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Manchester Oxford Road bus stop bypass (image supplied by TfGM)Manchester could make 40 years of cycling progress in a decade says Dutch cycling campaigner
A Dutch cycling campaigner says that Manchester is 40 years behind other cities when it comes to cycling, but believes that this could be turned around quickly if lessons are learnt from what has been done elsewhere.
This week it was announced that Chinese firm Mobike is about to launch its dockless bike-sharing service in Manchester and Salford. While local cycle campaigners welcomed the news, they were quick to point to shortcomings in infrastructure, suggesting that this might still deter people from cycling.
Martiyn van Es of the Cyclists Union of Holland told the Manchester Evening News that cities like Amsterdam were in a similar position to Manchester 40 years ago, but said there was no need for it to take that long to catch up.
“Change is possible. When we formed 40 years ago we were where Manchester is now – but you don’t need 40 years to get there. With some well-chosen things like the bike-share and with good designs of cycle paths in the busiest areas you’re making a flying start.
“There is also now so much knowledge in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany. It took us 40 years because we were the first ones, maybe it will take you 10 or 20. I would invite Mayor Andy Burnham to the Netherlands, ask him to learn from us and reshape Manchester into a cycling paradise.”
Burnham said: “We do need to invest in cycling across Greater Manchester to help improve our health, our air quality and reduce congestion – it makes sense on every level. We need to learn from London, which has shown that you get a shift in behaviour if you give people separate, safer cycling facilities.
“I’m committed to working with our local councils and TfGM (Transport for Greater Manchester) to improve and promote cycling across our city-region, making travel easier and more sustainable.”
Van Es said a change in thinking would be key.
“We have former industrial cities like Manchester in the Netherlands. They are choosing now to make more space for cyclists and less space for cars. It’s not just a question of money – it’s a new way of thinking you need to explore and make your own.
“If you change your way of thinking towards pedestrians and cycling, the city centre will eventually will be more friendly and people will cycle and walk more. Choose to do that.
“People often don’t think it’s a choice – they say they need their car because it’s too dangerous to cycle. But if you also change infrastructure to make it easy then people will choose it.
“But it really is a mindset you have to get into. It’s really important to change the perception of people about cycling. That it’s safe and the easy thing to do.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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14 comments
Cranky, are you suggesting there's a fully functional cycle lane either side with no parked cars, overhanging vans etc.
If so, I may make a trip up and see this rare beast...
We are not at a point where having a go at decent attempts at infrastructure will help. We have a great deal of ambivalence high up but a broadly supportive mayor. We need to highlight the positives to ensure new and better infrastructure is built across the region.
<https://youtu.be/BC8Z9jz5gZI>
Bus stops are almost always the busiest part of the pavement: there are people waiting for the bus while others walk to and from it, all in a small area. Assuming the pavement is a constant width, with no lay-by or similar, the area actually available to walk in is still smaller due to the presence of the bus shelter, assuming there's something more than just a pole with a sign. So wherever there's a bus stop in an urban situation, there's always potential for a bit of crowding. Making a lay-by for the bus to pull into obviously makes the situation even worse (and doesn't benefit the bus driver or passengers – in fact the opposite; drivers are more likely to slow down to let the bus pull out when it's already in the main carriageway). Clearly adding a cycle lane between bus stop and pavement makes the situation even worse for pedestrians, regardless of whether or not it's beneficial for cyclists. This all applies in Manchester, Amsterdam, or anywhere.
Not only does this explain why people are likely to walk in these cycle lanes however distinct they are, it demonstrates how even designs which are intended to benefit cyclists, pedestrians and bus passengers (and which may actually benefit them) is still planned to be secondary to "traffic flow". Yes, even in the Netherlands.
I actually quite like the Oxford/Wilmslow road lanes. Properly separated from traffic.
Sure it's too narrow in many places to over-take slower riders, it's used as part of the pavement in many places by pedestrians especially through Rusholme and it's not been resurfaced throughout so some of the poor surfaces are still there but it's aimed at vehicular transport at a reasonable pace for the average person, not racing through by enthusiast cyclists.
If the aim of segregated infra is to get your mum on a bike (assuming she's not a Wheelers' stalwart), then it's good. Junctions can be tricky but that's always going to be the case.
Could do but won't.
At the moment Manchester has a properly half-arsed approach to cycling. Some of the new developmetns along Oxford Road (student-centre) are actually very good, on a par with some of the segregated stuff in London. Most of it is appalling - cycle lanes that appear and disappear, roads that aren't so much potholed as cratered and tram tracks across it.
It'll need a dramatic change in attitude too, most drivers seem to actively hate cyclists. Should have seen some of the comments on the Manchester Evening News website when that Mobike sharing scheme was announced - no tax, no insurance, cyclists are scum, this will lead to more irresponsible riding blah blah.
Shame they've bollixed the city up with nonsense like in the photo above. Rusholme used to be scary... it's positively suicidal riding there now thanks to the 'improvements'.
I don't know Manchester at all well so I can't comment on the whole route, but the photo here is of a fairly well-executed bus stop bypass -- height differential to separate from pavement; coloured tarmac; bus stop, cycleway, and pavement all sufficiently wide; a zebra crossing to assist bus passengers. My only quibble would be it looks like there's an overly-sharp angle at the entrance.
So, let's not comment on the whole route. Let's just comment on that bit there. 99% of the time, it doesn't look like that. It's full of pedestrians, both generally milling around outside the University and the shops, and 'crossing' to get to the bus stop. Or standing in it waiting for buses, because, hey, it's only a cycle lane.
This used to be a very wide, very safe road for cyclists. Thanks to a box-ticking exercise, cycling is now slower and less safe. Coloured tarmac achieves *nothing*.
I would have thought that as numbers of cyclists increase, the idiots will learn not to stand in the cycle path. Have a friendly word with them perhaps?
As the bus is pulled in on the left, 'm unsure why it is safer to deviate off the road, stop for a crossing and then rejoin the road infront of said bus with the potential for cars to be drifting back left. Think I'd still look to pas on the right and assume the driver knows to check his/her mirrors...
As the bus is pulled in on the left, 'm unsure why it is safer to deviate off the road, stop for a crossing and then rejoin the road infront of said bus with the potential for cars to be drifting back left. Think I'd still look to pas on the right and assume the driver knows to check his/her mirrors...
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The bus stop bypass works very well. On the ones done correctly the cyclway continues and does not rejoin the traffic. One of the biggest risks cycling here was busses pulling in and out of stops, combined with other traffic trying to use it as an oppertunity to overtake the bus. The bypass takes people on bikes away from conflict at the cost of a little speed (although average time to travel the scheme is probably better in reality).
I ride along there every day. It's not perfect; you have to keep your wits about you, but I would never have ridden into town with my young children before and now I've bought a cargo bike to do just that. We do it regularly.
It seems some people have quickly forgotten how bad the curry mile used to be. I think it's a vast improvement. I do wish they'd got rid of more on-street parking and made the pavements and cycleways wider, but that was politically tricky.
I reckon it could get very busy when the mobikes are introduced. 50p to get into town will be much cheaper than the bus for students, especially getting right to your destination, with the ability to stop along the way for cash, etc.
Utter nonsense.
I can only assume you are writing as a cyclist who wishes to keep it's use to similarly hardened enthusiasts and deny everyone else a viable cycling transport option. This attitude is what has kept cycling in the lower than 2 percent modal share doe decades. *Cyclists* spouting this tripe are worse than council apologists for rubbish disappearing paint cycle lanes.