Traffic-free Deansgate
This consultation is now closed.
We are trialling the closure of Deansgate between King Street West and Blackfriars Street to traffic. Vehicle access is for deliveries only, from 6am to 8am. Our further proposals involve:
- Extending this closure one way (in a northbound direction) to Quay Street with a contraflow, allowing cyclists to safely use the northbound lane, separated from traffic.
- Closing St Mary’s Parsonage at the northern end.
- Allowing Deansgate servicing access from King Street West
- Complementing the other measures and improve public transport in the area by:
- Introducing a bus gate westbound on Bridge Street, creating a buses-only corridor from the junction of Bridge Street and Gartside Street into Salford which would include a proposal to make Gartside Street one way, to prevent ‘rat running’.
- Reopening the right turn from Bridge Street onto Deansgate (southbound).
- Considering a new bus gate (i.e.. access for buses and taxis only) on New Bailey Street. The New Bailey Street approach to Chapel Street is one of the worst hotspots in Greater Manchester for delays to buses, with the problem being particularly bad in the evening peak period. Congestion on New Bailey Street and slow traffic in the surrounding area contribute to significant issues, including poor air quality, which exceeds acceptable maximum levels of harmful nitrogen oxide in the air in the Bridge Street and Deansgate areas of the city centre.
This would be done on a trial basis, to allow us to observe and monitor any impacts or issues, and make any required changes.
These proposals are being made to:
- improve air quality - Deansgate is predicted to be at risk of exceeding the legal limit of nitrogen dioxide levels (demonstrating poor air quality) by 2021 (Greater Manchester has made a commitment to zero-carbon by 2038).
- facilitate the passage of pedestrians and to improve the amenities of the area through which Deansgate runs
- improve road safety and reduce the risk of collisions, especially those involving pedestrians and cyclists
- support the aims of the 2040 Transport Strategy for Manchester, including promoting walking and cycling for local trips, and reducing road collisions.
We hope that the closure would also have other benefits, such as:
- increasing footfall,
- boosting economic recovery
- and improving health and wellbeing.
We want to create a family-friendly and age-friendly space at the heart of the city.
We have considered the following priorities in this proposal:
- Access for people with disabilities
- Access for car parks, and links with other local regeneration and economic development plans and projects
- Access for deliveries, waste collection and blue-light services
- Outbound diversion routes and mitigating measures to ensure that traffic is not diverted onto other busy streets
- Public transport – we are talking to bus companies to try to find alternative routes that would still get people as close as possible to where they want to go