An innovative new plan to create 71 miles of new cycling and walking routes has been unveiled, as part of a proposal for Greater Manchester to create the UK’s biggest network for people travelling by
As well as the new routes, eight miles of Dutch-style segregated cycling lanes and 124 new or upgraded crossing points are being proposed to better connect every community in the borough and to make cycling and walking a real alternative to the car.
The plans are part of a new 1,000 mile long network – named Beelines – which will be the largest joined-up network in the UK and has been developed with all 10 of the local authorities that make up Greater Manchester.
Around 250 million car journeys of less than one kilometre are made per year in Greater Manchester; the equivalent of a 15 minute walk or a five minute bike ride. A large proportion of those trips are school runs. In the Netherlands, 50% of children bike to school every day. In Greater Manchester the number is less than 2%. Beelines aims to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys.
Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “Making more routes in Bolton cycle and pedestrian friendly will make access to some of our wonderful spaces easier and make our borough better connected.
“The new crossings will help connect our residents to a number of routes on bike and foot avoiding busy roads.
“It really will make a difference to our residents and will be good for people’s health too.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I have no doubt that Chris Boardman and Bolton Council will do us proud and make journeys on foot or by bike the first choice for local trips.
“This will help to tackle congestion and it will help to tackle poor air quality, as well as boosting people’s health and fitness levels. We have £160m to get us started and we have a plan that has something in it for every single person in Greater Manchester.”
Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “I have been massively impressed by the political will of Bolton Council to come together to make this plan a reality.
“It’s not really about people using bikes and walking; it’s about making better places to live and work by giving normal people a real choice about how they travel. In doing so, we will make the city region healthier and more prosperous.”
Chris Boardman added: “Planners, engineers and most importantly, local people in each district led on creating the first draft of these plans, which will evolve in the months and years ahead. By involving local people from the very first stage, and enabling them to inform the details of each proposed route and crossing, we will get the outcome they need, not what we think they need.
“That’s why we’ve taken the decision to create a first draft then immediately make it available to the public. This will be Greater Manchester’s network and it’s important that residents’ voices are the loudest, that they own it from start to finish.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, made the decision in March to allocate £160 million of the government’s Transforming Cities fund to the project which brings the total spend on cycling and walking in Greater Manchester to around £15 per head. This funding is at the levels seen in great global cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Further funding streams are currently being identified in partnership with TfGM and the 10 local authorities.
If you want to have your say about proposals, you will be able to pin locations on the online map and add comments from Monday (2 July) at http://ow.ly/miNH30kILw2