Bumper boost to the Bee Network: £137 million investment announced

A total of 18 new cycling and walking schemes with a total value of £137m will be considered by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) next week as part of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.

Local schemes being proposed include plans for a £10.7m cycling and walking corridor between Castleton and Rochdale, plus £1.3m in upgrades along the Rochdale canal corridor.

Plans for one kilometre of new cycle lanes along Manchester Road in Castleton were announced in December, originally under the moniker 'Beelines'.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/124730/council-making-a-bee-line-for-castleton

The multi-million-pound phase two of the project will enhance the existing planned high-quality cycling and walking corridor with 0.7-miles of streetscape improvements, a 0.7-mile cycle street, five signalised junction upgrades and 0.6-miles of segregated cycling track.

Upgrades to the Rochdale canal corridor include improvements to canal towpaths, improved access under a low bridge in Manchester city centre and improved accessibility to four sets of steps.

Councillor Neil Emmott, cabinet member for environment at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “This proposal for a new £10.7m dedicated cycling and walking programme is great news. Important schemes like this boost people’s health and improve the environment by making it easier for them to choose sustainable travel options.  

“By helping to take more cars off the road, it will also encourage our residents to get out and about and enjoy our beautiful borough in the fresh air.”

The Bee Network represents the single biggest investment in cycling and walking ever announced in the city-region and means Greater Manchester is investing around £18 per head per year on cycling and walking; one of the highest levels in the UK.

If the new schemes are approved, this would take the number of endorsed schemes so far to 42, and will deliver 319 new and upgraded crossings and junctions as well as 70 miles of new cycling and walking routes. This includes 14 miles of Dutch-style cycle lanes that are protected from motor traffic.

The latest schemes bring the total value of cycling and walking related-projects across Greater Manchester to around £204 million. Around £115 million of this funding is from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund with £88 million coming from local contributions.

Both the canal improvements and Castleton to Rochdale route are being funded by the Mayor’s Challenge Fund.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, added: “This is a hugely exciting time for Greater Manchester – we’re just at the start of a process that will see us eventually compete with some of the world’s best and most liveable cities like Vancouver, Copenhagen and New York City.

“Greater Manchester’s people, along with the 10 districts, have made it pretty clear that enabling more local journeys to happen without cars as part of a wider public transport offer is what is required to support the city-region on so many fronts – congestion, air quality, creating healthier and more connected communities.”

A proposal to initiate a project to bring forward a GM-wide bike hire scheme will also be considered by the GMCA on 29 March.

Transport for Greater Manchester has also proposed an independent research project to investigate using European-style crossings at minor side road junctions to improve safety and enhance the experience for people travelling on foot or by bike. 

Currently, zebra crossing-style markings are only permitted on UK roads where Belisha Beacons and zig-zag markings are also in place and can cost around £30,000.

If European-style crossings were to be permitted in the UK, it would bring the cost per side road junction down to around £500.   

Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “The majority of European cities use zebra crossings at side roads to give a clear and simple message to drivers that they must give way to people travelling on foot. They are used in cities across the world and now we want to see if this approach can work in Greater Manchester. 

“If it can, and with help from Department for Transport, it will enable us to quickly and cheaply ensure that people are much better protected on every-day journeys including trips to school, to the shops, to work.”