By CATHERINE HUNTER 

A MAJORITY of people would like Glasgow to be a more cycle friendly city, new research has shown.

Eighty percent of residents polled said they would like to see more cycle lanes on the city’s roads.

More than 1,100 people were interviewed to find out more about their cycling habits and the impact of using a bike in Glasgow.

More than two thirds reported that more people riding bikes would make the city a better place to live while three quarters said they would like to see the council spend more money on cycling.

The responses, which were unveiled yesterday, have been included in the first Bike Life report for Glasgow.

Inspired by the Copenhagen Bicycle Account, the project, which is funded by Sustrans, is the UK’s biggest assessment of cycling development in 15 different cities across the UK.

The results of the survey have been welcomed by Green MSP, Patrick Harvie.

He said: “This report shows that people want more support for cycling, not just because of its obvious health and environmental benefits, but also because they understand there’s a clear link between becoming more bike-friendly and becoming a better place to live and work.”

Two new cycling projects are planned, one in Glasgow’s south side and one in the Woodside area of the city.

Dr Paula Regener, 31, a researcher at Glasgow University says that the bike is her main mode of transport and she has recently started taking her young daughter, Harriet, in a trailer with her.

She said: “I feel that much more people want to cycle in Glasgow but that there is not enough cycling infrastructure available.

“We need segregated cycle paths on all major roads and sheltered cycle parking for people who live in tenement buildings just to name a few things.”

She adds that becoming a parent has made her more aware of the issues surrounding congested city centres and notes: “Now that I have a young daughter I have become even more aware of the poor air quality on Glasgow’s streets and cannot believe that the city centre is still gridlocked with cars.

“I believe cycle commuting can relieve the city of this issue and improve general health for Glasgow’s population

Councillor Anna Richardson, city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction said: “We want to change the face of cycling in Glasgow.

“Only one third of cyclists feel safe cycling in the city. This drops to a quarter who think it is safe for their children.

“We need more space for bikes and less space for other traffic. There are segregated cycle lanes from Queens Park to the city centre which give priority to walkers and cyclists.

“Of those we asked to take part in our consultation, one third already cycle, one third do not want to cycle but will benefit from the cleaner air and the final one third who don’t cycle but we want to entice them into using a bike.

“We are in the process of releasing e-bikes and are looking to pilot this. This will make the city more cycle friendly.”