Greater Manchester receives £40.7 million investment for active travel

Credit: Transport for Greater Manchester

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that the region is set to receive an additional £40.7 million investment in its walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure, as it continues to develop the largest active travel network in the UK. Active Travel England (ATE) has confirmed a funding award of £23.7 million to the city region, marking the largest regional settlement in the country.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is also expected to approve the release of £17 million from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund for four major active travel projects at an upcoming meeting. These investments will support Greater Manchester’s long-term goal of creating a comprehensive walking, wheeling and cycling network while unlocking the health and environmental benefits of active travel for residents and visitors.

Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, said: “The news of this funding award from Active Travel England is a sign of confidence in the plan we have here in Greater Manchester for the development of our Active Travel network.”

The funding will be used across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester for various infrastructure projects, with a focus on creating a universally accessible network. The projects include segregated and accessible paths and crossings, secure cycle storage and upgraded junctions.

Among the 13 schemes receiving funding, notable projects include the construction of an active travel corridor along Chapel Street in Salford and a remarkable cycling and walking ‘helix ramp’, as part of the Stockport Interchange development. The helix ramp, a visually striking 180m spiral structure, will connect a new rooftop park to the River Mersey and the TransPennine trail, providing a seamless link for walking, wheeling and cycling.

New devolution deal to advance Greater Manchester’s Bee Network integration plan

Other schemes benefiting from the funding include improved signalised junctions, cycle access packages and walking facilities at various locations in Greater Manchester.

The investment in active travel infrastructure is expected to alleviate congestion on Greater Manchester’s road network, as more people are encouraged to choose alternative modes of transportation. The goal is to achieve one million additional journeys made on public transport, bikes, or foot each day by 2040.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The scale of our ambition in transforming how people get around is huge; with a target for one million extra journeys being made on public transport or by bike or foot every day by 2040. To meet this challenge head-on we are delivering our transformational Bee Network, which will make travelling easier, cheaper and more accessible and connect our trams and buses – and ultimately local train services – with the largest cycling, walking and wheeling network anywhere in the UK.”

GMCA will also discuss the release of funds from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to support the development of additional transport projects, including a new train station, a quality bus route and future rapid transit schemes. Plans to enhance governance arrangements for public transport and active travel will also be considered, with the proposed establishment of a Bee Network Committee to oversee decision-making and take responsibility for the integrated network.