillian Nish on 6 Sep 2022 at 21:30 PM

#4 don't you get it? Motorists need to be slowed down and journeys lengthened until the penny drops (though most are too stupid to figure it out) and they give up their cars and use public transport.
'Mon the pedestrians!

#6 Posted by G. Bridges on 12 Oct 2022 at 09:30 AM

I noted this morning that Urban Union have locked the gates into Laurieston from the south, which obviously makes this little connecting section completely pointless.

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