Digital ‘totem-pole’ cycle counters have been unveiled on Oxford Road in Manchester as part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Cycle City programme.
The high-visibility digital displays are the first of their kind in Greater Manchester and will allow people to see the number of cyclists that have passed the counter that day and an annual cumulative count.
The digital counters have been installed on both sides of Oxford Road close to Denmark Road and are already clocking up thousands of cyclists who are using Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road Cycleway each day.Sensors embedded in the cycle lane and along the carriageway detect passing cyclists who are then added to the count.
Daily counts have already recorded up to 2,300 cyclists travelling out of the city centre, far exceeding any previous figure for this route.
Automatic cycle counters, without roadside displays, have now been installed on a number of the new and improved Greater Manchester Cycleways.The data from the digital display counters on Oxford Road can be checked on the Eco Counters website where it can be compared to other cities with similar counters across the world.
The counters have been funded through Greater Manchester’s ambitious £42 million Cycle City investment programme.
Councillor Chris Paul, Active Travel and Cycling Champion for the TfGM Committee, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people using the new cycle lanes on both Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road.We’re aiming to change Greater Manchester’s travel culture and increase cycling, with a target of 10% of journeys being made by bike in the region by 2025, and the new counters will provide key data on the increase in cycling traffic. As well as collecting crucial information, we hope the digital counters prove to be a hit with cyclists and also encourage more people to get in the saddle and use the new route.Cycling is healthy, affordable and it’s also one of the most sustainable travel choices you can make.”
