MILLIONS of pounds are to be spent improving bus and cycle routes in the city.

The city council was awarded £1.7 million by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, £930,000 from the Cycling Walking and Safer Streets project and £1.2m from Sustrans, the UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport.

Council bosses are considering a range of projects which could benefit from the cash.

These include upgrading bus stops in Pollok, Drumchapel and the city centre, giving priority to buses approaching junctions, and new traffic signals at Paisley Road West.

A new bus terminus will be built at either Castlemilk or Summerston and the Tradeston cycle route, connecting the city centre to Pollokshields, will be completed.

Money will also be spent on the development of a stair-free route along the south bank of the Clyde, from Polmadie footbridge to Tradeston bridge, along with improvements to cycle routes linking the north and south sides of the river.

A cycle route, segregated from traffic, will link Pollokshields and the city centre and the Kelvingrove to Anderston cycle route will be promoted.

Alistair Watson, the city council's sustainability and transport spokesman, said: "The funding contributes significantly to improving and further developing the city's transport infrastructure.

"It builds on the £11m invested in cycling infrastructure and £4.6m invested in public transport infrastructure over the last three years.

"The CWSS funding will be used on a variety of projects to enhance cycling, walking and road safety.

"Around £25,000 will be used to organise promotional events such as Bike Week and European Mobility Week.

"The road safety element will be used to introduce a number of traffic calming schemes and minor road improvements.

"These include speed reduction schemes, the introduction of pedestrian crossings and islands and increases in footway widths.

"The cycling scheme will increase the provision of safe cycling routes that are segregated from traffic as well as providing more secure cycle parking."

Mr Watson added: "This funding is great news for Glasgow.

"Projects are selected taking account of feedback from local members, community councils and the findings of safety analysis studies."

vivienne.nicoll@ eveningtimes.co.uk