The inability of pedestrians to move freely through the Study Area is perhaps the greatest constraint to successful regeneration in Gateshead.

Footpaths are primarily defined along congested road corridors and the physical constraints of roads and the railway tend to restrict opportunities for improvements. Historically, pedestrian underpasses were the main means to cross the principal highway corridors, but these have proved to be hostile and unsafe. A number of these structures are in the process of being removed and replaced with at-grade solutions. These new crossings remain largely unsatisfactory due to the weight of traffic currently using the roads.

A relatively low provision of accessible open space has resulted in poor access opportunities to the parks, though the Quayside benefits from relatively low traffic volumes. Dedicated cyclists facilities, either in the form of cycleways or cycle stands in the Town Centre, are unsatisfactory and the strategy for cycle access remains unclear, primarily due to the pressure of traffic on the road network.