East Dunbartonshire Council has announced a public consultation on the design element of the next phase of the A81 Bears Way.

Two public forums are to be held – 01 and 07 September – at Milngavie Town Hall to inform future work on the cycleway, which offers protected space for people of all ages to cycle in safety and comfort.

Phase 1 of the Bears Way, funded by delivery partners Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Sustrans, runs from Burnbrae roundabout to Hillfoot.

However, it will not be fully functional until all phases are complete - providing a traffic-free route from Milngavie to Glasgow.

The proposed Phase 2 will run from Hillfoot to Kessington and one of the goals is to address issues which have been identified through engagement to date.

Three other 'drop-in' information events will be held in the Allander Leisure Centre to complement the public forums.


Leaflets are also being delivered to properties in Bearsden and Milngavie - giving people information on how they can get involved and help shape the future of the Bears Way.

In addition a Business Forum will be held on Thursday 18 August and a Design Forum is scheduled for Thursday 25 August - including stakeholders and representative groups. Both of these forums are invite only.

Councillor Alan Moir, Convener of Development and Regeneration, said, "I would encourage as many local residents, businesses and interested groups as possible to get involved and help shape the future of the A81 Bears Way.

"This is an ongoing project and we are working hard to ensure that it works for everyone - residents, traders and visitors - whatever mode of transport they choose.

"The Bears Way provides protected space for children and families to cycle. People who previously would never have dreamt of being able to cycle on the A81 are now doing so and that is great to hear.

"Even though it is only partially complete we are seeing an average of over 1,000 cycle trips a week (November 2015 – June 2016) with 24-hour automatic counters installed to monitor usage.

"Providing a connected, traffic-free route will give people the opportunity to cycle safely and comfortably to local destinations or into the city centre."

Phase 1 of the Bears Way was recently recognised for 'Achievements in Cycling' at the Scottish Transport Awards. 

The Council’s Local Transport Strategy and Active Travel Strategy set out a range of actions aimed at encouraging cycling in East Dunbartonshire. Work supports the national vision of getting 10% of everyday journeys to be made by bike by 2020.

(MH/CD)