DRAFT the Local Transport Plan for Manchester

D R A F T

The Local Transport Plan for Manchester

VERSION 1.6 28 January 2011 FOR EXECUTIVE MEETING ON 16 FEB

Contents Page - UPDATE

Chapter 1: About Manchester - Vision & Strategic Priorities

Chapter 2: Context

• 2.1 The Social Context • 2.2.The Economic Context • 2.3 The Environmental Context • 2.4 The Spatial Context o The City Centre o The Corridor o North Manchester SRF o East Manchester SRF o Central Manchester SRF o South Manchester SRF o Wythenshawe SRF o Manchester Airport

• 2.5 The Transport Context o Bus o Metrolink o Rail o Cycling o Pedestrian Movement and Public Realm o Cycling o Highways o Street Lighting o Road Safety

Chapter 3: The Strategy

• Bus • Metrolink • Rail • Pedestrian Movement and Public Realm • Cycling • Highways, Parking and Servicing • Smarter Choices and Integration • Road Safety

Chapter 4: The Implementation Plan

• Greater Manchester Transport Fund • The Highways Capital Programme To be completed once budget position known

Chapter 5: Delivery and Monitoring (To be completed)

Appendices

CHAPTER ONE

About Manchester - Vision and Priorities

1.1 About this Document

This strategy sets out the Council’s priorities for improving local transport in Manchester. It should be read as part of the Third Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (LTP3) [LINK] and in conjunction with the Transport Strategy for Manchester City Centre (TSfMCC) the City Centre Strategic Plan and the (draft) Local Development Framework.

It also serves as a business plan (2011-2014) for the Transport Board, the Transport Thematic Partnership that supports the delivery of Manchester’s Community Strategy [LINK].

The overarching policy framework and context is provided by the Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS) [LINK], which articulates a clear vision to secure our place as one of Europe’s premier city regions and how transport must develop to support that growth.

The focus of our transport proposals will be to deliver the Community Strategy and contribute to five core objectives set by the Greater Manchester LTP3. They are:

• to ensure that the transport network supports the Greater Manchester economy to improve the life chances of residents and the success of business; • to ensure that carbon emissions from transport are reduced in line with UK Government targets, to minimise the impact of climate change; • to ensure that the transport system facilitates active, healthy lifestyles and provides equality of transport opportunities, and that its adverse health impacts are minimised; • to ensure that the design and maintenance of the transport network and provision of services supports sustainable neighbourhoods and public spaces and provides equality of transport opportunities; and • to maximise value for money in the provision and maintenance of transport infrastructure and services.

In developing this strategy we have considered the role that transport has in supporting people, places and businesses. Investing in our transport system will support the continuing transformation of Manchester and is essential to our economic development and sustainable growth. In parallel we must ensure that all residents have the opportunity to share in the benefits of wealth creation and reduce their dependency

Despite the Council facing significant funding challenges in the short term – especially with regards to transport – there is still a significant amount that needs to be done. Consequently there is a need to “think smart”. Tough decisions will have to be made and plans and strategies may need to change. However, at the same time, new funding opportunities such as Tax Increment Financing and Community Infrastructure Levy may provide new opportunities. The key will be to use these opportunities to deliver

maximum benefits – as has been done with the innovative Greater Manchester Transport Fund. [LINK]

This strategy sets out how we intend to deliver our objectives.

1.2 Developing the strategy This Strategy and Plan have been shaped by our residents, councillors and key business and voluntary sector partners. In developing this strategy the City Council has considered how local transport improvements in Manchester will deliver the broader outcomes described in LTP3.

1.3 What is Manchester? – Original, Modern

Manchester is the “original modern” city, defining the urban, industrial age. On a boom of textile manufacturing our 19th century city shaped the world’s trade, technology and politics. Rapid growth was driven by the innovation and expansion of its transport links that were developed to move - with increasing efficiency - the materials and people that kept the factories supplying the world with Manchester’s goods.

Manchester Transport - Always First 1761 Bridgewater Canal opens - first wholly artificial waterway 1894 Manchester Ship Canal then the world’s largest navigation canal 1830 World's first passenger railway 1904 Frederick Royce met Charles Rolls in the Midland Hotel, Manchester 1919 Manchester to Southport - first scheduled airline service 1992 First trams reintroduced to British streets with arrival of Metrolink 2007 Metrolink - first UK tram network supplied by renewable energy

1.4 Post Industrial Decline Manchester’s growth was not to last. By the second half of the 20th century, Manchester - as with many other British industrial centres - suffered a massive decline in its manufacturing base. The city’s population fell by almost 40% between 1951 and 2001 and deprivation took hold across large swathes of the city.

1.5 Manchester – A City Reborn Over the past 15 years the originality and creative heart and soul of Manchester inspired a successful reinvention. Manchester is now a thriving, diverse city. It is the heart of the Greater Manchester City Region the largest and strongest economic areas in the north of the country, accounting for over 40% of the north west’s total productivity. Manchester is once again the powerhouse of the North of England.

As a place with world-class sports facilities, expanding service industries, one of the highest concentrations of higher education activity in Europe, along with world class cultural and leisure facilities Manchester is the nation's most important destination for overseas visitors outside London.

In addition to the very visible economic achievements and physical improvements in the City Centre there has been significant progress in education, health, transport and crime reduction in recent years, and these provide a solid foundation tackling the long term consequences of the economic and population decline experienced by Britain’s great industrial cities from the middle of the 20th century.

MIER (the Manchester Independent Economic Review) states that; Manchester is probably the UK city outside London most likely to be able to increase its long term growth rate, to access international networks and enjoy strong connections to the rest of the world. However, it is currently punching below its weight given its size. We believe this is an opportunity: the city has the potential to grow faster and to continue to reinvent itself and to regain its historical dynamism.

1.6 Manchester Today

A great deal has been achieved and should be celebrated, particularly in relation to the city’s improved economy. Manchester is the regional centre for finance, commerce, retail, culture and leisure; and one of the largest student populations in Europe. Manchester Airport is the third largest in the UK; as the largest regional airport outside of London, it acts as a gateway to the north of England, parts of the Midlands and North Wales.

The city has hosted many international cultural and sporting events. The Commonwealth Games of 2002 was the most significant multi-sport event to be held in the United Kingdom since the Olympics of 1948. Manchester demonstrated to the world that the UK was more than capable of hosting events of such magnitude and this played a significant part in securing the 2012 Olympic Games for London.

A Mancunian Renaissance Revival of City Centre living - population has doubled since 2003 45,000 new jobs created; estimated £2 billion of inward investment Contemporary cityscape - quality buildings and strong urban design Best UK destination for conferences and conventions Third most popular visitor destination after London and Edinburgh Best UK city to locate company headquarters Successful regeneration of Hulme and Eastlands (Sportcity) Centre of a transport hub, including an international airport Leading sports clubs, first class facilities and entertainment venues

Manchester has the highest concentration of jobs in the conurbation, with 20% of all its employees working in Manchester, generating over 40% of the value added output for the North West region. Within Manchester over a third of all employees are located in the Regional Centre. There is a second significant cluster of employment at Manchester Airport.

Manchester also makes a vital contribution to the national and regional economy. Forecasts show 50% of all future job growth in Greater Manchester will be within Manchester, with strong growth in the Regional Centre and at the Airport. Manchester, along with Leeds is seen as having the momentum, capacity and economic diversity to close the productivity gap between the North and the south-east of England. Although the recent downturn has had an impact on all aspects of the local economy, the level of business activity in the city, together with encouraging signs from the retail sector, suggests that the city has weathered the storm and is well placed to benefit from the recovery. The following chapters provide a summary of the priorities for Manchester - the key issues, opportunities and challenges in each area of the city.

1.7 Setting a Vision - The Manchester Way

The City Council’s vision for improving Manchester is set out in The Manchester Way: Manchester’s Community Strategy (2006-2015). A more detailed spatial portrait and vision is provided in the Manchester Core Strategy The Core Strategy will become the key Development Plan Document in the Local Development Framework (LDF). Taken together with the Community Strategy these documents set out a vision and policy framework for Manchester's future development.

As described in the above section, economic growth has brought in more than £2bn of private investment and created 45,000 new jobs over the past ten years. However, in spite of this renewed success, Manchester is still tackling social problems left by 40-50 years of economic decline. Whilst Manchester is recovering, it still ranks as the fourth most deprived

area in England. There is more work needed to make Manchester a place where people choose to live, work and bring up their children.

1.8 The Community Strategy 2006 - 2015

‘The Manchester Way’ is the city's sustainable Community Strategy. The strategy supports continued economic growth and will ensure that more people and communities share its benefits. The strategy will improve Manchester's economic, social and environmental foundations.

Notwithstanding the current economic situation Manchester’s economic growth forecasts remain valid and will continue over the next decade. It is time to focus on social improvements through effective transport connections that link people to jobs, benefits and opportunities and supports sustainable economic growth and further regeneration.

A larger, wealthier population, where people are living longer, happier and healthier lives and where communities are diverse, stable and cohesive. A developing sustainable transport to promote economic growth All areas of the city will benefit from the city's success, and every neighbourhood will be included Manchester people will be wealthier, live longer, be healthier and enjoy happier lives Children and young people will be safer, more resilient and fulfil their potential There will be more working families Six out of ten homes will be owner-occupied Productivity (Gross Value Added per head) for Manchester will be greater than the UK average Manchester will be in the top 10 of European business cities The city's population will have increased to 480,000 Manchester will be a green city, proud of its rapidly improving local and global environmental performance and the contribution of the environmental sector

1.9 Citywide Challenges

Out of a single vision set out in the Community Strategy and informed by the City Council’s State of the City evidence base we have identified the priorities that most affect the lives of Manchester people and set targets which, when achieved, will raise the performance of the city. The city faces several challenges:

Population will continue to grow – forecast is 480,000 by 2015 Potential for City Centre employment to grow by 50,000 by 2020’s Gap between workplace and resident wages, meaning higher earners choose not to live in Manchester More than half the city’s areas were are the most deprived 10% Male life expectancy in Manchester, whilst improving, remains the second lowest in England, and female life expectancy is fourth lowest Worklessness numbers had been falling steadily over recent years to a low of 55,700 in May 2008, before rising sharply, as a result of the recent recession. Worklessness remains a priority for Manchester Increasing skills attainment remains a challenge. A third of Manchester residents lack qualifications beyond level 1; a fifth have no qualifications at all.

The City Council and its partners - brought together through the work of the Manchester Partnership in delivering the Community Strategy - have identified that the problems of deprivation and persistent worklessness in Manchester lowers productivity and acts as a drag on our economic potential.

Following a review of the evidence base and series of planning sessions carried out during winter 2010 Manchester has considered and confirmed the strategic priorities for the next three-year delivery plan for the Manchester Community Strategy.

MANCHESTER’S TEN STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Place People Promoting economic growth Reducing worklessness

Promoting community spirit and pride Raising ambitions in Manchester

Creating desirable neighbourhoods Supporting families

Making communities safe and feel safer Raising standards in education

Delivering environmental sustainability Improving health and wellbeing

1.10 Improving Transport, Delivering the Community Strategy

Transport is always to be found at the core of every community. The need and desire to travel affects all aspects of our lives, our immediate and global environments and our daily experiences. Transport decisions have a direct affect our health and wellbeing, our sense of place and security, the success and vitality of our neighbourhoods, the economic competitiveness of local centres and the general quality of life of Manchester residents.

The cross cutting nature of transport to improve the lives of people in Manchester means that improving sustainable transport is a priority at national, sub-regional and local level and must therefore be integrated within strategies and investment programmes across public service delivery. Achieving transport outcomes will directly contribute to several of Manchester ten strategic priorities; and indirectly to all of them. The following tables demonstrate the links between transport and delivering the outcomes sought through the Community Strategy

Community Strategy Spine Summary of transport’s contribution

Performance of the economy of An efficient and well functioning transport the region and sub region network is essential to the economic performance of the region and sub-region

Reaching full potential in Accessibility to the transport network is key education and employment to local residents being able to connect to education, training and jobs

Individual and collective self An accessible transport system gives people esteem – mutual respect access to a wide range of leisure and social networking opportunities

Neighbourhoods of Choice Good transport links to jobs, education, shops, healthcare and leisure are important to a successful neighbourhood. Investment in local street infrastructure can also help deliver safe and attractive places to live

Local Priority Transport Contribution and Outcomes

Promoting An efficient and effective transport system, supporting a strong economic Regional Centre, increasing residents’ access to jobs, skills and growth education

Enhanced transport connectivity from employment areas to labour markets to support new jobs in the Regional Centre, increasing the City’s competitiveness and accessibility of the City Centre, airport and other strategic employment locations, by supporting the movement of workers, goods, servicing and loading provision

Public transport improvements to support Manchester’s regeneration of areas and local economies in district, local and City Centres

Creating Improved accessibility by sustainable transport from desirable regeneration and new housing areas to jobs, health and neighbourhoods education facilities, healthy food, services and cultural and leisure opportunities

Well maintained highways, including street, pavements, lighting, drainage and other transport assets and well managed parking and traffic movements minimising the impact of vehicles on residents

Better public realm and environments that encourage more walking and cycling and links to green, open spaces

More pleasant environments, with better air and noise quality that improves quality of life. Making Transport systems that are safe and secure to access and communities travel on, with fewer incidents of crime or anti social behaviour safe and feel safer Safer streets with fewer casualties, a greater sense of security through better lighting, maintenance and animation Delivering Reduce car dependency by providing good access to public environmental transport and more sustainable, smarter transport options and sustainability better provision of information, travel advice and ticketing

Increased uptake of low carbon, low emission technologies and travel options such as hybrid or electric vehicles, car sharing, car clubs and more walking and cycling for shorter journeys Improving Changing travel behaviour supports efforts to create stronger health and neighbourhoods and addresses climate change, obesity, social wellbeing inclusion, and the collective health and wellbeing of residents. Reversing the domination of the car on public space will also improve safety and air quality and give physical environments a better sense of place.

Increased levels of active travel as part of everyday journeys on bike, foot or travelling by public transport

More transport links to open spaces and leisure facilities where exercise can take place and residents benefit from cleaner air, which reduces levels of respiratory disease

Traffic that is managed effectively to make journeys reliable and reduce impact on residents by slowing speeds to create calmer, safer more pleasant spaces for residents.

1.11 Transport Board – Thematic Partnership

The Transport Board supports the Manchester partnership in its delivery of the Community Strategy, by providing a Manchester-specific focus on transport through commissioning and influencing transport interventions that underpin the regeneration, neighbourhood and economic development objectives within the community strategy.

Accountable to the Public Service Board (PSB) for the delivery of a transport network and transport services that will support sustainable economic and social growth; Manchester Transport Board's aims are focused on activities which:

• Deliver Manchester 's contribution to the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (GMLTP) • Boost the City's productivity and create jobs • Tackle worklessness and improve skills • Address the City's social and environmental objectives including the reduction of carbon emissions • Determine the allocation of existing resources to ensure best use of available public and private funding • Identify potential sources of additional funding that will enable the City to deliver its objectives Transport plays a key part by helping to tackle social exclusion, by improving the sustainability of the City and by providing access to opportunity for all Manchester residents. Transport is not an end in itself, but is rather a means to fulfilling the wider economic, social and environmental objectives within the Community Strategy.

