Greater Manchester is set to benefit from more than £20 million of investment in sustainable and active modes of travel.
From building new crossings and improving pavements to expanding the cycle hire scheme, the latest funding allocation – agreed at a meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) – is part of a continued wider ambition to expand walking, wheeling and cycling provision as part of the Bee Network.
It comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham committed with other Mayors of England in July to giving more healthy and green travel options to millions of residents across the city-region.
In Greater Manchester, this means a commitment to continuing the city-region’s ambitious plans around the integrated Bee Network. Working alongside local authorities and partners, by 2027 TfGM anticipates 176km of Bee Network standard segregated walking, wheeling and cycling routes will have been completed across the city-region.
The funding includes £8.6m for improved or replaced surfacing for walking, wheeling and cycling, new crossings and upgraded junctions, bus stops and traffic management and £2m towards maintenance on highways near to schools such as dropped kerbs, improvement of pavements and footpaths and traffic management.
There will be £2m for new or upgraded traffic signal junctions near schools, £1.5m towards new e-bikes and the extension of the existing Starling Bank Bike hire contract to 2028, to continue enhancing the fleet and with the potential to expand the footprint of the existing scheme and £1.7m for schemes that help people make the switch to active travel, including bike libraries, walk to school and learn to ride schemes.
Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey, said:
“Last year’s Active Travel Annual report identified a number of areas that needed significant investment in order to address some of the barriers affecting people from feeling safe enough to walk, wheel or cycle their everyday short journeys.
“The allocation of funding in this latest approval is very welcomed to enable more pavements, cycle routes and crossings to be upgraded, as well as to further develop other parts of the programme across the region for the coming years.”
