Other Transport Scotland Active Travel Programmes

The Transport Scotland Trunk Road Casualty Reduction Programme receives funding from the Active Travel budget to improve pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, with an emphasis on safety. This includes addressing key issues such as severance and providing safe links for communities along the trunk road network.

In 2024-25, the value of this funding was £4.1m and delivered the following types of projects:

• New or improved shared surface
• New or improved pedestrian/cyclist crossings
• Active Travel/ traffic counting
• Signals
• Footway/footpath
• New or improved footway and segregated cycleway
• Path snagging and minor improvement works

Table 7: Trunk Road Casualty Reduction Investment and Delivery Summary for 2023–24 and 2024–25

Year	Investment	New infrastructure length (km)	Upgraded infrastructure length (km)	Projects supported	Partners supported	Average construction cost (£m)
2023-24	£4.5 million	21km		128	12 LAs	0.07
2024-25	£4.1m	3.46	6.80	68	15 LAs	0.12

Case Study: A726 Birniehill to Righead Segregated Cycleway (East Kilbride)

Delivered by Amey on behalf of Transport Scotland, this project introduced 1km of new segregated cycleway and upgraded 1.3 km of existing footways and cycleways along the A726 trunk road corridor in East Kilbride. It marks the first phase of a broader initiative to enhance active travel infrastructure along the A726 and A725 corridors, as outlined within the local East Kilbride Active Travel Plan. The project provides high-quality, inclusive, and safer facilities for walking, cycling, and wheeling and enables active travel for health, leisure, and commuting, with a project value of £650,000. Pictures below show before and after.

The Road Safety Improvement Fund was allocated £9.5m in 2024-25. This funding aims to support LAs in reducing road-related risks and casualties across the local road network. Of the £9.5m funding, £2.0 was provided for targeted road safety measures promoting Active Travel. The goal was to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists in high-risk areas, ensuring safer journeys for those opting for sustainable modes of transport.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets an ambitious goal to become the global leader in road safety by 2030. Backed by national and mode and user specific casualty reduction targets, the framework aims for a 40% reduction in pedestrians killed or seriously injured (KSI) and a 20% reduction in cyclist KSIs by the end of the decade.

The additional funding provided from the Active Travel budget is a crucial intervention to help meet Scotland’s casualty reduction targets and support a shift towards safer, more sustainable modes of transport.

In 2024-25, the value of this funding was £2.0m and delivered the following types of projects:

• Numerous new pedestrian/cyclist crossing facilities, which includes further safety measures such as dropped kerbs and tactile paving
• Junction improvement schemes, including signalisation providing better provisions for those walking, wheeling and cycling.
• Route treatment strategies enhancing safety for vulnerable modes
• Installation of footways
• Traffic calming measures to reduce speeds, which aim to increase the perception of safety and in turn, increase active travel.

Table 8: Road Safety Improvement Fund Infrastructure and Delivery Summary for 2023–24 and 2024–25

Year	Investment	New infrastructure length (km)	Upgraded infrastructure length (km)	Projects supported	Partners supported	Average construction cost (£m)
2023-24	£3.1 million	n/a		54	17 LAs	n/a (see note x)
2024-25	£2.4 million (see note x)	0.2	n/a	44	15 LAs	0.05

Note x: This information was not available in 2023-24

Case Study: Snab Brae Junction Improvement

This project signalised an existing T junction on the Western periphery of Bo’ness on the A904/A993. The scheme included: a new 3m wide footway / cycleway integrating with the nearby NCN, installation of permanent traffic signals at the junction to address safety concerns for all road users, new crossing facilities on the routes for non-motorised users and drainage improvements in the area. Photos below show the junction before and after improvements.