The two key priorities for the Transport Board are;

i) ensuring that transport contributes to economic and social outcomes and more generally by ii) contributing to environmental outcomes, which also help to create neighbourhoods of choice, one of the three spines of the Community Strategy.

The work of the Transport Board is therefore vital to delivering the Community Strategy, particularly by supporting the performance of the City Region economy, which in turn will drive each of the ‘spines’.

1.12 Cross Cutting Themes

There area also several specific policy areas where improving transport outcomes will deliver city-wide benefits.

Worklessness & Skills

Access to jobs via transport connectivity is identified as a key priority. The challenge is to connect people from our areas of deprivation to growth areas where job opportunities exist.

We must also work to ensure that transport is not a barrier to people wanting to access training and education opportunities that will improve their skills.

The solutions lie in working through the Transport Board with transport commissioners (such as GMPTE) and transport operators to provide better transport links and working with our front line delivery partners to encourage broadening travel horizons through targeted advice and support on travel information.

Valuing Older People

The Manchester Ageing Strategy provides a framework for making Manchester a good place to live when we are older. Travel can be empowering, affording older people participation, independence and access to cultural or leisure opportunities. Older people tell us that feeling safe and secure on public transport is important to them.

Road safety education, lighting, physical highway and footway improvements are also areas where transport investment can contribute to reducing casualties amongst older people and creating a sense of safety.

The concessionary fares scheme in Manchester addresses the affordability of public transport and so encourages older people to take advantage of free travel, helping with social inclusion objectives. It is important therefore to improve waiting facilities at transport stops and stations to ensure their comfort, safety and easier boarding and alighting from vehicles.

Demand for Community Transport and Demand Responsive Transport in Manchester will continue grow to meet the needs of older people who are unable to use conventional transport services.

Neighbourhood Focus

We know that neighbourhoods with well designed and maintained streets make people feel safer and happier. Good transport planning can reduce the impact of traffic on people by slowing speeds, managing parking, and encouraging alternative modes to private car journeys. To create stronger neighbourhoods places must be accessible, connecting people to essential health and education services, shops and leisure opportunities. Small local transport improvement to improve access or initiatives to promote sustainable transport can make a big difference to the quality of life in our neighbourhoods.

Environmental Strategy – Manchester’s Climate Change Action Plan

We all recognise transport has adverse impacts on the City’s environment and attractiveness. Transporting people and freight produces a quarter of the UK’s CO2 emissions.

The challenge is to reduce the need to travel by the way we plan and build our environment and land-uses. It is also about how well we create accessible services and neighbourhoods, which make it easier for people to choose a low carbon form of transport.

Our focus is therefore to provide practical transport alternatives such as rail and tram networks and safe and practical routes for walking and

cycling; to help create low carbon lifestyles. This is dicussed further in section 7.3

1.13 Third Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (GMLTP3)

Improving transport at the city region level must be underpinned by transport planning and investment decisions made at the sub regional level, given the scale and complexity of transport movements and the way in which Manchester is part of a cohesive city-region conurbation. The key strategic transport planning and delivery framework for Manchester is the Third Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (LTP3) which will set out the overall strategy for transport investment for the next 10-15 years.

LTP3 is the prime document for setting out local transport strategy and policy supported by investment and implementation programmes, including how transport will be better organised, managed and improved to support the delivery of wider strategies such as the Greater Manchester Strategy, the Council’s Community Strategy and Manchester – A Certain Future, the City’s Climate Change Action Plan.

The City Council, along with the other nine Greater Manchester local authorities and the GMITA, agreed the vision for transport within LTP3. This document provides a strategic framework for delivering major transport programmes and local transport priorities for the period 2011/12 – 2014/15. The Core Transport Objectives for Greater Manchester are:

GMLTP3 CORE TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES Economy ensure that the transport network supports the Greater Manchester economy to improve the life chances of residents and the success of business

Carbon/ ensure that carbon emissions from transport are Climate Change reduced in line with UK Government targets, to minimise the impact of climate change

Public Health and ensure that the transport system facilitates active, Safety healthy lifestyles and proved equality of transport opportunities, and that its adverse health impacts are minimised

Sustainable ensure that the design and maintenance of the Neighbourhoods transport network and provision of services supports and Public Spaces sustainable neighbourhoods and pubic spaces and provides equality of transport opportunities; Value for Money maximise value for money in the provision and maintenance of transport infrastructure and services

CHAPTER TWO –

A Snapshot of Manchester Today: The Spatial, Social, Environmental & Transport Challenges

2.0 GREATER MANCHESTER CITY REGION

The Manchester Local Transport Plan and Community Strategy will be delivered within the sub-regional policy framework that is emerging from the City Region programme, which seeks to create a more cohesive and autonomous Greater Manchester.

Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) The Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) - the largest study of our economic future ever conducted concluded that Greater Manchester has the potential to become an economic powerhouse for the UK that would be second only to London. Along with Leeds it is the UK City outside London most likely to be able to increase its long term growth rate, to access international networks and enjoy strong international connections.

MIER also concluded that Manchester is held back by low productivity that stems from persistent worklessness in many deprived areas. Raising skills, improving education, lowering the personal costs of worklessness, and securing greater the labour market connectivity by improving transport, improves the chances of breaking the stubborn cycle of intergenerational deprivation.

The Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS) The Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS), published in 2009, is a coherent plan designed to achieve the ambitions of the City Region. The GMS built on the findings of MIER. GMS sets out the key priorities that need to work effectively for Greater Manchester to achieve its potential.

“By 2020 the Greater Manchester City region will have pioneered a new model for sustainable economic growth based around a more connected, talented and greener City region where the prosperity secured is enjoyed by the many and not by the few”. The Government’s decision in November 2010 to award Greater Manchester Combined Authority status will set the framework for a number of public sector reforms, new powers and responsibilities. There is also a commitment to examine how the City Region can assume greater transport responsibilities and influence, comparable to the powers held by Transport for London. Significant progress has been made in setting out the new governance arrangements under the Combined Authority including the transformation of GMPTE into a new body Transport for Greater Manchester, with a wider range of responsibilities and tasked with delivering an extensive programme of GMS articulated the strategic priorities for transport improvements summarised as:

Prioritising investment in cost-effective major transport interventions; Improving access from residential areas to education and employment; Improving surface access to Manchester Airport; Improving efficiency and reliability of transport network; Improving road safety, enhancing personal safety and security of travellers on the system ; and Developing integrated, low carbon travel and travel demand management

2.1 The Social Context

2.1.1 Support Sustainable Population Growth

By 2015 the city’s population is forecast to increase to 480,000.

Population projections show the city’s population continues to increase at a rate twice the national average. The mid-year estimate in 2008, the latest figure available, shows Manchester’s population was 473,200. This is an increase from 465,200 in 2007.

2.5

England and Wales Manchester 2.0

1.5

1.0 Rate of population growth of population Rate

0.5

0.0 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 Time period Source: ONS revised Mid Year Estimates Figure X below shows the population of Manchester from 2007, and how it is expected to grow to 2032.

Managing that growth within the guidelines of our economic, social and environmental policies will present transport with a number of challenges regarding increasing captivity on networks and managing reliability and resilience. 610.0

590.0 2008 SNPP 2009 GMFM 570.0

550.0

530.0

510.0

490.0

470.0 Population (in thousands) (in Population

450.0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Year Source: 2008-based SNPP, ONS Crown Copyright; 2009 Greater Manchester Forecasting Model, Copyright Oxford Economics Ltd

2.1.2 New Housing, Neighbourhoods of Choice

Manchester currently has an owner occupation rate of only 46%, less than two thirds of the national average. The private rented sector has increased significantly in recent years, and now represents around 20% of the stock. The remaining third is social housing.

In recent years investment has produced significant improvements to residential areas including the quality of the existing housing stock. The apartment market in the City Centre has grown into the previously run down fringe areas of North Manchester also improving the housing offer. There remains a need to create attractive family housing. Transport services and infrastructure will need to keep pace with the scale, location and change in housing provision, in line with the Core Strategy and Strategic Regeneration Frameworks (SRFs).

The regeneration programmes set out in Section X describe additional residential developments. Briefly, the City Centre will see the most intensive development of housing in the City. Household projections and demographic trends suggest that the demand for flats is likely to be considerable in Manchester.

It is expected that a minimum of 11,500 new units will be provided over the Core Strategy period. Key locations for the residential development will be Castlefield, Piccadilly, the Southern Gateway and the Northern Quarter. The City Centre will accommodate 28% of the new housing units to be provided up to 2027.

Beyond these areas, the emphasis is on the creation of neighbourhoods of choice, where people choose to live, because of the quality of life, provision of adequate access to a range of services and facilities centre on district or local centres, which can meet local needs, without the need to travel often.

The majority of new residential development in these neighbourhoods will be in the Inner Areas, defined by the North, East and Central Regeneration Areas. Ensuring good access from these housing areas to employment and opportunities in the Regional Centre will be a key element of this transport strategy

2.1.3 Deprivation: Tackling Worklessness

In spite of the Manchester economy being restructured and new jobs created, the City is still tackling the social, physical and environmental legacy of years of economic decline. Manchester, although improving, is the fourth most deprived district in the country and 60% (check) of the City’s neighbourhoods) are the worst 10% nationally.

The Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS), highlighted two dimensions to the challenge of raising long term growth. These are:- 1. the need to boost productivity; 2. to ensure that all parts of the city region and all its people enjoy improved opportunities as a result of a stronger economy To deliver GMS and achieve the City’s Community Strategy vision, Manchester should organise its resources and energies on:- Improving the skills of residents to meet the job opportunities Creating neighbourhood focus, facilities and identity Improving access to employment and education Reducing congestion on the roads, improving the reliability of public transport and reducing overcrowding This transport strategy has at its core the twin aims of supporting sustainable population and economic growth, whilst connecting areas of deprivation and worklessness to jobs and skills opportunities.

MIER recognised that the barriers to accessing employment and connecting Manchester’s people to wealth creation and opportunity in the City are two fold: transport and skills.

Transport can be a barrier to accessing employment, education and health. Transport infrastructure and traffic can impact on the sense of place, attractiveness and safety of our neighbourhoods.

A spatial characteristic of Manchester is that economic opportunity sits alongside areas of pronounced deprivation. Many of the communities with the highest rates of economic inactivity and unemployment are adjacent to areas of economic opportunity; the most significant of these is the Regional Centre, surrounded by deprived inner areas and Manchester Airport, adjacent to Wythenshawe.

The emerging Local Development Framework Core Strategy has confirmed that our Strategic Employment Locations are all in close proximity to areas of need. Developing transport connections between areas of need and opportunity will therefore be a priority, to ensure access to job and skills by walking and cycling. For commuting Metrolink, rail, and particularly bus, will be vital to improving the quality of life of residents through job opportunities, raising residents wages and reversing inequalities.

Most Manchester’s residents have good access to public transport services and employment, with bus, tram or train services connecting to a transport hub within 30 minutes travel time and interchanging services to access the major employment areas and other opportunities.

However, with deeper analysis it is clear that sub-standard public transport can be counted among the reasons for limiting access to local employment along with a complex range of issues, including reduced transport services at weekends, evening and at night; limited transport or ticketing information; increasing cost of fares; the need to interchange and questions around safety on public transport, particularly at night.

Alongside this, is the need to improve the school attainment levels of young people and the skills base within many of these communities which are significantly below average and don't match the higher skills set required by modern businesses and the sectors attracted to the City.

Providing good transport links to access training and skills opportunities, and removing potential barriers to travel will be a key challenge for this strategy and a key part of the work of the Transport Board.

The average earnings of employees living in Manchester is substantially lower than the average earnings of all employees working in Manchester which suggests that many of the City’s higher paid workers are choosing to live outside the City. It is important therefore to create desirable neighbourhoods where people choose to live. Accessible and vibrant local centres, well maintained street and pavements and links to green open spaces are all part of strengthening neighbourhoods.

Additional growth in employment and housing in the Regional Centre, including the City Centre, Oxford Road, New East Manchester will create a number of challenges for transport in terms of capacity, reliability and encouraging low carbon transport choices. Managing travelling demand, ensuring network performance and minimising the impact of traffic and parking will need targeted interventions and coordination.

2.1.4 Public Health and Wellbeing

Healthy adults, children and young people are the key to Manchester’s continued success. Communities in which people are happier and more satisfied are also communities that thrive, and where people are more likely to be employed, and have better health and relationships. Manchester’s vision is simple - that our people will be wealthier, live longer, be healthier and enjoy happier lives.

The State of the City analysis tells us that there has been positive progress towards narrowing the life expectancy gap between Manchester and the England average. However, the city is starting from a low base: male life expectancy in Manchester remains the second lowest in England, and female life expectancy is the fourth lowest in England. Too many Manchester residents suffer from ill health, resulting in earlier death than in other parts of the UK.

Childhood obesity is closely linked with the early onset of preventable disease and it has recently been estimated that if no action is taken, one in five children in England will be obese by 2010. The most recent figures show that in 2008/09, 22.6% of primary school-age children in Year 6 were obese. Obesity among primary school-age children in Manchester is above the average for the north west region as a whole.

Tackling health inequalities remains the focus of work to improve the health of Manchester residents. The Integrated Business Plan for Public Health in Manchester (NHS Manchester Public Health Directorate and Manchester Joint Health Unit) identifies the following priority areas:

1. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, circulatory and renal disease 2. Cancer (including screening) 3. Respiratory disease/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 4. Obesity, food and physical activity 5. Tobacco, alcohol and drugs 6. Accidents 7. Teenage pregnancy, sexual health and HIV 8. Mental health and wellbeing 9. Maternal and child health (including infant mortality) 10. Oral health 11. Health protection – emergency planning, infection control, immunisation and vaccination 12. Addressing the wider determinants of health

Turning to wellbeing, results from Manchester’s latest residents’ telephone survey indicate the vast majority of respondents were very (31%) satisfied or fairly (59%) satisfied with their life as a whole, with only 5% dissatisfied. In a similar vein, the vast majority of respondents describe themselves as being very (35%) happy or quite (55%) happy with their life, with only 4% not being happy with their life.

Many health problems, such as obesity, mental illness, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and respiratory disease, are related to inactivity or poor air quality, requiring transport solutions and promotional campaigns.

The role of transport is around improving physical activity levels through encouraging more active travel choices; minimising air pollution and road casualties and improving the overall quality and performance of our transport networks to reduce journey delays and make the experience safe, secure and more pleasant. Managing the impact of traffic and parking on our communities is also a major influence on improving the quality of life for our residents.

