Instead of putting down weedy flowerbeds, why not plant trees?

"...the project will examine public demand for walking". Walking should not be a commodity to be 'demanded', it's the city centre after all where walking and the pedestrian experience should be enjoyed. Am afraid that whilst the aspirations of this may be noble the early designs are way too gimmicky and will likely not add to the experience of the city centre.
Btw, agree with #1 and who in their right mind would sit on a bench with a bus passing inches away?
Back to the drawing board boys.

Agree with those above.

GIVE US SOME #$@#!& TREES!!

Proper, substantial ones with a proper, leafy crown as well.

Having trees next an urban road is not as easy as planting them and job done, trees's roots cause damage to Gas, Electric, Water, Phone services under the road, they can be a nightmare. Maybe put some plastic trees in that look realistic.

Why does just about every other city I've been to manage to have tree lined streets?

Plastic trees? Eh, no thanks.

As smart as it looks I do agree there should be some trees.I seen this done in Blackpool no kerbs ! which caused a lot of accidents people just walking staright across thinking its pedestrianised as it resembles it! also blind people got into lots of problems with guide dogs also walking staright out in front of traffic and even worse Blackpool trams it was all in one!!!

Argyle Street sits directly on top of a railway tunnel. I think the tunnel is a couple of feet below the surface of the road and runs the length of Argyle Street from the station at Anderston cross through to Glasgow Cross. It's impossible to plant trees on top of such a shallow tunnel, however looking at this teams work elsewhere I suspect the flower beds may be part of a SuDS system.

Seems a pity to invest such a vast sum in new paving when the end result will quickly be trashed by many of the locals who will quickly add that oh-so-attractive top coat of fag-ends and chewing gum.

You can plant trees, they are placed in large containers which restrict the growth of the tree and the spread of the roots.

This needs trees. Our French and European cousins use Versailles Boxes to plant evergreen trees (and hardy palms). These planters are very decorative in their own right and will add height and interest to the streetscape. The bedding plants will not work as people will walk over it and it will fill with rubbish and look terrible almost immediately.

I agree, flower beds will soon be trashed; we need trees on pots.

Plus, stop putting cars first.

Design this route for pedestrians first, then cyclists and lastly motorised vehicles.

Isn't the consultation to decide what is going to be built and the image just for indicative purposes?

If you're that keen on the trees then pop along to one of the consultations.

I'm sure good people tasked with designing the Glasgow Avenues Project are keen readers of the comments section on Urban Realm, however nipping along might be even better.

You'd need to be absolutely 'aff yur nut' to use the colloquial term to sit on a bench between a bus lane and a cycle lane!

Plant some trees!

Bike lanes on the same level as the pavement are really just a stripe of paint to separate bikes from pedestrians. That won't work for either on such a busy street; pedestrians will wander into the bike lane and cyclists will weave around them onto the pavement. That's OK in a quiet street with few of either but putting cyclists and pedestrians into direct conflict is a disaster on such a busy street.
The flowerbeds are nice in theory, but it would be better to use the space to widen the pavement and build a proper bike lane segregated from both pedestrians and motor vehicles.

#15 yes agreed
The bike lanes should be on a different level to the pavement with a dropped kerb...not difficult to do in the slightest.

I think that the posters are getting too hung up on small issues like trees (I like trees!) and the proximity of benches (in the drawing) to a passing bus.

Argyle St, historically was one of the major radial thoroughfares, but, with the construction of the Kingston Bridge, was chopped into three disconnected parts. The pedestrianisation from Queen St to Glassford St lopped another section off. (I am in favour of pedestrianisation). Trongate, despite the Tron Theatre has, for decades been pretty tacky. So, we need to look at this strategically and look at the entire 3 mile thoroughfare from Partick Bridge to Glasgow Cross. At the west end, we have the connection with a refurbished Byres Road and east of Glasgow Cross a new east end is beginning to emerge.
So, think strategically!!

#17
Slightly o/t but the Tron Theatre has always annoyed me, somewhat. Or rather, its anonymity. In walking past you would never know there are a theatre, bar and restaurant there. One of the busiest thoroughfares in Glasgow and there isn't even a sign outside advertising what's on. A great asset poorly marketed, it's almost as if they're determined to keep it for themselves, and the last thing they want is an audience of unsophisticates going along.

#17 Don't think we are "getting hung up on small issues" as the point of the article and consultation is on how the public realm will look, i.e. trees, benches, paving, etc. Your 'strategic' project would no doubt be worthwhile but think the majority of posts have been relevant. And I do stick by my comments that whilst the aspirations may be noble the design elements presented so far do not appear to either work or enhance the public realm.