Work has started on a new temporary Park and Ride facility in Radcliffe as part of plans to increase the number of parking spaces at both the Radcliffe and Whitefield Metrolink stops, with the intention of opening up the network to more people.
The temporary facility, which will be situated close to Spring Lane School and have enough spaces for 250 cars, is due to be fully operational by mid-Autumn.
Once complete, the temporary Park and Ride will remain open until all works to install an extra parking deck at the existing Metrolink Park and Ride sites in both Radcliffe and Whitefield are finished.
The project will see the number of spaces at Radcliffe and Whitefield increased by 111 to 480 and 123 to 331 respectively.
Councillor Mark Aldred, Chair of Greater Manchester Transport Committee, said: “Ensuring as many people have easy access to public transport for some or all of their journey is critical if we are going to encourage more people to use buses, trams and trains and park and ride plays an important role in the overall development and expansion of the Bee Network.
“By giving more people the opportunity to park and ride we can get more people onto tram services running across Greater Manchester – helping to reduce congestion on the highways, tackle poor air quality and incorporate public transport into people’s travel plans.
“I would also encourage anyone who is able to consider cycling or walking for shorter journeys and part of any longer journeys if at all possible. Greater Manchester has hugely ambitious plans in this space which will see the creation of a safe and convenient cycling and walking network fully integrated with our trams, trains and buses.”
With both the existing Park and Ride sites filling up on a regular basis before the pandemic, the extra spaces being created will provide extra capacity for when occupancy returns in line with forecasts – helping more people access the Metrolink network. To further help residents living nearby, Bury Council introduced a residents parking scheme in the area in November 2020.
It is planned that work will be complete at the Whitefield Park and Ride site by early 2022, and the expanded Radcliffe Park and Ride site will be open by summer 2022.
