Derek Mackay, member of the Scottish Parliament for Renfrewshire North and West, has officially opened Glasgow Airport’s new £280,000 (US$360,000) cycle route.
The route was developed and delivered in a partnership between Glasgow Airport and Renfrewshire Council, with funding support from the Scottish government through Sustrans Scotland’s Community Links grant program.
Now complete, the project includes a new and improved 2.5km (1.6 miles) route through the airport campus, which links Inchinnan Road with Barnsford Road.
A key element of the project, which also includes new post, ground and bollard wayfinding signage, was the surfacing of a 1.5km (one mile) section of the cycling route through the Paisley Moss nature reserve that runs adjacent to the airport’s runway. This section has been upgraded from a muddy path to a cycling-standard bound surface providing fantastic views of the airfield that users can enjoy all year round.
Mackay said, “I am delighted to have been asked to perform the official opening and also congratulate the airport on their Cycle Friendly Employer Award.
“The Scottish government is committed to building an active nation and has doubled the level of investment in walking and cycling to £80m (US$104m). Providing the infrastructure and increasing changes in behavior is the biggest part of that aim.”
Mark Johnston, managing director, Glasgow Airport, said, “As one of the largest employers in the Renfrewshire area, it is important that we provide the near-5000 people who work at the airport with attractive, sustainable transport options.
“Almost 50% of the people who work across the campus live within a four-mile radius of the airport, while more than 25% live within two miles.
“Providing a sustainable and healthy surface access alternative to encourage people to swap four wheels in favor of two makes sense and we are seeing the benefits already with a steady increase in the number of airport staff cycling to work since the route was developed.
“Our cycle parking bays are always busy and I see more staff and members of the public walking and cycling the route on a daily basis.”