The main source of poor air quality in the City Centre is transport related, with 52 per cent of total emissions of NO2 coming from traffic. In order to improve air quality for the benefit of residents, workers and visitors, we will need to tackle the growth in road traffic and congestion but also ensure that the increase in public transport capacity is delivered in a cleaner and greener way, and walking and cycling journeys are supported by a range of policies and investments.

Manchester recognises the many benefits of promoting active travel and developing our transport systems and built environments to deliver positive outcomes for public health and wellbeing. The level and culture of cycling and walking is gradually developing, with an ever greater number of people choosing to travel into the Regional Centre by sustainable and active modes. Manchester’s cycle levels are the highest in Greater Manchester. Cycle journeys into the City Centre have doubled in the last 3 years and walking trips have increased by over 80%. However, the modal share of all journeys remains relatively low. To increase healthy lifestyle choices, we need to encourage more people to commute to work on bikes and on foot, where practical, as well as those other every day short distance journeys.

The Council and its partners are also aware of our environmental responsibilities and the need to grow the City Centre in a manner that minimises the impact on local air quality and carbon emissions.

Both Manchester’s Community and Core Strategies identified health as a key challenge. Improving health inequalities is given full regard in the spatial principles and objectives of the Core Strategy and is agreed as being a priority.

Development will be guided on the principle of removing health inequalities and enabling more healthy lifestyles.

To achieve more positive health outcomes Manchester recognises that the way in which we develop the built environment and locate new development, contributes to encouraging healthier lifestyles and making a helpful contribution to the safety and wellbeing of residents.

New development will play a key role in improving health by including the provision of pedestrian and cycling facilities; provision and improving of

access to green, open spaces; sustaining the local facilities and networks that support a sense of wellbeing. Developers will be expected to contribute to public sector investment in infrastructure that will support more walking and cycling journeys.

As a local authority, we will be expected to adequately maintain these assets to ensure walking and cycling journeys are enjoyable and preferable to the car, focusing on those journeys are between 1-5 kilometres, easily achievable for the average person.

2.1.5 Road Safety

We have made good progress in making Manchester’s roads safer. Since a baseline was set (1994-98) the Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) rate has been reduced by 40%, based on the latest available data of 2008 (three- year average data). All other indicators of road safety are showing very positive downward trends and all our targets have been exceeded.

The following analysis is based on Manchester casualty figures from 2005 to 2009.

All casualty figures by user groups are represented as follows

All casualties by user group 2005-2009 3% 4% 5% Car 9% Pedestrian Cyclist TWPV 18% 61% Bus Goods/Other

Our view is that the casualty figures have been reducing because we have concentrated on the hot spot sites with extensive engineering measures. If we are to continue to reduce casualties we now need to begin to move away from concentrated casualty sites and look at the wider picture. With limited funding available there is a need to target our available resources at the most ‘at risk groups’ based on analysis.

Of all casualties the 20-24 age group represent the highest number. Around 75% of all car driver casualties are between the ages of 15 and 39. Nearly half of car occupant casualties are between the ages of 15 and 29 Approx 23% of all car casualties are work journey related Around 54% of all pedestrian casualties are between the ages of 5 and 24 with the 10-14 age group accounting for 17% of all pedestrian casualties Children 11 years old formed the highest percentage of child pedestrian casualties. Overall the majority of child pedestrian casualties occur whilst the child is not a school pupil. 60.4% of older road user casualties were car drivers The age bands from 10 to 15 show the highest number of child pedal cycle casualties, with a peak at 13 year olds. 2.1.6 Road Safety in Areas of Deprivation

Research and analysis that has been carried out suggests that residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to be involved in a road collision, and that children who live in such areas in particular are at a greater risk of being injured. A combination of factors can be cited, for example; poor environment and infrastructure, high population density,

heavy traffic on through roads, high pedestrian activity and poor availability of leisure facilities. This is part of an overall health inequality which is experienced by residents of poorer communities

A report by the Government’s Social Exclusion Unit identified that; • Children from the lowest social classes are five times more likely to die in a road collision than those from the highest social classes, • Child pedestrians from the 10% most deprived wards in England are three times more likely to be injured than those in the 10% least deprived wards.

The recently released ‘Child Casualties report 2010 by Road Safety Analysis Ltd shows children as pedestrians and passengers in cars are the highest risk areas.

2.1.7 Safety and Security around Transport

We have also being doing some good work to make people feel safer around, and on, transport services. Crime on public transport in Manchester, for example, has reduced by % INSERT STAT over 2009/10 compared with the year ending March 2010. These reductions in crime reflect the work of a wide rage of partners committed to providing a safer transport system.

TO BE DEVELOPED FURTHER

2.2 The Economic Challenge

2.2.1 SUPPORTING GROWTH AND JOBS

Manchester has established itself as the North West’s regional capital city and is forecast to grow. Manchester is the largest economy in the region with the highest proportion of jobs; forecasts indicate that during the life of the Core Strategy (2027) growth will be disproportionately higher in Manchester than in other Greater Manchester authorities.

Economic forecasts have predicted that by the decade of 2020 there is the potential to create up to an additional 50,000 jobs just in the City Centre; this is on top of the 40,000 jobs created in the last decade.

Forecasting of Land-use to 2020

The Core Strategy Proposed Option seeks to allocate an additional 200 ha of employment land for B1, B2, B8 and retail uses by 2027 and accommodate 62,000 new dwellings between March 2009 and March 2027, equating to an approximate residential population increase of 122,000.. This is based on an assessment of capacity, demographic trends, and the regional policy framework.

Key locations for major employment growth will be: Manchester City Centre 33ha City Centre Fringe (including Strangeways, Collyhurst, Ancoats, New Islington and Manchester Science Park) 25ha Central Park and Eastlands 65ha Manchester Airport and environs 55ha

As more major employers locate their businesses in Manchester, commuter, freight and servicing journeys are forecast to increase in line with greater business activity, primarily in the Regional Centre, (including mediacity:UK, The Corridor, Salford and Trafford Quays, Trafford Park) and Airport.

The key challenge will be to increase the mode share of public transport and cycling in order to accommodate the predicted 30% increase in inbound journeys, and maintain traffic at current levels, whilst improving traffic movements that will minimise traffic impact on the City Centre. Investing and managing demand to accommodate this level of growth will be essential if we are to maximise our potential for economic growth.

There are also other complex travel patterns to consider, such as those along orbital directions from residential areas to employment locations, across authority boundaries; multiple journeys that are linked; shift patterns and weekend working; adding further, often different, pressures to transport networks.

In developing the Local Development Framework and the Core Strategy there is an understanding of how the city will be shaped over the next decade, in terms of land use for commercial or residential purposes. Transport planning decisions will be taken in this context.

The Core Strategy confirms that strong growth will occur primarily in the Regional Centre and Manchester Airport; the airport having emerged as a potential concentration for employment uses. More detailed spatial portraits of each regeneration area follow, helping to inform the challenges being faced in each area of the city and how regeneration and transport programmes can be integrated to transform deprived areas by supporting local economies and strengthening our neighbourhoods.

2.2.2 Strategic Employment Locations

The Core Strategy has confirmed the provision of a range of employment locations throughout the City to meet the demands of businesses. Strategic Employment Locations help direct investment and business growth to locations where supply meets demand and offers opportunities for the City to meet regeneration objectives. The following Key Diagram represents how the different parts of the City, will develop over the lifetime of the Core Strategy, and shows the distribution of development across Manchester. The residential development in each Regeneration Area is indicated, along with all the City Centre, Regional Centre, District Centres, Strategic Housing and Employment Locations and the Airport Strategic Site.

The diagram shows the Regional Centre will continue to be the main focus for business, retail, higher education, leisure, cultural and tourism development, to further develop its role as the main employment location and primary economic driver of the City region.

To support the spatial pattern of economic growth, particularly in the Regional Centre, and the new areas of housing, further investments in the transport infrastructure and services will be required at specific locations to alleviate pressure on the key transport corridors that are already operating close to capacity. Enhancing the connectivity by public transport between labour markets to the employment locations will be essential or we risk constraining potential growth through the lack of a skilled labour force or forcing more traffic onto already congested routes. As discussed above in the section on deprivation and worklessness the Strategic Employment Locations are all close to areas of need. Transport interventions will play a key role in connecting people with jobs.

The thrust of this transport strategy will be for the City Council to work with TfGM/GMPTE, the transport operators, private sector and other partners to develop Manchester’s transport system in order to accommodate sustainable population and employment growth.

The City Council will, through the Transport Strategy for Manchester City Centre (TSfMCC), seek to maintain access to the Regional Centre, improve the capacity and reliability of journeys on key corridors and radial routes, to improve peoples access to jobs, connect employment locations to labour markets, and support freight and business travel demands.

The Greater Manchester Transport Fund and TSfMCC will be the main investment frameworks for achieving this policy and our approach.

The details of the strategy and spending programmes are set out in Chapter 3 and 4.

2.3 The Environmental Challenge

Transport is a major source of pollution particularly in the form of emissions into the air. Encouraging a modal shift away from private cars will contribute to halting climate change and reduce the negative impact on health. Similarly encouraging modes of transport that are carbon free or that produce significantly lower carbon emissions will help in halting climate change and improving air quality.

Manchester has set ambitious targets to reduce its CO2 emissions by 41% by 2020 and the Council is also legally bound to cut emissions. 30% of Greater Manchester’s emissions come from transport.

More than half of domestic transport emissions are from cars (55%) and just fewer than 90% are from road vehicles. It is clear that rapid and drastic reductions in transport emissions are essential.

A Certain Future, Manchester’s Climate Change Action Plan

This plan sets headline actions for just one decade - to 2020 - but it provides a strong starting point for a much longer journey, through to 2050 and a radically changed, low carbon future where large-scale emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have become a thing of the past.

The Action plan is titled, Manchester: A Certain Future. It is a document that lists a detailed set of actions designed to make Manchester a greener, cleaner, healthier, wealthier, and greater city.

The plan has two headline objectives:

1: To reduce the city of Manchester’s emissions of CO2 by 41% by 2020, from 2005 levels. This equates to a reduction from current levels of 3.2 million tonnes per annum to less than two million; it also equates to a reduction in per capita emissions from 7.3 tonnes to 4.3 tonnes per head.

Manchester’s emissions of CO2 derive mostly from our use of fossil fuels and are directly related to the use of buildings, products, transport and industrial activities. We can lower these emissions by reducing our demand and use of energy; altering the technologies used for energy generation; and changing the sources of the fuels we use from fossil fuels to renewables. The plan sets out ways of adopting and applying these three approaches across different sectors and scales.

2: To engage all individuals, neighbourhoods and organisations in Manchester in a process of cultural change that embeds ‘low carbon thinking’ into the lifestyles and operations of the city.

To create a ‘low carbon culture’ we need to build a common understanding of the causes and implications of climate change, and to develop programmes of ‘carbon literacy’ and ‘carbon accounting’ so that new culture can become part of the daily lives of all individuals and

organisations. Every one of the actions in our plan will contribute in some way to the development of ‘carbon literacy’ in the city. However, achieving a new low carbon culture – where thinking about counting carbon is embedded and routine – can only be delivered as a result of all the actions together, in an overall co-ordinated manner. Enabling a low carbon culture in the city will be particularly important if the challenge of meeting even more demanding carbon reduction targets between 2020 and 2050 is to be met.

Actions to meet these targets are set out under five chapter headings – Living, Working, Moving, Growing and Adapting. Each chapter makes it clear what Manchester is going to do to meet the challenges posed by climate change, along with the changes we need to make as individuals, communities and businesses.

Under the chapter on Moving, the plan sets out a vision that the cities of the future will see public transport, walking and cycling as the main ways in which people move across the city, rather than individual car use. A progressive shift in transport modes will occur as quicker and cheaper alternatives are developed. As well as reducing transport’s contribution to climate change (transport is the only sector of the UK in which carbon emissions were higher in 2004 than 1990), there will be a resulting benefit in air quality, in noise levels and in our physical health and wellbeing.

A sustainable transport city will be a healthier place to live and work. Cities that stay on the move without producing carbon will be wealthier too. An efficient transport system is essential for a prosperous economy, accessibility and greater mobility. As part of Manchester’s offer for investors, commerce and attracting and keeping a skilled and talented workforce, having a low carbon, modern and fully integrated, public transport system will be a prerequisite.

Carbon-intensive modes of travel will become more expensive. By 2020, around 15% of emissions reductions will have been made by cleaning up the way we move around, including the way we transport our goods and services. These cuts will come through a combination of incentives and enforcement. It will cost less to be clean and green while vehicles that emit high levels of carbon will come at a much higher price.

Smarter choices will be easier to make. Cycle and pedestrian routes will cross the city region, making it easy to get around without cars. Our workplaces will encourage cycling and walking to work with storage, changing facilities and bike rental schemes. We will share our cars and work from home to help reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Public transport will be a convenient way to travel. Extended and improved Metrolink, train and bus services will connect us to key destinations – no matter where we want to go, public transport will take us there. And there will be no digging for loose change, as smart ticketing systems and a new travelcard for the city region will make hopping on and off all modes of transport easy and affordable.

If we do choose to drive, electric vehicles will be the vehicles of choice, with highly visible charging stations positioned right across the city. Manchester will be at the forefront of research into sustainable travel – from sustainably-produced biofuels, to low emission zones, LED traffic signalling and the revival of the region’s waterways.

As Manchester moves into a low carbon future, we will lead by example and show that cities can grow and prosper without more congestion, pollution and CO2.

Of the 150 actions in Manchester: A Certain Future, 35 relate to transport; o Begin the replacement of road traffic signalling and street lighting with low energy, long life LEDs. o Contribute to research into low emission and alternative fuels. o Create a Business Travel Policy for all types of business and personal travel undertaken by employees, including aviation. o Create a city-wide programme of neighbourhood low carbon zones. o Deliver the targets in Manchester Airport’s Ground Transport Plan and its commitment to becoming carbon neutral in site energy and vehicle fuel by 2015. o Develop a common city-wide pricing and ticketing system for public transport. o Develop interchange and storage facilities at public transport and cycling destinations. o Develop real time information to make using public transport an easy option. o Develop services for individual smart travel planning, including journey-planning and supporting active travel. o Encourage employers and event organisers to help us plan low carbon and low congestion journeys. o Establish a coordinated approach to sustainable traffic management across the city region, through the co-operation of the Highways Agency and key partners. o Establish a Sustainable City Region Transport Plan for Greater Manchester. o Green the bus fleet, developing a range of initiatives to encourage improved emissions standard, including contractual arrangements and, potentially, Low Emission Zones. o Identify options to support low emission/alternative fuels, such as locally produced biofuels. o Improve sustainable access to Manchester Airport. o Improve the performance of vehicle fleets, supporting cleaner-fuelled vehicles, including service points and incentives. o Invest in a City Centre network of Cycle centres. o Invest in additional rail stock to support rail growth. o Invest in an electric vehicle network, with charging points to be plugged into locally generated energy. o Invest in city-wide car clubs.

o Invest in more school buses. o Invest in new cross-city bus infrastructure. o Invest in new initiatives to increase the take up of electric vehicles. o Invest in pedestrian and cycle routes. o Invest in the development of a new generation of sustainable transport options for 2020 and beyond. o Invest in the expansion of the Metrolink. o It will be routine in organisations for environmental performance to be monitored, reports and managed: the need and opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions will be a standard consideration in all contracts, transactions and projects. o Make the case for sustainable transport links from Manchester to the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond, including supporting a high speed rail network. o Organisations will prepare green transport plans making sustainable transport choices more attractive through better facilities, car share clubs, car pools, subsidised travel cards etc. o Promote active travel, through campaigns linked to key travel destinations, and develop mechanisms to encourage more people to cycle and walk as part of their own travel plan. o Promote adult bicycle training. o Promote driver awareness and training, including vehicles advice, fuel economy training, car sharing and safety promotion for cyclists and pedestrians. o Propose a city region Bus Quality Partnership. o Research and develop sustainable freight transport options, including use of the region’s waterways where appropriate.

