Description:
In response to the regeneration along the Clyde Corridor,
Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, and West Dunbartonshire Councils
together with SPT have developed proposals for a regional bus rapid
transit (BRT) system called Fastlink to serve key sites along the
rapidly developing northern and southern banks of the River
Clyde.
The Fastlink BRT system will represent a step-change in bus
services in the west of Scotland. It will provide frequent, high
quality and high priority services capable of providing a 'turn-up
and go' service during peak hours. BRT has been selected for
Fastlink rather than tram as it can deliver similar benefits but
operate on roads at substantially less cost and disruption. Some of
the key features of the system will be:
• dedicated ways and lanes, high priority measures on road
and at junctions
• state of the art vehicles
• high quality infrastructure (such as halts, real-time
information, CCTV)
• halts located at 500m - 1000m spacing
• high frequency service at peak times
Government funding of £40m has now been approved for Phase 1 of
the project, providing a link from the city centre to the SECC and
Southern General.
The route still focuses on running along the Clydeside via the
International Financial Services District, the SECC, Govan and the
new Southern General Hospital but will now also utilise the city
centre's main bus corridors to improve journey times and options
further. Connections to the new hospital are crucial. It is
estimated that there will be huge numbers of patients and visitors
every year along with 10,000 staff.
It will also link in with the city's key interchanges at Central
Station, Queen Street Station and Buchanan Bus Station.
Further options to develop Fastlink include a development to
Braehead and the Riverside Museum at an
additional £20m and the option of a scheme going even further, to
Renfrew and Clydebank (a further £80m).
Fastlink could be ready to provide additional public transport
capacity to several key venues during the City's Commonwealth Games in 2014.
An initial phase from Glasgow city centre to Glasgow Harbour was
granted planning approval in 2006. This led to the consideration of
a wider regional scheme and the most recent feasibility study
during 2008/09.
The Scottish Government has now approved a £40m contribution to
the project which allows phase 1 of the project to go ahead.