Manchester walking and cycling consultations enter their final week

  • Monday 10 May 2021

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Two cyclists on a road.

The clock is ticking for residents to have their say on two important walking and cycling schemes in Manchester. 

Consultations are still ongoing on the future of the City Centre and Wythenshawe Active Travel Schemes. 

These two projects intend to make walking and cycling more attractive for people living in these areas and to create long-term and lasting changes to the way people travel. 

Manchester City Council is keen to make sure as many viewpoints as possible are heard before the consultations come to a close, on Friday, 14 May.


City Centre 

In the city centre funding has been secured from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to make travelling between Piccadilly, Victoria and Deansgate stations easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists. 

The focus will be improving areas which are not already covered by existing projects. 

They are: 

  • Deansgate north - Victoria Bridge Street to Blackfriars Street  
  • Deansgate south – Quay Street to Whitworth Street Junction  
  • Whitworth Street to the Albion Street junction 
  • Whitworth Street/Aytoun Street junction along Aytoun Street to Portland Street 


It’s aims will be to: 

  • Encourage more people to walk and cycle along these routes 
  • Link walking and cycling routes to each other  
  • Connect city centre transport hubs 
  • Reduce the risk of casualties from road traffic collisions 
  • Deliver significant health, environmental and congestion benefits. 
  • Expand the area across the city centre where pedestrians have priority, and provide more space for walking 
  • Encourage people to travel across and around the city by walking and cycling 


Wythenshawe 

Wythenshawe is an area where key improvements are needed to walking and cycling infrastructure. 

The existing facilities do not provide a seamless and integrated link into existing walking and cycling networks, and do not connect amenities within the area such as schools, employers and recreation spaces. 

Given the low number of cars owned in Wythenshawe an additional demand has been placed on the need to improve walking and cycling routes. 

The scheme will improve and provide new dedicated cycling and walking infrastructure from Simonsway, crossing Hollyhedge Rd, down Hall Lane, through Wythenshawe Park and through to Chorlton Water Park. The proposed route ties into the airport via a link at Simonsway to the east (also picking up the town centre) and Wythenshawe Hospital cycle link to the west. 


The benefits of this scheme will be:

  • More attractive facilities to get more people walking and cycling 
  • Improved links to public transport for pedestrians and cyclists 
  • Better lighting and drainage to make walking and cycling easier in all weather 
  • Reduced risk of collisions making pedestrians and cyclists safer 
  • Creating a link between Wythenshawe centre, residential areas, places of employment, local schools and the hospital


Councillor Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for Environment, Planning and Transport said: “The Covid-19 pandemic have caused a lot of people to rethink the way they travel. The Active Travel Fund is allowing us to explore how we can encourage more people in Manchester to walk or cycle.

“In Manchester we are committed on becoming carbon neutral by 2038, and as set out in our City Centre Transport Strategy for 90% of morning peak journeys to the city centre to be via walking, cycling or by public transport by 2040.

“Projects like the Active Travel Schemes are just one way by which we will achieve this goal, and I’d encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation and tell us how we can make walking and cycling the first and easiest choice for short journeys."

 

To take part in the city centre consultation click here; or to take part in the Wythenshawe consultation click here.

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