2.4 The Spatial Context

2.4.1 Transport and Regeneration

Given the size, scale and diversity of the challenges that confront the city, Manchester has established Strategic Regeneration Frameworks (SRFs) covering the different spatial areas. These frameworks are the cornerstone of delivering the interventions needed to support the regeneration of the City Region core and the creation of successful neighbourhoods within it.

The SRFs are designed to:

Set out a clear analysis of the physical, economic, social and environmental conditions which affect that part of the City; Outline the core principles and key objectives within which the regeneration effort can respond; Set out the long term plans for neighborhoods that enable all stakeholders to understand the sequencing of investment decisions; Place the district in a wider and longer-term strategic context that will enable the area to play its full part in the economic regeneration of the core of the City Region; Play a vital role in integrating the physical, economic, social and environmental interventions required to deliver long-term change and an improved quality of life for residents; and Be instrumental in bringing public services together to drive up service quality, delivering on outcomes for the neighbourhood and planning all capital investment in order to reinforce and sustain the residential, commercial and retail markets in the district.

The city’s Regeneration Teams are responsible for taking forward delivery of each SRF and the accompanying local action plans. The transport priorities and issues have been identified through a series of workshops to understand the more strategic implications for transport and individual transport schemes and interventions that will support regeneration outcomes.

It is a priority to improve the regeneration areas of Manchester, including the Regional Centre the district and local centres. The key locations for economic development that are important for Manchester are: the City Centre, The Corridor; mediacity:uk, Eastlands; Salford and Trafford Quays and Trafford Park.

The next section provides greater clarity on Manchester’s spatial priorities. It is important to inform future transport spending programmes with the distribution of new development and correctly balance the competing demands for transport improvements.

2.4.2 SPATIAL PRIORITIES

In order to develop a strategy to achieve the vision and goals set out in Chapter 1, we need to understand something of the wider spatial context and the challenges and opportunities that exist in different parts of Manchester, which in turn have implications for the transport system.

This understanding has been informed by the emerging Manchester Local Development Framework and workshops held with each of Manchester area based regeneration teams. The Council recognises there are a number of spatial priorities for development opportunity, wealth creation and physical improvements to neighbourhoods. It is important therefore to align transport spending plans to support these opportunities. The following section provides an overview of the implications for transport

2.4.3 Manchester City Centre The City Centre is essential to the successful implementation of the Community Strategy as the primary engine of economic growth and opportunity. It is and will remain the largest driver of employment growth in the North West, the most significant focus for cultural activity and creativity in the north of England. It is a focus for retail, leisure, evening economy, visitor destinations cultural and arts facilities and regionally significant office development.

Fig X City Centre …(Need better quality image)

2001 Census data records over 100,000 people employed within Central Ward, which covers the majority of the City Centre, but excludes ‘The Corridor’. This is likely to have increased since that date. The Manchester Central ward contains 11.75% of all the jobs in Greater Manchester.

In addition, The Corridor (an important area of opportunity and growth described below), by 2020 will generate £4.7 billion GVA and grow its current workforce of 55,000 to around 77,000.

Since the late 1990s, the City Centre has attracted massive investment and seen the creation of over 40,000 new jobs. There are now currently approximately 140,000 jobs. There is further potential for employment in the City Centre to grow by up to 50,000 over the next ten years or so.

Reflecting on the relative health of the local economy there is some cautious optimism that previous forecasts for job increases in the City Centre are still robust, although they may take slightly longer to achieve.

The Central Business district is the focus for the largest regional concentration of financial and professional services in the UK. Developments such as Spinningfields, Victoria, Piccadilly, Eastern Gateway and the Central Spine exemplify how the capacity for business growth is being facilitated. Reflecting on the relative health of the local economy there is cautious optimism that previous forecasts for job increases in the City Centre are robust, although they may take slightly longer to achieve.

Manchester led the revival of City Centre living. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of City Centre residents, which has changed the functions and characteristics of the City Centre. The City now has a well established residential community, which brings with it implications for parking, transport services to access employment and services and encouraging those residents to use sustainable transport to reduce their impact on the City Centre. Conversely we must manage traffic to make city living an attractive option.

The City Centre is the busiest shopping location outside London. For many people living in the Manchester City Region and beyond, shopping is the main reason to visit the City Centre. It is also a focus for visitors to the region, offering opportunities for cultural and leisure activities.

Manchester has a growing tourism industry, and many of the attractions are based in or around the City Centre.

The conference industry is now the largest outside of London and Edinburgh, hosted in quality City Centre facilities and accommodated by the investment in hotels. More than £11million of additional economic benefit has been attracted to Manchester as a result of conferences in the past three years, and the number of hotel beds has risen by over 40 per cent to nearly 8,000.

The City Centre also has a strong reputation for its evening economy. This reflects its cultural heritage of musical and theatre venues together with a wide range of restaurants and bars.

Crucial to the success of the City Centre is the quality of the City Region’s transport infrastructure as this determines how easy it is for workers to

access employment and educational opportunities in the City Centre and the extent of the labour pool from which employers can draw.

2.4.4 Spatial Issues

The vision for the City Centre is set out in the joint MCC / Cityco Strategic Plan for Manchester City Centre (2009) which identifies a number of specific spatial issues that this transport strategy needs to address.

The major task in the Central Business District is the effective management of the environment and traffic, and the need to strengthen the street scene throughout the area. There is an opportunity to further improve pedestrian facilities, develop vibrant ground floor uses and better signage. There is also a need to improve the ambience of St Peter’s Square by bringing forward a framework to enable a comprehensive redevelopment to take place. TSfMCC supports the improvement of the public realm by removing all traffic, except Metrolink, from both the Square and from Mosley Street.

The Retail Core must remain as ‘walkable’ as possible with the introduction of additional pedestrian priority where appropriate to facilitate greater pavement activity such as cafes, bars and restaurants. Links through to Victoria, Spinningfields and the Oxford Road corridor will be essential, as will be maintaining the quality of the Shudehill Interchange and efficient access to and from the City Centre. It will be important to ensure that traffic corridors such as Portland Street, Deansgate and some streets in the Northern Quarter do not present barriers to pedestrian movement.

The Victoria area boasts an impressive architectural and archaeological heritage. A major opportunity exists to extend the commercial core of the City Centre and to better integrate areas outside the Inner Ring Road – such as the former Boddingtons Brewery site – into the City Centre and to develop strategic links across the River Irwell into the Chapel Street area of Salford. The area includes a number of key regeneration priorities, including the Ramada complex, Chetham’s School, the pedestrianisation of Victoria Street and the new Co-op Group headquarters and associated development. This area also incorporates the proposed Irwell River Park. In particular the proposed £40m redevelopment of Victoria Station will have a major role in underpinning the regeneration of the wider area.

At Piccadilly Gateway, the strategy for ongoing regeneration focuses on further improving connectivity, particularly in light of developments around Piccadilly Basin, Piccadilly Place and the former Fire Station on London Road. Key to this will be maximising the potential of the area’s transport assets. In the short term, the Council and GMPTE want to see safe bus operations and a well-maintained waiting environment for passengers at the Parker Street (Piccadilly Gardens) bus facility. In the longer term, once alternative facilities have been identified and developed, the intention will be to gradually reduce and then to remove bus movements so as to improve the environment and enhance what has already been achieved in the wider Piccadilly Gardens area.

At least 2,000 people currently work in the Eastern Gateway and regeneration would allow the accommodation of thousands more jobs. A key redevelopment priority is the former Mayfield Station which provides significant potential for development, capitalising on its strategic location adjacent to Piccadilly Station and London Road.

The First Street area is a major opportunity for a commercially led mixed use offices and residential development supported by retail and leisure uses, the creation of major new public realm, spaces, routes and linkages. Although it already has good public transport connections and accessibility to all forms of transport, taking forward the opportunity for the redevelopment of the Oxford Road station area would enhance its role as a major gateway and act as a stimulus to the wider regeneration opportunities.

2.4.5 Transport Challenges in the City Centre

The main thrust of our transport strategy for the city centre is to maintain access by all modes but to strengthen public transport capacity and quality and to improve conditions for walkers and cyclists. Access to the centre by car will remain important but we will encourage non-essential traffic (such as through traffic that has no business in the City Centre) to use the M60 and other more appropriate routes to travel around the centre. This, in turn, will help ease pressure on the Inner Relief Road (IRR) and allow it to play a more effective role as a City Centre distributor route.

The City Centre faces several strategic transport related challenges

As the economy recovers, so will the long-term trend in travel demand resulting in potential car traffic growth together with the associated congestion that this will bring.

There has been an increase in recent years in the number of people using public transport to access Manchester, with a particular rise in the numbers using rail, which has led to overcrowding and quality issues.

Managing the highways network to improve the capacity and reliability of radial journeys and manage competing demands for space and function

The need to strengthen the ambience of street scene and public realm

Improve pedestrian facilities, develop both vibrant ground floor uses and better signage.

Create public space and improve their ambience and public realm by removing traffic

Creating a ‘walkable’ Retail Core through additional pedestrian priority

Improve links and permeation to key areas such as Victoria, Spinningfields and the Oxford Road Corridor

Maintaining the quality of the Shudehill Interchange and efficient access to and from the City Centre.

Manage traffic corridors so they do not present barriers to pedestrian movement.

2.4.4 Spotlight on The Corridor

The Corridor is one of the most exciting areas in central Manchester and the backbone of the city’s knowledge economy. It covers an area of 243 hectare area running south from St Peter’s Square to Whitworth Park along Oxford Road. The Corridor is home to a wealth of knowledge- intensive organisations and businesses, which operate in the sectors of health, education, creative industries, financial services and Information Communication Technologies.

Key Fact By 2020 the Corridor will: Generate £4.7 billion GVA and have a workforce of 77,000.

Corridor Manchester

Corridor Manchester is the first partnership of its kind in the UK. It brings together to build on the partners’ investments Manchester City Council, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Central Manchester University Hospitals and NHS Foundation Trust. The partnership plans the generation of further economic growth and investment in the knowledge economy for the benefit of the city region and will oversee capital investment predicted to be worth £2.5 billion.

The Strategic Vision to 2020 for the Corridor Manchester sets out how the partnership will build on the area’s existing strengths and cosmopolitan nature to unlock the area’s full potential as an attractive place to live, work and do business.

Transport improvements are essential to deliver a vision of the Corridor being a pioneering, sustainable transport corridor. Changes to the layout of the highways and its function will help transform the physical environment and creating a better environment and sense of place for students, employees and its integration with the rest of the City Centre.

Economic Asset The businesses and institutions that occupy the Corridor employ 55,000 people -18% of the city’s workforce. Together, they generate £2.8 billion (22.5% of the city’s Gross Value Added, GVA). Investment will drive a programme of development that overhauls under-utilised land and buildings and secures major infrastructure improvements. This programme will ensure that, by 2020, the Corridor generates £4.8 billion GVA and supports a workforce of 77,000. There are also approximately 80,000 students currently living and studying in the Corridor, one of highest concentrations of student population in Europe. It is likely this will remain at similar levels to 2020. The areas immediately surrounding the Corridor include Ardwick, Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme, which some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. The role of the Corridor area to drive regeneration in its neighbouring communities dovetails with wider

regeneration programme being taken forward in the Central SRF area – see section x below

Transport issues

The sense of place is undermined by a poor physical environment, partly the result of transport infrastructure including the ‘Mancunian Way’ Inner Ring Road, rail and major radial highways routes (Oxford Road, Upper Brook Street), which cause a severance effect and challenge ease of movement, safety and wellbeing.

Oxford Road serves as a major radial route and public transport corridor for buses, which brings many economic benefits but also impacts on the amenity of the area such as from congestion, noise and air pollution. The air quality monitoring station on Oxford Road indicates that the ground level concentrations of NO2 have not been going down at roadside in spite of overall trend of improving air Quality across Manchester.

Oxford Road has the highest cycle flows in Greater Manchester, but safety and the cycling experience is compromised by high levels of general traffic and conflict with bus vehicles. Cycle parking and security is also a problem.

The pedestrian experience can be an unpleasant one. The high volumes of motorised traffic, difficulty in crossing junctions/radial routes and the cluttered pavements add to the unattractiveness of walking on Oxford Road, in spite of which has very high pedestrian flows.

Links between transport interchanges and campuses is limited and expensive to resource through subsidies, such as the 147 bus routes, that provides a shuttle service between Piccadilly Station and the Corridor. Accessibility to campus destinations east and west are also limited.

Parking demand can create a conflict with neighbouring communities that are the locations for inappropriate parking by staff, students, patients and visitors.

2.4.5 North Manchester SRF

The North Manchester SRF covers the 6 Council Wards of Higher Blackley, Charlestown, Moston, Crumpsall, Cheetham and Harpurhey, plus those parts of Miles Platting and Newton Heath, and Ancoats and Clayton Wards lying to the north and west of Oldham Road.

North Manchester is a predominately residential area with extensive green spaces and a distinctive hilly topography which sets it apart from the rest of the city. Retail and community facilities are concentrated at Harpurhey and Cheetham Hill District Centre with a major retail park at Manchester Fort on Cheetham Hill Road. Moston Lane functions as a traditional high street on a much larger scale than other local centres across the area.

Challenges High rates of worklessness - need training targeted to employment opportunity Lack of quality in the design of the built form and the public realm Need to improve and diversify housing offer Create and make best use of good transport access to job opportunities Realise the potential of the Irk valley, parks and open spaces

Priorities and issues

The NMSRF vision is to create a series of high quality sustainable communities, each providing a broad range of living facilities and services that meet the life demands of existing and new residents. It aims to reverse the population decline of recent decades by creating neighbourhoods where people choose to live. The 10% increase in population from a historic low of 85,000 in 2001 to 2009’s figure of 93,000 represents a major achievement in kick starting progress towards full achievement of the vision.

To maintain and sustain this progress requires a concerted programme of change across a spectrum of physical, social and economic change, tailored to fit the distinctive characteristics and needs of the widely divergent communities in the area. In some case this will be a light touch focussed on neighbourhood management. In a small number of neighbourhoods it will involve wholesale change to character, image and physical form.

