Glasgow City Council has launched a new app dubbed ‘the Glasgow Cycling app’, which will let cyclists share information related to their routes, distances travelled, times taken and average speeds anonymously.
The information will be made available for free on Future City Glasgow website. The developers hope that the collected data will aid in taking future investment decisions as well as to bring improvements to the city’s cycling network.
Once shared, the data will generate the most accurate picture of how, where and when people are cycling in Glasgow. The app also shows cycle parking and bike shop locations. Cyclists will also be able to rate the ease of the route or any trouble spots on a rating scale of five.
Other cyclists can then use the shared information to plan their own journeys based on their fitness, confidence and route difficulty levels.
Announcing the app, Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson said “Cycling has huge mental and physical health benefits for individuals as well as environmental advantages for the city.
“The number of cyclists coming into the city has increased drastically but Glasgow City Council is keen to encourage even more people to cycle both for leisure and commuting.
“This new app will provide accurate information which will be extremely helpful when decisions are being made on where and how to upgrade or extend cycling facilities. I hope bikers will seize this chance to contribute directly to work to make Glasgow more bike friendly.”
Victoria Leiper, campaign manager of bike recycling and promotion group Glasgow Bike Station, said: “This is our opportunity, as cycle commuters, to shape decision-making.
“It is perhaps the most pro-active thing we can do.”
The free app is currently available for download from the Apple store, with an Android version to follow on Google Play soon.
