Members of the Bee Network Committee have approved the release of more than £20m to progress with key transport infrastructure projects in Greater Manchester.
The latest release of funds – including £10m from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and more than £10m from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund – will go towards a range of projects, each contributing towards the delivery of a high-quality, affordable and fully integrated public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling network.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner, said: “We are moving quickly to bring about improvements that will make a real difference to how people get around Greater Manchester using public transport or when walking, wheeling or cycling.
“Over the next few years more than £1bn will be invested to make bus and active travel journeys better and to make paying more convenient through ‘tap and go’ ticketing. The scale of ambition is reflected in the drawdown of these funds that support continued delivery of the Bee Network across all ten districts of the city-region.”
Integrated ticketing and travel information
To ensure people can travel conveniently and seamlessly on Bee Network services, funding of £7.3m was approved to deliver contactless pay-as-you go across bus and Metrolink services. It means customers will be able to pay via a contactless card or device while using Bee Network bus and tram services throughout the day, with the best value fare automatically worked out and capped for them.
The funds will also be used to help combat fare evasion, with new devices to check whether passengers have paid via contactless, along with a new feature that will enable passengers to see their journey history in the Bee Network app.
Middleton ‘Streets for All’
The ‘Streets for All’ scheme – that will ensure that high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling connections – is currently being developed for Middleton town centre by Rochdale Council. The scheme, which is still subject to further approvals, supporting the wider Masterplan and its ambition to unlock regeneration around the Market Place, creating new housing and establish of a new cultural quarter.
A key feature of the scheme will involve reconfiguring the Market Place roundabout, to include a new public space, better segregated cycling provision around the roundabout and improvements to the underpass to allow sufficient width for shared use between pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists.
The Bee Network Committee approved £0.7m to progress the scheme to a final business case and progress with awarding a contract for the Streets for All scheme.
Improving journeys – Rochdale – Oldham – Ashton
Improving bus routes around Greater Manchester is a Bee Network priority, and a long-term project is already underway to improve the reliability of bus services between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton, along with bettering connections to and from bus stops and the environment along key routes. The route between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton is currently the busiest on the franchised network.
Funding for the project, known as Improving journeys – Rochdale – Oldham – Ashton is being released in phases, and the Bee Network Committee has now released £2.1m of CRSTS funding to develop the Rochdale element of the scheme to Full Business Case. Construction of the main scheme in Rochdale is anticipated to commence in Autumn 2025, subject to further approvals.
Active travel schemes
Walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure is a key component of the Bee Network, enabling people to opt for active modes of travel for shorter journeys through the provision of high-quality, safe and well-connected routes.
Funding for four active travel schemes was approved by the Committee, with a total of £10.46m to be released from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund – a programme of work partly funded by CRSTS. The draw down will enable the delivery of almost 5km of Bee Network standard routes, crossings and junction improvements.
Almost £5m (£4.99m) was approved for cycling and walking infrastructure along Seymour Grove in Trafford, part of a wider programme of work that forms Trafford’s A56 North Active Travel Corridor between Stretford and Manchester city centre.
The Seymour Grove scheme will provide a series of measures along a 0.5km section of Talbot Road, addressing a missing link in the existing active travel network. The wider scheme will link the cycle route to Trafford Bar Metrolink station, see the addition of Starling Bank Bike hire facilities and support the wider regeneration vision for Stretford.
As well as a segregated cycle route, this scheme will provide two fully segregated protected junctions (Chester Road/Stretford Road/Talbot Road and Seymour Grove/Talbot Road) and will enable future development of an active travel route running south along Seymour Grove, connecting to the Chorlton Cycleway.
The committee also approved £2.17m to build a new cycleway in Leigh, along on the A572 St Helens Road from the Bridgewater Canal to Bonnywell Road. This route will also improve the route from Leigh to Leigh Sports Village and Pennington Flash.
In addition, £1.99m of MCF funding will be released to develop a traffic-free active travel route from Wigan town centre to Standish, bypassing the busy A49, and £1.31m to extend the Whelley Loop Line, and build an accessible ramp up to Hall Lane, improving access to Haigh Hall.