Strategic Transport Issues

A key issue for North Manchester is to provide good links to the employment opportunities in the City Centre and East Manchester, particularly Central Park. Radial transport routes into the City are good including the northern section of Metrolink, however transport services to provide access to jobs in East Manchester are less frequent. Key priorities are: Supporting the wider regeneration objectives by encouraging development in accessible locations and development of transport nodes where the greatest level of activity is clustered; Improving east/west linkages and integrating bus and tram services; Improving and making safer pedestrian and cycling links; and Improving sustainable access from neighbourhoods to key facilities including public transport corridors and stops, district and local centres, parks, health, schools, employment and leisure

2.4.6 East Manchester SRF

Since the establishment of the New East Manchester Ltd (NEM) Urban Regeneration Company in 2001, the East Manchester area has experienced substantial improvements in job creation, public services and the construction of new homes. The successful delivery of the 2002 Commonwealth Games has left a legacy of infrastructure at Eastlands and has acted as a catalyst for a comprehensive regeneration programme. The spiral of economic and population decline has been arrested, and employment and people are returning to East Manchester.

A large proportion of East Manchester is within the Regional Centre and includes the major developments of Eastlands and Central Park. Eastlands is both a district centre and the focus for major national and regional sporting events. It comprises the City of Manchester Stadium, the Manchester Regional Arena, the Regional Tennis Centre, the British Cycling Centre (including the Velodrome and BMX track) and the National Squash Centre. Eastlands is a growing destination with further opportunities for sports and leisure uses.

In addition to Eastlands, the neighbourhoods of East Manchester are served by Openshaw, Gorton and Newton Heath district centres.

Challenges The key challenges for East Manchester are to take full advantage of the opportunities created by being within the Regional Centre, new Metrolink routes and the foundations laid by recent regeneration programmes in order to: Further develop East Manchester as a major commercial, leisure and residential investment location, with a key role in the development of a competitive City Region; Increase employment, the quality of employment and the proportion of local people taking up local jobs; Provide residents with an range of attractive housing; Increase the population of East Manchester through the attraction and retention of working households and in particular those working households with children; and Establish a series of secure well managed neighbourhoods of choice each with a high-quality environment served by vibrant district centres. Central Park is a strategic employment site, with its own dedicated Metrolink stop due to open in 2011. It is already home to Fujitsu, a leading IT company, The Sharp Project (a new hub for digital and creative businesses) and One Central Park (a pioneering centre for business enterprise, training and academic excellence). A new Greater Manchester Police Force Headquarters and Divisional Headquarters are under construction and due to open in 2011.

Housing in East Manchester

The area has a very high proportion of social housing and, by regional and national standards, an exceptionally low level of owner occupation. New housing developments are slowly changing this profile and the area. High density housing and apartments are being developed in the neighbourhoods close to the City Centre which include Ancoats, New Islington, Holt Town and Lower Medlock Valley.

Strategic Transport Issues

The key radial transport routes through East Manchester are good although can get congested at peak times. However the public realm along the transport corridors is of variable quality and some key routes are very unattractive. This is a result of a generally poor environment and rundown shopping parades - a consequence of the significant decline in population and local spending power over many decades.

The Ashton and Rochdale Canals pass through East Manchester leading to the Pennines in the east and into Lancashire and Cheshire to the north and west. Schemes to create walking and cycling links along the tow paths have been implemented and provide opportunities for access to green spaces and more active travel. There are a number of opportunities to improve cycle and walking links and address safety issues at key locations – see map Annex X

Key priorities for East Manchester include:

Maximising investment in Metrolink and other sustainable transport improvements to enhance accessibility support the economic development of Central Park and opportunities;

Supporting the creation of successful neighbourhoods by improving transport accessibility to jobs, education, training, services and social network from residential areas;

Reducing radial route traffic impacts on neighbourhoods and improve environment and public realm in support district centres; and

Developing opportunities for more active travel by walking and cycling to improve the health and quality of life for residents

2.4.7 Central Manchester SRF

The SRF for Central Manchester covers the 7 wards of: Hulme, Ardwick, Rusholme, Moss Side, Longsight, Gorton North and Gorton South.

Central Manchester is home to some of the city’s major economic assets and characterised by diverse communities ranging from the very disadvantaged to the quite well off. A large number of jobs are available in some of the city’s key economic assets, and in a number of flourishing retail and leisure locations.

The area can be summarised as a place with: • A growing and ethnically diverse range of communities • A very high level of employment available • High levels of worklessness, unemployment and people on incapacity benefit, in close proximity to employment • A complex geography of disadvantage • A high rate of crime and poor health reinforcing economic disadvantage

Challenges

• High levels of worklessness • Deprivation concentrated by neighbourhood, rather than whole wards • Limited housing choice in some areas • Limited scope for physical change • Congestion along key arterial route into the City Centre

Local Plans have been developed for Ardwick and Moss Side & Rusholme District Centre. They are both in their third year of delivery and have clear objectives setting out, amongst other things, the transport objectives across the area. Areas in Central Manchester not covered by Local Plans also have major transport objectives, relating to their proximity to the City Centre, the role they play in terms of major movements in and out of the City Centre and radial accessibility.

Strategic transport objectives Enhancing accessibility of Central Manchester and making it easier for residents to move within the area; Increasing interconnectivity between communities, through improved transport and pedestrian links, to allow equal access to the area’s wider service provision; Improving transport links to sustain the area’s desirability as a business location, generating physical access and trading links for businesses located, or looking to locate, in the area; and Improving road and rail links across the city to connect business locations with employment centres outside of the area and residential areas within Central Manchester

2.4.8 South Manchester SRF

The SRF for South Manchester covers the 10 wards of: Burnage, Chorlton, Chorlton Park, Didsbury, East Didsbury, West Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Old Moat, Whalley Range, and Withington.

The SRF sets out how we will prioritise investment and activity to make the most of major opportunities and build on success in much of the area, to make sure that South Manchester has a successful future.

South Manchester is largely an attractive and affluent residential area, home to approximately one third of Manchester’s population, within easy commuting of the City Centre. The six neighbourhoods of: Chorlton, Whalley Range, West Didsbury, Didsbury Village, East Didsbury, Levenhulme and the eastern part of Withington are some of the most successful districts in Manchester, offering quality housing, a range of centres and services, heritage value and open spaces. But there are notable pockets of deprivation, under-performing district centres and a range of social-economic issues and crime.

Action plans are being development for five district centres (Chorlton, Didsbury, Fallowfield, Levenshulme and Withington). Four district centre action plans have been approved and they inform the transport priorities appropriate to each centre.

Our vision is for South Manchester to become "The Living City", comprising successful, well managed neighbourhoods, a sustainable housing market, and attractive centres which support a full range of shops and community facilities. The Living City will be made up of strong, cohesive communities, which are well connected and have access to excellent educational and employment opportunities.

Challenges Maintaining the character and popularity of the southern neighbourhoods particularly within conservation areas; Improving standards of living and reduce levels of deprivation in Chorlton Park, Burnage, Withington and Fallowfield; Providing good student housing without damaging local character and service provision; and Improving underperforming centres

Strategic transport objectives Developing “people friendly”, high volume, sustainable transport links along existing north-south and east-west corridors to improve connectivity to employment, education and services; Connecting public transport services more effectively into neighbourhoods; and Improving sustainable access from neighbourhoods to key facilities including public transport corridors and stops, district and local centres, parks, health, schools, employment and leisure

2.4.9 Wythenshawe SRF

The Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for Wythenshawe provides a strong vision for regeneration across the area over the next 10-15 years, and builds upon the work already completed. The aim for Wythenshawe is to become Manchester’s Garden City, building on assets of green, open spaces. The SRF for Wythenshawe covers the wards of: Baguley, Benchill, Peel Hall, Newall Green, Woodhouse Park, Sharston, Northern and Northern Moor.

The area is mainly residential, with employment focused at two industrial parks and at the Airport and Hospital. The area is served by the District Centres of Wythenshawe Town Centre, which has a shopping centre and cultural centre, West Wythenshawe and Northernden, although several other neighbourhood centres will be consolidated. Almost half of Wythenshawe falls within the poorest 5% of communities in England, with concentrations of worklessness, despite having major employers nearby. Population is increasing and the area may benefit from the expansion at the airport and the ‘south Manchester’ effect by extending south housing and employment markets.

Manchester airport is the principal employment location for residents of Wythenshawe and remains a key driver for regenerating Wythenshawe. The SRF proposes closer integration between the Airport and Wythenshawe Centre giving residents access to a full range of employment and training opportunities.

Access to employment can be improved by addressing transport connectivity between the City Centre, Trafford Park and Stockport employment areas as well as more local employment such as Manchester Airport and UHSM.

Challenges Tackling worklessness and low education attainment; Maximising economic opportunities from Airport expansion and supporting industries; Improving the performance of economic locations at Sharston and Roundthorn business parks; and Maximising the opportunities presented by investment in Metrolink

Strategic Transport Issues The M60 restricts access to the Mersey Valley and the M56 motorway, as the principal transport corridor, divides east from west Wythenshawe creating a significant barrier for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

The bus currently provides the key public transport service in Wythenshawe but although services are frequent to the City Centre and across the boundary into Stockport, journey times are slow, limiting access to key economic centres.

Wythenshawe is set to benefit from the planned Metrolink extension which will improve access to Wythenshawe Town Centre strengthening its role as a focus for community and commercial activity.

Connecting Wythenshawe unemployed to employment opportunities will be assisted by the proposed extension to Metrolink and proposals to improve bus routes, plus plans to upgrade the Ringway Road. Alongside physical transport infrastructure other barriers to employment include transport access outside conventional working hours and childcare. Many jobs at Manchester Airport and UHSM operate outside of normal working hours and there is a need to increase out of hours links.

A specific access issue affecting Roundthorn Industrial Estate and UHSM is sharing the same road for HGVs and hospital emergency vehicles; improving access to these areas will need to be explored as part of any proposal relating to these locations.

Individual or community wide travel planning, advice and marketing of smarter travel choices will support the planned transport investments and existing transport services. This approach addresses the complex issues that act as a barrier to accessing opportunity. The Council is working in the community in Woodhouse Park to provide travel advice to help the residents access jobs and other opportunities by sustainable transport.

Wythenshawe Workwise / Woodhouse Park Community Travel Project For many people travelling is not easy. Understanding timetables, tickets and interchanges is enough to put them off and that is before the expense!

The aim of this project is to provide Woodhouse Park residents with travel training and to increase their awareness, confidence and use of more sustainable and affordable modes of travel. In doing so we help residents to access jobs, training and skills courses and participate in other social and leisure opportunities.

This innovative partnership project addresses the priorities set out in the Community Strategy and Wythenshawe Strategic Regeneration Framework, by connecting residents to the economic benefits being generated at location like Manchester Airport and the City Centre.

The project partners have funded a Travel Advisor based in Wythenshawe Job Centre Plus supporting jobseekers with a range of bespoke travel advice and solutions to overcome transport problems and get people back into work. Information leaflets are produced and made available to summarise a range of public transport options for the Wythenshawe area, raising residents’ awareness and appreciation of the range of destinations that can be reached, particularly via services available at the nearby Manchester Airport Interchange.

Cycling is use is low in Wythenshawe, in spite of good cycling conditions and the obvious cost and health benefits. The project links-in with local cycling initiatives, to provide cycle storage solutions and cycle maintenance and training services for the community to encourage more cycling.

In the six months from July to December 2010, there were approximately 480 bus tickets issued to Jobseekers to support their attendance at interviews, and monthly or weekly tickets, upon securing temporary or permanent employment

Cycle training has been offered in local primary schools, and has to date benefited approximately 45 parents and pupils. School children have also been receiving public transport information, encouraging more journeys to schools to be by public transport.

Subject to continuing funding being available the Council will continue to work with our delivery partners to develop the project. A community survey will inform our understanding how transport acts as a barrier to participation in employment, education or training.

2.4.10 Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport is the only global gateway airport outside the south east, serving much of northern Britain with over 200 destinations and a growing network of long and medium haul routes. In 2008 it handled over 21 million passengers, 179,681 air transport movements and almost 141,800 tonnes of freight. Other than Heathrow, Manchester is the only airport in the UK to have two fully operational runways.

The Airport is a significant driver of growth for local, regional and national economies, and is a key asset in securing sustainable long-term growth. It is a major employment site in its own right, with over 300 companies employing around 19,000 people. In the wider economy, it supports over 40,000 jobs and contributes nearly £1bn GVA. The Airport plays a key role in the competitiveness of the city region; supporting inward investment, tourism and many of the growth sectors of the economy. The emerging Airport City concept has the potential to create over 7,000 jobs and be a major economic opportunity for the city region, capitalising on the Airport’s air and surface links.

The Airport’s accessibility, with direct motorway and rail links, has been a key factor in its growth and it has developed into one of the most significant multi-modal transport hubs in the conurbation. There are extensive rail, bus and coach services to all parts of its catchment area and over £100m has been invested in public transport facilities. A further £100m has been committed by the Airport Company for road improvements and the Metrolink extension.

Key priorities and issues

Manchester Airport’s growth is supported by national policy and has been identified as a key factor in delivering economic growth and improved competitiveness. Quick, reliable and convenient access is crucial to passenger and freight growth and expanding its air route network. The Airport’s Master Plan sets out a strategy for sustainable growth and supporting growth and regeneration in the City region.

Challenges o Carbon Neutral Commitment and improving Air / Noise Quality; o Meeting needs of passengers & staff and changing travel behaviour – reduce ‘kiss and fly’; o Network capacity/developing new (commercial) transport links to markets; and o Delivering economic growth (particularly the Airport City concept)

Strategic transport objectives o Develop as a major regional transport hub with high quality and frequent services to all major towns & cities;

o Secure behavioural change by passengers and staff and so progressively reduce vehicle trips per passenger; o Manage the supply of car parking as part of an integrated transport strategy; o Offer a wider choice of efficient reliable, high quality and frequent services to passengers and staff; and o Secure adequate capacity on the strategic road and rail networks to meet airport needs.

2.5: The Transport Network

This section presents a brief overview of Manchester’s transport system and some of the challenges it faces going forward.

Manchester already has a well-established and extensive local network of roads, train, bus and tram services that, provide good access to major facilities, services and areas of employment, whilst still requiring additional capacity and reliability improvement. The City also has good connections to other areas of the country and beyond; with Manchester Airport, the most important in the UK outside of South East England, providing global connectivity. Furthermore, Manchester benefits from easy access to an extensive motorway and primary route network.

Public transport journeys into Manchester have seen strong growth, particularly in the numbers using rail, although this has led to pressures on those networks and there are issues around overcrowding, cost, ease of use and reliability.

The City Centre also has a significant public transport interchange function, providing for onward trips across the conurbation and beyond, via the national rail and coach network hubs located here.

Data from automatic counters and surveys show that – particularly in the south of the city – the number of people cycling in the morning peak is experiencing strong growth. The numbers are still relatively small but if this growth can be sustained, cycling will become increasingly important as a commuter mode of transport.

