Pedal power for Prestwich

Prestwich is to benefit from a £20 million boost to transform cycling across Greater Manchester.

The Velocity 2025 cycling strategy aims to make the conurbation the biggest British region for cycling facilities, infrastructure and education outside London. The plan is to double the number of daily cyclists by 2015, and then double it again by 2025, with an aim of seeing 10% of all journeys being made by bike by 2025 if additional government funding continues to be made available.

Key to the programme is a series of high quality cycle routes, called ‘spokes’, which will wherever possible be segregated from other traffic.

One of these spokes will be the Prestwich ‘City View’ Cycleway, which will link Manchester city centre from Prestwich and Heaton Park through Crumpsall and Irk Valley. A link to Alan Turing Way will feed into a mainly traffic free orbital cycle route.

Prestwich will also be one of several ‘Cycle and Ride’ stations, with work carried out around the Metrolink station to make commuting by bike easier.

The £20 million investment is the largest award under the Government’s Cycle City Ambition Grant, and comes as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is already investing more than £50 million in a series of measures to improve transport choices, including cycling.

TfGM is working with the ten GM councils and cycling organisations, such as Manchester-based British Cycling, Sustrans and the CTC, to set out a 12-year vision for transforming levels of cycling and increasing the number of people on bikes by 300 per cent.

Prestwich councillor Noel Bayley, Bury’s representative on the TfGM Committee, said: “This is superb news, and will help to transform the daily commute for so many of our citizens. It should also, coupled with education projects, encourage a major take-up of cycling between community facilities and be a truly integrated part of the region’s travel network which is both healthy and environmentally friendly.”

Local resident Rob Trueblood added: “The proposed 'City View' cycleway is to be welcomed as it promises to provide a quiet roads and largely traffic-free and safe route between Prestwich and Manchester. As the number of cyclists seems to be on the rise it is vital that such routes are installed to allow for these growing numbers to enjoy the experience of cycling and to develop their confidence."

Councillor Chris Paul, the TfGM Committee Cycling Champion, added: “Cycling is becoming increasingly popular across Greater Manchester and this funding will allow us to deliver a strategic network of high-quality cycle routes to benefit commuters in areas such as Prestwich and Crumpsall. The new Cycle and Ride facilities at Prestwich Metrolink stop will hopefully encourage even more people to make cycling a part of their daily routine.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 21 August 2013.

Picture attached: Cycles at the ready – Rob Trueblood and Cllr Noel Bayley.