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Chris Boardman hails "a real step forward" as Stretford Cycleway opens (+ video)

Segregated route marks final Cycle City Ambition funding - but Bee Network investment continues

A major cycle route including segregated lanes has been completed in Greater Manchester as part of a £42 million investment into making the city-region’s roads safer for people on bike and foot. Ultimately, the 3.2 kilometre Stretford Cycleway will link to other routes forming part of the region’s Bee Network, championed by its Walking & Cycling Commissioner, Chris Boardman.

Besides the segregated lanes, the route, which follows Stretford Road and Talbot Road, sees improvements made to crossings and carriageway surfacing and the introduction of bus stop and parking bay by-passes, as well as cyclist-specific traffic lights.

Boardman said: “This is another great example of new, safe cycling infrastructure being delivered in Greater Manchester to encourage and empower people to get out of their cars and feel more comfortable making everyday journeys by bike or on foot.

“It marks a real step forward in terms of where we want to be, and more people on bikes will help to tackle both air pollution and congestion.

“But it is only the start, we will now be looking carefully at the junctions the scheme runs through to build on what has been delivered and ensure this route is integrated into the wider Bee Network, meeting our high standards and getting a full seal of approval.”

The project is the final one to be completed under the £42 million Cycle City Ambition Grant awarded by the Department for Transport in two tranches, the first, totalling £22 million, announced in 2013 and which together have resulted in more than 50 projects being built across Greater Manchester.

Other schemes constructed as a result of that funding include the Oxford Road and Wilmslow Cycleway, which has proved particularly popular with students and saw more than 1 million journeys made by bike in its first year.

Additionally, in 2018 Greater Manchester announced the launch of Beelines, which it says will create the largest network of cycling and walking routes in the UK, including 75 miles of Dutch-style segregated cycleways. Since renamed the Bee Network, the total anticipated spend on the project is £1.5 billion, and more details can be found here.

> Greater Manchester unveils ambitious plans for UK's biggest network of cycling and walking routes

Commenting on the launch of the Stretford Cycleway, Councillor Stephen Adshead, executive member for environment, air quality and climate change at Trafford Council said: “It’s great to see this new cycleway up and running for the people of Trafford and further afield, helping them to include more active travel in their daily routines, whether that’s walking or cycling the school run, a quick trip to the shops or as part of their commute to work.

“We’re keen to keep momentum going and develop more infrastructure to encourage active travel for our residents and this is only the start.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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16 comments

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

Avatar
burtthebike replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
1 like

hawkinspeter wrote:

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

Not even the tories would be stupid enough to fall for that!

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

Not even the tories would be stupid enough to fall for that!

Yeah, they'd immediately notice, but would they mind if there was a sudden out-pouring of common-sense, data-driven policies from Number 10?

Avatar
burtthebike replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

Not even the tories would be stupid enough to fall for that!

Yeah, they'd immediately notice, but would they mind if there was a sudden out-pouring of common-sense, data-driven policies from Number 10?

After the past ten years, it would certainly confuse them!

Avatar
Kendalred replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

So BJ would become the cycling and Walking commisioner for Gtr Manchester? A garden bridge over the Irwell? I doubt the Mancs would be happy with that!

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Kendalred | 4 years ago
2 likes

Kendalred wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Would anyone mind if we just swapped him for our Prime Minister?

So BJ would become the cycling and Walking commisioner for Gtr Manchester? A garden bridge over the Irwell? I doubt the Mancs would be happy with that!

Okay, so Manchester would suffer short term with the cycling funds being mis-spent on planning a walking-only bridge, but I think that would fall under the umbrella of damage reduction.

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RobD | 4 years ago
2 likes

Where can I get a Chris Boardman? I think the roads here in Essex are crying out for someone with some common sense to actually get behind them and make improvements.

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burtthebike replied to RobD | 4 years ago
2 likes

RobD wrote:

Where can I get a Chris Boardman? I think the roads here in Essex are crying out for someone with some common sense to actually get behind them and make improvements.

I wonder if we could get him cloned?  Or some kind of breeding programme at least.

Avatar
Miller replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

I wonder if we could get him cloned?  Or some kind of breeding programme at least.

CB is ahead of you on that one being as he is father to six children. 

Avatar
burtthebike replied to Miller | 4 years ago
0 likes

Miller wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

I wonder if we could get him cloned?  Or some kind of breeding programme at least.

CB is ahead of you on that one being as he is father to six children. 

How old are they and would he miss one?

Avatar
John_S | 4 years ago
3 likes

This is absolutely fantastic to see and a round of applause to Chris and the team of people working on this to try and design & then deliver better & safer cycling infrastucture for all.

As burtthebike says I'm just jealous that it's not where I live but you have to start somewhere and hopefully this project as a whole in Manchester is viewed as a success and then other towns and cities in the UK learn lessons from this and start to deliver quality & safe cycling infrastructure unlike some of the very poor excuses that are currently being delivered almost anywhere else in the country.

And yes as ktache Norwich has a lot to learn from this project is they are ever to deliver safe, segregated cycling infracture for all instead of some of the sub-standard and dangerous infrasture that is currently in place.

 

 

 

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Metaphor | 4 years ago
2 likes

This makes me like Manchester even more.

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mrchrispy | 4 years ago
3 likes

I use this most days, its a massive improvement. 

The section just after this is terrible but it'll get changed in time. 

 

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burtthebike | 4 years ago
4 likes

Great to see some real quality infrastructure finally being installed in this country, I'm just jealous that it isn't where I live.  Congratulations to everyone concerned and may others learn the lessons quickly.

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mrmusette | 4 years ago
0 likes

Used to commute through this junction, looks better, especially the traffic light bypass if you're going straight ahead, hope that green paint isn't as slippery as the blue paint of the CS in London.

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

I very much doubt that Chris would have signed off on that ridiculous bit of route that seems to be being built in Norwich.

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