Manchester – Accessible and Sustainable An annual survey recorded that in 2010 nearly 70 per cent of trips into the City Centre are taken using a non-car mode, demonstrating just how accessible the City Centre is by more sustainable modes of transport.

The 2010 Campaign for Better Transport study reported on the car dependency of England’s cities and found that Manchester was ranked 4th best for being least car dependant city.

ADD MODAL SHARE PIE CHARTS

2. 5.1: Bus

Buses are the most flexible and responsive mode of public transport and continue to play a lead role in providing access to an improved quality of life, by connecting residents to employment, social and cultural opportunities.

The bus is the primary form of public transport in Greater Manchester, accounting for around 84% of all public transport journeys in the county. Greater Manchester's bus market is twice that of Wales and half that of the whole market for Scotland.

Manchester’s bus system today is extensive and accessible, carrying the largest share of daily journeys on the transport system. Most residents are able to use the bus to access their local district centre.

Manchester City Centre is well served by radial routes. The bus is the most used mode for trips to the City Centre – accounting for just under half of all trips by public transport and carrying almost 25,000 people daily over the morning peak period.

As a result of investment by the operators, the average vehicles there are many olderage of a vehicle in Greater Manchester is 6.1 years (the same as London), compared to 7.8 years nationally, although on certain routes vehicles without low floors and with engines that isfail to meet acceptable standards

Passenger feedback consistently shows that punctuality and reliability of services are the top priority. Greater Manchester’s Punctuality and Reliability Monitoring System (PRMS), has measured Greater Manchester's punctuality performance at 77.6 per cent in 2010 compared to 76.5 per cent for the Northern and Midlands regions and 80 per cent nationally.

Greater Manchester has 15 key radial corridors carrying services into the City Centre. Four corridors (Didsbury/Chorlton/Ashton Old Road/Oldham Road/Wilmslow Road) carry approximately half of all bus services in the conurbation.

There has been investment by Greater Manchester local authorities focusing on bus priority measures and improvement schemes, facilitated through the £88m Quality Bus Corridor project, which delivered benefits to bus passengers, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

There have been improvements in service network performance, frequency and reliability on key routes into the City Centre and significant public and private investment in new, cleaner vehicles.

Operators have been reasonably successful in transporting mass commuting movements along Manchester’s radial routes. There has been strong patronage growth on certain corridors and patronage levels have remained stable overall in Manchester, where elsewhere (outside of London), other similar urban areas have experienced significant decline.

Investment in bus priority measures and better waiting facilities, such as those at Shudehill Interchange have helped increase passenger satisfaction levels, particularly on routes that have received investment through the Greater Manchester Quality Bus Corridor.

Challenges

The overall network performance and structuring of the bus industry is mixed in terms of delivering the stated economic, social and environmental outcomes.

It will be vital we show that public subsidy going into bus industry is delivering value for money and securing better local outcomes.

Residential areas away from key radial routes often have lower service frequency, longer journey times or are too dependant on the car for the types journeys they want to make. Evening and Sunday services are not meeting demand and bus services will need to continually evolve to meet work and travel patterns if we are to maximise our potential for growth.

Local bus services will need to play a central role in responding to changing travel patterns as new development and employment location emerge. In the short term getting people back into work by connecting areas of worklessness to employment areas is a key challenge. The issues and barriers to connecting people to jobs by bus can often be complex, including the expense and complexity of ticketing, frequency and times of services outside peak hours, which meet travel demand from shift work.

There is a recognised need to strengthen and optimise the commercial network. And, in an environment where funding for subsidised services will be in short supply, we need smarter solutions that maximise public policy outcomes. It is also imperative that we increase the effectiveness and reduce the costs of demand responsive services.

Those corridors not currently served by Metrolink or rail generate high levels of demand for bus services. These corridors can often see on-the road competition, with vehicles often operating under passenger capacity, especially outside the peak hours. High bus vehicle flows, particularly in the constrained City Centre, can contribute to congestion, reduce service reliability and increase journey times for passengers.

The current network also fails to provide any cross city routes that meet the demand for improved bus links across the City Centre enabling those living in the north of the city to easily access the south to, for example, employment opportunities and new healthcare facilities in The Corridor.

The limited availability of, multi-modal, multi-operator ticketing, adds to the overall costs and complexity, as journeys require interchange and a new ticket from the City Centre to reach final destinations. Furthermore, season and period tickets are often significantly more expensive than single-operator offers. This creates a barrier to employment and opportunity by making travel unaffordable for the unwaged or those on

low rates of pay. There is a need to better integrate services and improve access to areas of economic activity, as well as ensuring new housing areas are designed to accommodate public transport.

Operators are reporting that performance on their key routes is levelling out, with journey times remaining static, or worsening, as increasingly congested radial routes in the peak period create delays for services. Furthermore, traffic congestion, restricted kerbside space and limited priority for bus movement in the City Centre can cause disruption to service punctuality and longer journey times during the peak periods.

The high levels of bus activity and periodic bus-on-bus congestion contributes to poorer air quality and noise pollution in some areas of the City Centre. This is becoming an issue in areas including The Corridor (Oxford Road), Portland Street, Lever Street, Oldham Street and Church Street. This congestion impacts on bus journey times and creates conflicts between buses, pedestrians, cars and local residents.

Improving local bus services is also a theme that cuts across our regeneration areas. Strengthening the vitality and attractiveness of our neighbourhoods and local centres requires us to make them more accessible - especially by bus. Further work is needed to develop programmes to meet the needs of Manchester’s deprived communities most effectively and to help people to access employment and education. In some cases this may mean additional services to connect areas of need with areas of opportunity. However, interventions such as the provision of improved (and more understandable) information on timetables and fares are needed as are simpler fare structures.

Finally, it should be noted that whilst there are often excellent bus service on the key radial corridors into central Manchester that this is not often the case on “orbital” routes. Consultation with the public as part of the SRF process often produces responses with regards to the perceived poor quality of orbital bus services. They are often less frequent than radial routes and are more prone to congestion and delay as they often run on routes which have limited bus priority. A key challenge for the LTP will be to find affordable ways to improve the quality of these services whilst not impacting upon those serving radial routes.

Link to LTP3 Bus Strategy

Need to reflect GMBOA comments in next draft

2.5.2: Metrolink

Metrolink has been consistently popular since opening in 1992 and now carries around 20million passengers per year (55,000 passengers per day). The number of passengers travelling into Manchester by tram has increased by 10% in the morning peak and 16% in the off-peak between 1997 and 2010.

Metrolink passengers have recently benefited from a £100million investment programme of track and station renewals, improving the journey experience as ageing infrastructure was replaced to create a smoother more reliable service. A major programme of investment in Manchester tram system is described in Chapters 3 and 4.

Challenges As demand for travel increased, services on the Altrincham and Bury lines have become increasingly overcrowded in the peak period with passengers often experiencing difficulties boarding at stations closer to the City Centre.

Penetration by Metrolink into the City Centre is good but the movement of the trams along Mosley Street is hindered by shared running with buses accessing Parker Street. Capacity on this section of the network is of critical importance. With the expansion of the network (and the commensurate increase in the number of vehicles), Mosley Street will see an increase in the number of movements to approximately 26 trams per hour (tph) in each direction. This is very close to the theoretical capacity of the line of 30 tph. The extensions to Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton and Chorlton/East Didsbury can all be accommodated but the additional services required for the airport extension would push the total past the capacity limits of the line. Consequently, to avoid having to operate the airport services as a shuttle to Cornbrook, there is a need to provide additional capacity in the City Centre. The proposed solution is a Second City Crossing.

The proposed route starts on the ramp alongside Manchester Central and runs along Cross Street and Corporation Street to rejoin Metrolink outside Victoria Station. There would be two new stops including one serving Corporation Street / Exchange Square and the other in the vicinity of Central Library. The proposed scheme provides the most direct route between Manchester Central and Victoria Station. On-street running with traffic would be restricted to short lengths of road, which should ensure reliable operation. Sensitive design will be needed around a number of listed buildings and measures will be incorporated to mitigate noise and vibration to adjacent properties. GMPTE will be carrying out a consultation on their proposals during 2011.

‘Park and Ride’ from Metrolink stops is well used but many car parks are full by early morning and additional land to extend car parks is scarce.

As the tram system is extended into the residential areas to the south and east of the conurbation it will be important to maximise this major investment by integrating the new tram stops into their immediate communities and wider catchment area, ensuring that the door to door journey experience is seamless between modes and can attract commuters away from car journeys. It will also be essential to ensure that these communities are protected from casual “park and ride” in residential streets. Regeneration programmes will want to capitalise on the improved transport accessibility and where possible stimulate further physical and economic improvement. It will however, be important to plan for, and manage, any unwanted outcomes that may result from inappropriate parking around tram stops or worsening local congestion.

2.5.3: Rail

Rail travel is key to the continuing economic success of the city and has been experiencing significant growth with Manchester benefiting from an increasing number of people using the rail network to access the City Centre. Growth in rail commuting to Manchester has outpaced that seen in London by a factor of two with the number of passengers entering/leaving Manchester by train in 2010 being 123% and 158% higher than in 1997 in the morning and off-peak periods respectively. 23,000 people each day arrive in the city centre by rail and is therefore particularly important for supporting economic development without additional highway congestion.

Rail offers an attractive alternative to travel by car, providing for longer- distance trips into the City Centre from a number of key commuter towns in the wider travel-to-work area and connecting Manchester to other major City Centres.

Challenges

The resurgence of rail has not come without problems. Many local rail services (especially those from the north and Yorkshire) are seriously overcrowded in the peaks with crowding levels above the thresholds set by DfT franchise agreements. In addition, the number of trains that can be operated is limited by platform availability and the operational capacity of the current rail network. In the short term, capacity can only be created through longer trains together with additional platform capacity at some stations.

GMPTE predicts that by 2014 the numbers of overcrowded trains will more than double for peak-hour commuters into the City Centre. GMPTE is continuing to work with DfT to secure the best possible outcome for Greater Manchester. More and better quality rolling stock may be available after 2014.

In the longer term, new network capacity, particularly in and around Manchester Piccadilly, will be needed to deliver the range and scale of services to support a stronger Manchester economy. The network capacity issues around Manchester have long been recognised and in 2007, the Government announced a major study into the Northern Hub (previously known as the Manchester Hub) – the congestion resulting from the coming together of 14 of the north’s radial rail corridors together with the mix of long distance, regional, stopping and freight services, all converging on Piccadilly and Victoria stations. The study outputs, reported in early 2010, are described in more detail in Chapter 3 below. The challenge now is to work with Network Rail and GMPTE to secure the funding to deliver these longer term improvements.

The attractiveness, comfort, accessibility and safety of rail stations is a significant determinant in both the retention of existing passengers on the

network as well as attracting new passengers to the railway. With over 20 million passengers per year, Piccadilly is one of the busiest stations in the UK outside London and was substantially and successfully refurbished in 2002. However, other key rail gateways into the city, particularly Victoria and Oxford Road, are in need of major improvements to passenger facilities. Both stations have the potential to act as catalysts in the regeneration of their immediate surroundings but to bring them up to acceptable standards they require significant capital investment to improve the quality of their environments, access, security, facilities and the integration with their immediate localities through better approaches and signage. Some improvements are in the pipeline and these are described in more detail in Chapter 3.

Outside of the City Centre and the Airport there are 11 suburban stations in Manchester, some of which are heavily used but others have very limited “footfall”. The main issues at these stations are accessibility, DDA compliance, passenger facilities and passengers’ concerns about personal safety.

2.5.4 Cycling

As a relatively compact and densely populated conurbation there is significant scope to increase cycling for many shorter journeys. This would support our commitments on reducing transport-related carbon and improving the vitality of our streets and local centres whilst helping to improve the health of our residents through more active travel and cleaner air.

The student housing areas, in particular, and routes to the further and higher education institutions located along The Corridor are ripe for the promotion and greater increases in cycling.

Cycle flows in Manchester are the highest in Greater Manchester. There is an extensive network of signed cycle routes (on and off highway) and storage/parking has improved in district centres, the City Centre and at transport hubs.

Table Length of Manchester Cycle Network

Recommended On-road Segregated Traffic Permissable All signed routes routes cycle lanes free Canal Tow with adjacent to routes Path cycle the facilities carriageway 77.0 62.2 18.6 82.8 7.7 248.3

There are approximately 208 Cycle Parking locations across Manchester

The highest recorded cycle flow was the A34 Oxford Road, within Manchester City Centre, with 981 pedal cycles between 07:00 and 19:00. This was also the highest cycle flow anywhere in Greater Manchester.

The average 12-hour weekday pedal cycle flows on A and B roads in Manchester were 180 and 273 respectively. These are much higher than the averages for all districts of 95 pedal cycles for both A and B roads respectively.

Development of our parking policies and investment within LTP2 has resulted in significant growth in cycling usage. Pedal cycle flows initially showed a steady decrease between 1997 and 2006, followed by a sharp increase from 2006 onwards into 2008/09 and 2009/10. Between 2002 and 2010 cycle trips into the City Centre have more than doubled. Surveys of all modes of transport have shown a 59% increase in cyclists entering the City Centre area over the last three years (Nov 2005 to March 2006) and (Nov 2008 to March 2009). [Ref GMTU reports 1523].

Along with encouraging increased numbers of cyclists within the city, areas with recorded clusters of cycle casualties have been targeted to improve safety by making cyclist more prominent on the highway or by offering alternative quiet routes.

Despite the overall increase in cycling use in the city, cycle casualties have shown an overall decline of 20.1% between a base average between (1994-98) and last financial year a reduction of 6.1% between 2008/09 and 2009/10. (GMTU. LTP2 Fact sheet).

There is much potential for Manchester to further increase cycling journeys given the mostly flat topography and relatively youthful population, often without access to private cars.

Challenges

Whilst growth in cycling has been strong over the last 5-year LTP period it has been very patchy. Growth and demand has been very high in the south of the city – in areas such as Fallowfield, Didsbury and Chorlton but has been much lower in other wards. This can, perhaps, be explained by the demographics of these areas but if cycling is to continue to develop as a serious mode of transport it needs to be seen as an attractive option by more of the population.The challenges to achieving this including: Increasing volumes of traffic on key routes; Conflict between cyclists and buses in bus/cycle lanes; “Intermittent” provision of cycle lanes and facilities; Cycle lanes (both advisory and mandatory) being delivered without parking restrictions; Lack of secure public cycling parking in the City Centre and other district centres; Limited secure parking provision at rail / Metrolink stations;

No widespread programme of adult cycle training; and A still developing “cycling culture” in Manchester

2.5.5: Walking

We know from annual surveys of all journeys entering a cordon around the City Centre that between 2002 and 2010 walking into the City Centre increased by 82%.

More generally walking is probably in decline as more people are driving, for complex social and pragmatic reasons. We need to reverse this trend and encourage people to see the wider (sometimes less obvious) benefits of walking.

