ONE of Scotland's most bohemian streets is to undergo a £9 million makeover which is expected to cut the number of cars using it.
Glasgow City Council has revealed work to transform Byres Road and surrounding areas, the epicentre of they city's west end, will begin late next year.
Detailed plans which have yet to be drawn up, could include resurfacing of pavements and roads, new safe cycle lanes, new public seating, planting bushes and trees and a proposal to cut street clutter including street bins and bollards.
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Also up for discussion is the widening of Byres Road pavements.
Locals have long complained about street furniture cluttering the area, poor street signs and the condition of the roads and pavements.
One of the project priorities is to reduce the dominance of the car and make the road more pedestrian-friendly.
Now the council is to seek public views before drawing up a detailed designs for the area expected to emerge in early 2018.
An initial consultation discovered there was wider concern that the southern end of Byres Road was being neglected and more needed to be done to encourage the occupation of empty shops.
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The project is expected to compliment the University of Glasgow's ambitious proposals to expand onto the site of the former Western Infirmary to create a world class teaching and learning hub that is expected to create 2,500 jobs and provide a £130 million boost to the local economy.
The council has appointed a design team – led by local architects Benton Scott-Simmons – to work on the preparation of public realm designs, and from February 2017 they will undertake community consultation and technical design work before construction work begins.
Ann Laird, chairman of the Byres Road Improvement Group, and convener of Friends of Glasgow West, welcomed the development saying: "It has been a long time coming. What we need is a high quality treatment of Byres Road."
She said she hoped that there would be study carried out to examine how the traffic in the area can be better managed.
"We want to have a more appropriate flow of traffic there than we have at the moment. There's way too much traffic," said Ms Laird.
"We would want the pavements to be resurfaced and to a good quality, because they are in a terrible state and the road surface itself does need improving.
"What we want is something that is fit for use for everybody and the overarching aspects are that it has to be high quality aesthetic design, and things that reflect the values of the west end."
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Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety said: “Byres Road is a jewel in the crown of Glasgow’s economic and social life, attracting visitors from Glasgow and beyond to its attractions during the day and at night. This consultation process will help to ensure that it remains in this position by informing how best to shape the Byres Road that everyone with an interest in the area wants, and I would urge all stakeholders to participate.”
A series of public events will form part of the next stage of consultation on the proposed improvements, with the first of these taking place at Hillhead Library on 23 February.
There will be individual consultation processes for each section of Byres Road throughout the rest of 2017 and the first half of 2018.
The council’s regeneration and the economy policy development committee which discussed the proposals heard that priority areas for improvement include Ashton Road car park, Church Street triangle, and corners at Chancellor Street and Great George Street.
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