Six new cycling and walking schemes are set to get the go-ahead in Greater Manchester following a £13m funding boost from the UK government’s Active Travel Fund, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
The schemes will be delivered in four districts – Manchester, Rochdale, Salford and Tameside – and aim to make it easier, safer and more attractive for people to walk, cycle or wheel for everyday trips.
Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester, said: “It’s brilliant that we have been awarded more funding from government that will allow us to continue delivering high quality, accessible and safe active travel infrastructure across Greater Manchester.
“Over the next 12 months we will continue to build on the plans to make active travel the number one choice in our city-region for everyday trips to work, school and the shops, or as part of a longer journey using public transport.”
The funding will be used to improve pedestrian facilities, add protected cycle lanes, deliver new crossing facilities and roll out Greater Manchester’s CYCLOPS junctions in five more locations.
Designed by Greater Manchester engineers, CYCLOPS – Cycle Optimised Protected Signal – junctions separate pedestrians and cyclists from each other, and from motor traffic, at junctions, eliminating some of the most hazardous conflicts on the road network.
This is the third tranche of funding that Greater Manchester has received from the government’s Active Travel Fund.
To date, Greater Manchester has received over £19m from the fund to deliver a range of cycling and walking schemes across its 10 local authorities, along with a programme of community projects that encourage more people to walk or cycle.