There has been a large increase in the number of people walking into the City Centre, partly due to the rise in ‘edge of City Centre’ living and partly due to Manchester’s parking strategy, which sees long stay parking located on the periphery of the City Centre. Elsewhere, walking is difficult to measure and data is not robust at a local level, but general trend data suggests that walking journeys are in decline as people increasingly drive, even for very short journeys.

Walking is often the first and last leg of a journey by public transport with people walking to access transport services, at bus stops or rail and tram stations. Investment during the LTP2 period has focussed on improving the pedestrian routes to transport nodes, such as implementing crossing points, signing pedestrian routes to stations, creating and maintaining better walking surfaces and installing lighting to improve the sense of security.

Shorter walking journeys are often the preferred choice of residents to access services in our district or local centres. These routes need to be safe and the experience a pleasant one. The focus of investment has been to support pedestrian movements around district centres, through providing crossing phases at junctions, creating safer links where there are clear pedestrian desire lines and by connecting housing areas to green, open spaces.

Improving the safety of routes to schools has also been a key feature of LTP2. Working closely with schools and parents, specific safety issues have been identified and areas around the school have been traffic-calmed to lower vehicle speeds and manage parking.

There has been considerable investment in improving the condition of pavements in the last ten years, using both central Government and City Council resources, such as the “spend to save” programme that aimed to reduce the costs associated with trip claims.

The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 established the duty on the City Council, as Highway Authority, to produce and publish a ‘Rights of Way Improvement Plan’ (RoWIP). The RoWIP builds upon the

council’s existing duty to maintain and keep a Definitive Map and Statement for local rights of way and to ensure that routes are adequately signposted, maintained and free from obstruction.

Integration of the RoWIP into LTP3 offers opportunities to maximise the contribution of the off-road network to the integrated transport network and wider quality of life issues. Common RoWIP policy principles have been agreed by the ten Greater Manchester districts.

PRoW are easily taken for granted but should be seen as a fundamental part of the overall transport infrastructure. They link homes to district centres, workplaces, schools, and transport hubs. By often providing much shorter journeys than following the road network they help make walking a realistic and attractive option. Poor maintenance can quickly undermine these functions so adequate maintenance should be an essential minimum requirement. For Manchester this means ensuring all our PRoWs are in adequate condition, safe, and signposted.

Challenges

The issues that influence whether a journey is made on foot or by another mode of transport are complex and interconnected. Social and environmental influences, such as the value placed on time savings, complicated modern lifestyles, the weather, perceptions of crime and safety have all contributed towards this decline.

The ease of which physical barriers can be crossed is an issue, particularly in housing areas and urban developments that are severed by major roads or rail infrastructure, are of poor design or lack proper permeability.

The key challenge will be to identify local issues and continue to resource solutions, notwithstanding that funding will be constrained.

Maintaining the good physical condition of our transport assets, our roads, street, signs and pavements will have a positive contribution to encouraging more walking. Pooling water at crossing points, uneven footways, overgrown vegetation on public right of way and street clutter can all be addressed through adequate maintenance programmes.

2.5.6: The Highway Network

Within Manchester there are 1,371 kilometres (km) of road consisting of 17 km trunk motorway, 3 km principal motorway, 2 km trunk A road, 112 km principal A road, 37 km B road, 84 km other classified road and 1115 km unclassified road.

The busiest motorway section was on the M56 between Junctions 3 and 4 where the 24-hour AAWT flow reached an estimated 156,100 vehicles.

The busiest non-trunk (maintained by the local authority) road was on the A57(M) Mancunian Way between Upper Brook Street and Cambridge Street where the 24-hour AAWT flow reached an estimated 85,700 vehicles.

The Strategic Network

The Greater Manchester strategic highway network provides an infrastructure to facilitate the management of the safe movement of people and goods, utilising all modes of street based transport, to and from a range of centres of community activity within the Greater city region.

The capacity, effectiveness and reliability of the strategic routes to accommodate travel demand are closely related to the economic competitiveness of the city region and are central to the strategy to support economic growth, whilst delivering social and environmental outcomes.

New arrangements being developed as part of the Combined Authority proposals for Greater Manchester will promote joint working between the GM Authorities and the Highways Agency and will provide a more integrated approach which makes the most efficient use of all the highway authorities' roads. A partnership approach between the highways, public transport and enforcement authorities will ensure the most effective and integrated interventions are undertaken to improve the effectiveness of poorly performing routes.

The key objective is to improve the efficiency and reliability of key routes for workers, customers and suppliers to significant centres of economic activity. To achieve this action will be needed to: Improve the performance of strategic routes; Better manage incidents on the network and coordinate events; Introduce a permit scheme to minimise disruption from works; and Monitor, respond and effectively manage the network

Local Highway Network

While the basic duty of a Highway Authority relates to safe passage, The Council has upgraded the highway network over time such that it now provides a strong contribution to the quality of life in the local neighbourhood and is vital for economic prosperity. The highway network now makes a contribution to achieving Manchester’s corporate objectives and those described in the Community Strategy.

The key radial corridors in Manchester are characterised as having heavy traffic flows during peak hours and can suffer from congestion and variable journey times. The average journey time rates in Manchester are increasing and were longer than the Greater Manchester average, indicating that average speeds were slower. This can cause journey unreliability, which is a cost to businesses and undermines quality of life.

The lowest speeds in the morning peak hour (0800 – 0900) were on roads in and around the City Centre. Some roads to the south and east of the City Centre also had slow speeds, such as Didsbury, Rusholme, Longsight and Northern Moor, including the junction between the A5013 Princess Parkway and B5167 Palatine Road.

The busiest motorway section is the M56 between Junctions 3 and 4 where the 24-hour Annual Average Weekday Traffic (AAWT) flow reached an estimated 156,100 vehicles. The busiest non-trunk (maintained by the local authority) road is on the A57(M) Mancunian Way between Upper Brook Street and Cambridge Street where the 24-hour AAWT flow reached an estimated 85,700 vehicles.

Traffic Trends

Daily traffic flow remains relatively stagnant with only 1% growth between 2008 and 2009.

Surveys of journeys entering a cordon around Manchester, undertaken since 1997, show that city. City Centre traffic flows have decreased substantially helped by the completion of the inner relief road, which reduces through traffic, and a car parking strategy that discourages long stay in the City Centre. The City Centre is also highly accessible by public transport which has also experienced, with growth in rail and tram patronage.

The number of vehicles crossing the cordon into Manchester City Centre in 2010 was about 25,700 in the morning peak and 14,300 in the off-peak, representing decreases of 22% and 24% respectively from vehicle numbers in 1997. With the decline in the number of car trips and an increase in the use of public transport the proportion of trips made by public transport, cycling and walking has grown from accounting for just over half of journeys in 1997 to nearly two thirds of journeys in 2010.

Whilst all journeys into the City Centre have increased by 4% between 2002 and 2010, fewer cars enter the city centre. The number of vehicles crossing the cordon into Manchester city centre in 2010 was about 25,700 in the morning peak and 14,300 in the off-peak, representing decreases of 22% and 24% respectively from vehicle numbers in 1997.

The inbound modal share in 2010 was 31% car and 69% non-car in the morning peak and 32% car and 68% non-car in the off peak. Car trips decreased by 14% and bus trips decreased by 7%, while rail trips increased by 30%. Metrolink trips have increased by 2%, walking by 82% and cycle trips more than doubled.

Manchester Modal Share 2002 Cycle Walk 1% 6%

Metrolink 7%

Car 38%

Rail 19%

Bus 29%

Walk Manchester Modal Share 2010 10% Cycle 2%

Metrolink Car 7% 31%

Rail 24% Bus 26%

The local highway network provides a strong contribution to the quality of life in the local neighbourhood and is vital for economic prosperity. Most journeys start or end on the local highway network. This infrastructure supports bus and car (rail bridges), pedestrian and cycle movements. It is

also a fundamental element of our built environment, of the public realm, of residential and commercial areas.

Our streets, pavements, canal towpaths, and Rights of Way connect people to with places, where they can access essential health and education services, jobs, leisure, food and cultural opportunities.

Highways and other transport assets, such as trees, hedges and verges, street furniture and signage help to create a sense of place or, as sometimes is the case, can cause a severance or barrier effect, with traffic movements impacting on residents’ experience and quality of life.

The pressures on road and kerb side space are acute in the City Centre, and in district and local centres. There are competing demands on the highway between car, cyclists, and pedestrians, buses, servicing vehicles, loading, parking, taxis and coaches. The quality and ongoing management of streets and public realm are also issues that need to be addressed.

Street Lighting

Adequate street lighting also contributes to creating a neighbourhood’s sense of security, safety and place.

Manchester City Council has made a considerable investment in its street lighting asset. A street lighting PFI contract was awarded in July 2004 to the street lighting Service Provider (Amey Highways Lighting (Manchester) Limited). Within the first five years of the PFI, over 41000 dilapidated street lighting columns were removed and new lighting systems installed. Approximately 80% of Manchester’s street lighting apparatus is under 7 years old to date.

All illuminated apparatus including; street lights, traffic signs, traffic bollards and subway lighting are maintained to ensure they are electrically safe, clean, working and operating correctly a to a minimum of 98%. The present service and quality of street lighting provided through the PFI is a major improvement on levels prior to the PFI.

The PFI is also delivering on carbon reduction and energy saving initiatives, driven jointly by both the Council's street lighting team and the Service Provider.

Highway network challenges

Challenges o It is vital to improve the efficiency and reliability of key routes for workers, customers and suppliers to significant centres of economic activity supporting competitiveness and to meet demand. o To balance competing demands and improve the performance across the range of modes and transport functions, within the policy context

of improving the competitiveness of the City Centre economy and the quality of life for people who work, visit, shop and live there.

Within the financial constraints and environmental costs expected over the next few years, o There is a need to balance residents’ expectations for adequate maintenance of transport assets, such as lighting, foot and cycleways, and drainage. o The Council will continue to develop approaches to manage demand for parking and travel in support of local economies, whilst implementing policies to reduce carbon, reduce congestion and minimise the impact of traffic on residents’ quality of life.

2.5.7 Smarter Choices

Smarter Choices, or travel behaviour change, cover a range of transport interventions that encourage and enable people to make better choices for their travel behaviour. This includes both infrastructure and softer measures such as training, awareness raising, and information sharing. Key measures used across Greater Manchester include school and workplace travel plans (a package of measures tailored to the specific needs of the location), information on public transport, walking and cycling routes, and information around the reasons why people would benefit from changing their travel behaviour such as improved cardiovascular and mental health from walking and cycling, saving money, and reducing pollution including carbon dioxide and so helping tackle climate change.

Over recent years the largest single area of smarter choices activity has been in putting in place a travel plan for all schools in the country, including Greater Manchester. Across the ten districts almost all schools now have a travel plan in place. This has reduced peak-time congestion by reducing the number of cars on the school run, improved the health of local children (and their parents), and reduced road accidents around schools.

There have been some localised successes for companies and organisations in the area who have used travel planning to provide better transport options for their staff. This is particularly the case where companies cannot provide enough car parking, either due to a town/city centre location, or because of the cost. Such measures include flexible working practices, rewarding car sharing, providing links to local transport hubs, facilitating and rewarding walking and cycling, and local leadership.

Some of the most successful schemes are those that have directly tackled the wider social and economic challenges in our area. For example, one successful scheme has linked jobseekers with jobs via public transport resulting in over 150 people finding employment. This tackles a priority problem (worklessness) via smarter choices to deliver real results for individual Mancunians, while contributing strongly to the overall agenda of improving labour market participation and productivity.

Challenges

Smarter Choices have had mixed success across Greater Manchester, with some schemes producing very strong results and excellent value-for-money, while others have struggled to make an impact. Often this has been as a result of the underlying reasons for using smarter choices (such as the availability of car parking), and the level of resources committed. Looking forward there is a need to ensure that such interventions are carefully targeted and enforced to make sure they are fully relevant and effective. When they work well smarter choices provide exceptional value-for-money and effectiveness so we need to make best use of that capacity where needed.

Smarter Choices are at risk of severe reductions in funding during the current period of austerity. This is because their nature of being easily scalable makes them easy to cut as compared to large infrastructure which requires long-term funding. This is despite the better value-for-money return often provided by smarter choices options.

During the period of LTP3 smarter choices will need to refocus on supporting economic growth, through tackling congestion and supporting participation in the labour market, and driving down carbon emissions. It has a key role to play in driving value from infrastructure investment such as new tram and rail links by enabling people to use those new services. It will also need to enable people to find and use the best travel option for their specific needs, such as a combination of transport modes for their door-to-door journey. This will require targeted interventions, better use of existing resources, and clear focus on supporting the wider transport services.

2.5.8 Transport Safety and Security

Improving safety on transport and our streets

Over recent years the respondents to Manchester’s residents’ surveys have expressed increased satisfaction with their local area as a place to live. Overall there has been a significant improvement in respondents’ satisfaction since 2000/01. However, analysis has identified that issues of cohesion and perceptions of antisocial behaviour are key factors in levels of resident satisfaction with their local area as a place to live.

Efforts to encourage more sustainable travel by more sustainable means in support of economic, environmental and social inclusion objectives can be undermined when people fear that they will be subject to crime or anti- social behaviour whilst on, or waiting for, public transport.

Manchester has a good track record of working to target crime or fear of crime and anti-social behaviour around transport. Crime incidents on transport have been declining, but hot spots of anti-social behaviour or criminal damage still occur.

The City Council works with its partners including Greater Manchester Police, GMPTE/TfGM and the transport operators (tram, rail and bus) to implement initiatives that target crime and anti-social behaviour on and around public transport, ranging from information and publicity material to spot checks on services.

Challenges o Encouraging walking, cycling and use of public transport in areas with high crime levels or fear of crime. o Continuing to fund initiatives to tackle crime and anti social behaviour on transport within a constrained funding environment. o Sustaining an attractive, safe and secure, public transport system both for users and for the staff employed in the industry. o Improving the public’s perception of personal safety and security on public transport, e.g. using positive publicity to counteract the negative impact that adverse press coverage often creates. o Maintaining the very successful joint working arrangements whilst the organisations concerned are operating under severe financial and workforce limitations.

CHAPTER THREE –

The Strategy

Setting the scene

In Chapter One we described a vision for shaping Manchester, set out the agreed objectives for our transport system and summarised our local and spatial priorities.

The key findings of the evidence base covered in Chapter Two is that Manchester has significant economic growth potential but is held back by the conditions related to deprived areas, such as low skills attainment and high levels of worklessness.

We have identified the key implications for the transport system in each of the spatial priority areas, defined by our Strategic Regeneration Framework Areas (SRFs) and where we should prioritise scarce resources, through this strategy, to meet these challenges.

Funding is already in place to deliver many of our major transport improvements. The next essential stage, currently underway, is to improve and strengthen governance arrangements in Greater Manchester. Without this scale of ambition and approach, we cannot develop the transport systems and services necessary to bring about the self- sustaining economic growth that is our aim.

