Park and ride service for Bishopbriggs Relief Road?
East Dunbartonshire council is currently revising its Local Transport Strategy and will carry out an eight-week consultation exercise. This will include an online survey and drop-in events.
Possible options identified for the Bishopbriggs area include a feasibility study on footpath improvements, with the aim of making travel easier and providing a traffic-free route from Westerhill Business Park to the town centre.
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Hide AdThe council is also to look at actively promoting the new Wester Way walking and cycling route through events, signage and social media. Linked to Westerhill Business Park, Wester Way is considered a “high quality traffic free route”.
Council officers feel that the use of social media and events will prove far more effective in promoting use of the route than simply erecting signage.
The possibilty of building a bus park and ride next to the Bishopbriggs Relief Road is also under consideration. Council officers intend to consult bus operators regarding the feasibility of this.
An alternative location for the park and ride has been identified elsewhere in the area but is deemed less suitable due to cost/benefit analysis and the possible impact of a similar facility proposed by North Lanarkshire Council at Hornshill.
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Hide AdThere are also plans to enhance bus routes, with such measures are realtime passenger information, upgraded stops and shelters, bus priority areas or congestion bypasses. The busy Auchinairn route was given particular emphasis in the report.
An integrated transport hub in Bishopbriggs, designed to make it easy to switch between walking, cycling and public transport, could be created in the town centre.
The report also states that East Dunbartonshire Council is still keen to see a rail station built at Westerhill as per its Local Plan 2 published in 2015.
Although the Scottish Government having confirmed it, has no plans to invest in this. Council officers intend to continue their feasibility studies.
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Hide AdThe report also recommends continuing to Phase 5 of the Bishopbriggs Relief Road project over leaving Phase 4 as the final stage, as this would hinder access to the road from Bishopbriggs and villages in the north of East Dunbartonshire, ultimately “failing to reap the benefits of the full road link.”