Capitalising on the opportunities of this step change in the quality of the transport system in the next 10–15 years will only be possible with a strong collective effort between different parts of Government – local and national together with the private sector transport operators – to ensure mutually supporting investments are made that deliver maximum economic impact.

The following pages set out, mode by mode, the forecast demand, the key issues, our planned schemes and interventions and our proposed way forward. The positive message is that, through identified funding streams, including the agreed £1.5billion GMTF, we are well positioned to meet our future transport challenges.

However, in the current financial circumstances and particularly the lack of minor works funding over the next 3-4 years, it is clear that we need to work with all stakeholders to secure other investments and contributions to maximise our overall outcomes in terms of both capacity and quality of provision.

3.1 Buses & Coaches

Currently, some 25,000 passengers arrive by bus in the City Centre during the morning peak. By 2020, buses will need to provide for at least an additional 5,000 passengers in the same period in a way that meets the city’s economic, social inclusion, low carbon and air quality objectives.

The Council and GMPTE, through the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, will implement a package of bus priority measures, supported by bus lanes, traffic management schemes and effective enforcement measures to improve bus speeds and reliability in the City Centre.

To complement these operational improvements further progress also needs to be made in improving the quality of buses, including the continuing introduction of cleaner engines and a simplified range of value- for-money, multimodal ticket products delivered through an electronic smartcard scheme.

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by The Metroshuttle services have been enhanced by a new 2010 fleet of diesel-electric hybrid buses and the network will be onwards further developed to complement the Metrolink extensions and the Cross City bus package

More effective use will be made of Shudehill Interchange 2011 through relocation of existing on-street facilities onwards

Deliver new bus routes that connect north and south Phased Manchester through the City Centre. The proposed routes construction include: through to o Swinton to Manchester Royal Infirmary, including a 2013# connection to the Leigh–Salford–Manchester busway. o Middleton to Manchester Royal Infirmary. o East Didsbury to Pendleton.

To reduce pressures on City Centre streets, new sites will 2012 be made available for bus turnaround and layover until onwards such time as permanent interchange capacity can be delivered

Complete the Leigh–Salford–Manchester busway 2012 onwards# Continued traffic management, network improvements and Ongoing bus lane enforcement

# subject to the confirmation of funding

Bus Proposals

The Council, working with TfGM in taking forward the bus proposals set out in the Greater Manchester LTP, will deliver smaller bus improvement measures, such as interchange improvements or the development of bus priority measures, as funding permits.

A major bus scheme is being developed to provide a new transport interchange for Wythenshawe replacing the existing bus station and linking it with Metrolink.

3.1.1 Bus Reliability and journey time improvements

The City Council will work with TfGM to identify and prioritise poorly performing junctions and sections of highway and, where funding is available, implement improvements schemes to provide greater efficiency and where possible provide bus priority measures. Interventions will include those schemes already funded and programmed through the Congestion Performance Fund, outlined below in section X

3.1.2 Enforcement of Parking Restriction and Bus Lanes

To gain the maximum benefit from the bus priority measures included in the schemes, we also need better enforcement of the bus lanes. Manchester is the leading authority outside of London for enforcement of bus lanes and has invested in technology to monitor bus lanes and enforce contraventions. The Council will continue to work with TfGM to undertake enforcement on the network of bus lanes in Manchester and will pursue new powers to enforce moving traffic offences, such as at box junctions.

3.1.3 Developing and Promoting Demand Responsive Service

The Council will continue the work begun through the ‘Integrated Social Needs Transport’ project to achieve greater co-ordination of provision across the various providers of Demand Responsive Transport. We also need to keep the requirement for demand responsive services under review so that it can best complement new approaches to traditional bus service provision as they are implemented during the lifetime of this Plan. We will seek opportunities to draw on third party funding for specific projects to improve accessibility, for example the Department of Health funded Partnerships for Older People Project (POPP) through which we have provided flexible transport to healthcare, shopping and social opportunities.

3.1.4 Accessibility of bus stops

The City Council will continue to work with TfGM and as funding allows upgrade stops across Manchester to provide levels access to bus vehicles and maximise the investment operators have made in low floor vehicles. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), buses need to become fully accessible by 2017 and we have identified a need to develop a programme to raise the kerbs at bus stops, thereby providing level

access. This will build on the work we have already done at bus stops on the QBC routes.

3.1.5 Quality Partnership Schemes

TfGM will introduce a Quality Partnership Schemes on the corridor Manchester-Hazel Grove, whereby operators will commit to high standards for punctuality, reliability and vehicles, in return for the reliability improvements already implemented. These benefits would be secured for a 10 year period.

In line with GMITA policy priority and key business plan 4 (Strategic Planning) to introduce Quality Partnership Schemes (QPSs), GMPTE have developed the A6 Quality Bus Corridor between Manchester and Hazel Grove via Stockport. The corridor was chosen as a key bus corridor in Greater Manchester which plays an important role in the region’s economy.

The A6 corridor operates with the most frequent single bus service, operating over 89 million miles and carrying over 9 million passengers per year and provides a key urban link along a major radial into the Manchester City Centre. The key beneficial outcomes of implementing the proposed scheme are: o Protection of bus priority and traffic management facilities for the next 10 years. o A commitment from Districts to bus lane TROs enforcement. o Improved standards and maintenance of high standards, in particular around Engine standards and the punctuality & reliability of services. o A minimum service frequency, based upon current levels, and guarantees around first and last bus. o An established process for on-going partnership dialogue between operators and Districts to realise improved performance for passengers.

It is anticipated that the scheme will be delivered in 2011. GMPTE will also be working with local authorities and bus operators to bring forward improvements in relation to bus network efficiency, and look to securing Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) funding to assist in this regard.

3.1.6 Cross City Bus Travel

The Manchester Cross City Bus Travel scheme is designed to connect people with employment, healthcare and educational opportunities, whilst supporting economic growth. Passengers will be able to travel across Manchester City Centre from the Manchester New Road/Rochdale Road/East Lancashire Road (A580) corridor to access Oxford Road. Bus journey time reliability improvements are an integral part of the proposals and GMPTE is working with bus operators to ensure that service improvements are made.

The plans include introducing highway, bus priority and congestion management measures, together with significant improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Leigh Salford Manchester busway scheme is designed to connect people on the Leigh to Manchester corridor with employment, healthcare and educational opportunities; and to support economic growth. The provision of a high quality, reliable bus service together with improvements to infrastructure will improve connectivity to jobs and services and provide improved accessibility. Facilities will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists as part of the scheme, with services running on 21km of segregated bus measures, of which 7km, between Leigh and Ellenbrook, will be a kerb-guided busway, with the remainder on-highway. Bus priority measures will also be introduced to form a connection from Wigan to the guided busway at Tyldesley.

The Council will continue to work with TfGM and Department for Transport to secure funding for these schemes.

3.1.7 Metroshuttle

Connections across town centres have also been improved by the introduction of free Metroshuttle services in Manchester. It is important in supporting the economy that shoppers and workers are able to easily navigate around the City Centre.

Metroshuttle routes will be kept under review to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of a growing and expanding City Centre. November 2010 saw the re-tendering and re-launching the services, with the introduction of a new fleet of modern vehicles powered by more environmentally friendly diesel-electric hybrid engines funded in part through funding from the DfT’s Green Bus Fund.

3.1.8 CityPLAN

The City will continue to work with GMBOA and GMPTE to deliver in full the objectives of CityPLAN as voluntary code of conduct to achieve better outcomes from City Centre bus operations: o reduce air and noise pollution thereby assisting in the improvement of the City Centre environment, increasing its attractiveness for all users o deliver planned, co-ordinated and more effective local bus services that will support regeneration objectives set out in the City Centre Strategic Plan (2009–12) o ensure the orderly conduct of bus operators using City Centre bus stands and stops, thereby providing for the safe boarding and disembarkation of passengers o ensure bus drivers and staff consider the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users at all times o create a structured environment for service delivery to increase patronage.

3.1.9 Bus Routing Strategy

There are a number of challenges that relate specifically to the operations of local bus services in the City Centre as demands on space increases.

Bus speed surveys have revealed that bus movement through the streets in the City Centre is 30 per cent slower than on the rest of the Greater Manchester highway network. Bus vehicle emissions reduce air quality, impacting on the attractiveness of the City Centre. Inefficient and unplanned bus operations can lead to bus-on-bus congestion, and can affect the quality of life for City Centre businesses, shoppers and residents.

The Council is working with TfGM and the bus operators on a City Centre routing strategy to improve and better manage the movement of buses into the City Centre, provide an attractive service for passengers and minimise the dis-benefits of vehicles in the densely populated, pedestrian core of the City Centre.

3.1.10 Enhancing Bus services to get people into work, training leisure

We will also continue to work with TfGM and bus operators to deliver bus services that will allow Manchester residents to access new jobs and training opportunities in the City Centre and beyond, focusing in particular on access from ‘hard-to-reach’ neighbourhoods and on running increasing frequencies in the early morning and late evenings so reflecting the increasing ‘24 hour’ nature of the City Centre.

3.1.11 Investing in Cleaner Buses

The Council, working with TfGM and the bus industry will continue raise the environmental standards of buses entering Manchester City Centre, through partnership agreements, operators’ investment in new fleets and securing additional funds for greener vehicles as they become available.

3.1.12 Investing in Bus Stations and Waiting Facilities

TfGM has worked in partnership with the City Council for a number of years to identify an alternative location for Wythenshawe Bus Station. Following extensive feasibility studies, the Forum Square site, located between Wythenshawe Forum, the Library and Ainley Road, was identified as the preferred location with the proposed site incorporated within the Wythenshawe Town Centre Masterplan as a key development in the regeneration of Wythenshawe Town Centre.

The design of the bus station will be of a quality that raises the profile and increases the attractiveness of public transport in this location; whilst integrating in both visual and functional terms with the proposed adjacent Metrolink Stop as well as the wider package of development work, which is taking place in the town centre.

Operationally, the design will be required to accommodate both current and future bus operations with design development currently being undertaken in conjunction with key stakeholders. The project is jointly funded by GMITA and Manchester City Council.

TfGM is seeking to deliver the proposed Cross City Bus scheme, Leigh Salford Manchester busway and Wythenshawe bus station schemes within the four year spending review period, subject to programme and funding confirmation.

3.1.13 Coaches

Coaches are an important part of the inter-city transport network as a cost-effective means of longer-distance travel popular with students and older people with many trips starting, ending or interchanging at the Manchester Central Coach Station on Chorlton Street. Coaches are also a vital part of the tourism and visitor market and are particularly important in serving the shows and events at the MEN Arena and at the city’s theatres.

The Council will continue to work closely with coach operators to ensure both adequate signing to suitable coach parking locations in and adjacent to the City Centre and the ability to pick up and drop off visitors near key City Centre attractions.

We will also examine the scope for express buses or coaches to operate on key long-distance corridors, especially where there are no rail services or where parallel rail routes are overcrowded.

The Council recognises that the current edge-of-city long stay parking provision could be improved to offer drivers a better standard of waiting facilities and services. The Council will continue to work with the coach industry to jointly develop proposal and seek to secure funding.

The Council’s Highways Services will keep under review the provision and effectiveness of coach ‘drop-off’ facilities arrangements to ensure that these meet the needs of the industry, whilst managing potential impacts of coach movement on the highways network.

The City Centre coach parking map that was updated and distributed to the coach and tourist industry will kept under review and updated when appropriate.

The City Centre Coach Parking Working Group, chaired by the Council, with industry representation and other partners will coordinate these actions and ongoing issues.

3.2 Metrolink

Currently, some 6,000 passengers travel into Manchester by tram during the peak two hours. By the end of 2012 four new lines will nearly double the size of the tram network with 20 miles of new track and 27 new Metrolink stops. The new lines will go to Oldham and Rochdale, Chorlton, Droylsden and mediacity:uk.

By 2020, we expect this to reach 16,000. Through the GMTF, the funding is in place to deliver the schemes that will ease existing overcrowding and cater for the projected additional demand

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by Deliver 40 additional trams to ease overcrowding and operate the From 2009 new services Eight trams being delivered immediately with a further four to support the mediacity:uk. services

28 delivered with Phase 3a

Build new spur to mediacity:uk. complemented by enhanced 2010 service provision Completed

Increase car parking provision at Metrolink stations from current 2012 1,340 to 2,750 spaces

Complete Phase 3a (currently under construction) 2012

Central Park Spring 2011

Trafford Bar to St Werburghs’ Road Spring 2011

Oldham Mumps Spring 2012

Rochdale Railway Station Spring 2012

Piccadilly to Droylsden Spring 2011

Complete Phase 3b (together with additional trams) 2013

Chorlton to East Didsbury End 2013

Oldham and Rochdale town centres 2016

Droylsden to Ashton Winter 2013/14 Chorlton to Manchester Airport via Wythenshawe 2016

Complete Second City Crossing 2016 Build new stops at Abraham Moss and Queens Road (and 2011 decommission Woodlands Road)

Metrolink Proposals

The South Manchester Metrolink line is due to open as far as Chorlton (St Werburgh’s Road) in spring 2011 and to East Didsbury in Summer 2013.

The 1.7 mile (2.7km) extension to St Werburgh’s Road in Chorlton will run south from Trafford Bar along the disused railway line with three stops at Firswood, Chorlton and St Werburgh’s Road. A new depot at Trafford Bar has also been built. The scheme is funded partly by the Department for Transport (DfT) and partly by local funding from AGMA as part of the Greater Manchester Transport Fund Programme.

A new Metrolink line to the Airport is also under construction. It will extend from the South Manchester Line at Chorlton and run on 14.5km (9 miles) of new track via Northern Moor, Baguley, and Wythenshawe to Manchester Airport with 15 stops. The line is planned to open in 2016. The scheme is funded from as part of the Greater Manchester Transport Fund Programme local AGMA funding

The Metrolink East Manchester line, currently under construction, will run between Manchester Piccadilly railway station and Droylsden and is due to open in Spring 2012. The line will then extend from Droylsden to Ashton by winter 2013/14. The section within Manchester runs from Piccadilly railway station as far east as Clayton.

The extension will run under Great Ancoats Street, through Holt Town and along Ashton New Road. There will be five new stops between Piccadilly and Clayton. The line will provide improved transportation from the City Centre to the City of Manchester Stadium and the Velodrome

The extensions to Droylsden and Ashton are partly funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), partly by local funding from AGMA. The Metrolink Oldham Rochdale line, currently under construction, will deliver a new Metrolink line between Manchester Victoria railway station to Rochdale through Oldham and is due to open as far as Oldham Mumps in autumn 2011.

The first section of the line is being constructed along the route of the disused railway line to Central Park with the remainder being the conversion of the former heavy rail Oldham Loop Line. The stops within the Manchester District are Monsall, Central Park, Newton Heath and Moston. This scheme is funded partly by the Department for Transport (DfT) and partly by local funding from AGMA.

As part of the Accelerated Park and Ride Package scheme provision for 300 parking spaces at East Didsbury Metrolink, were identified for early delivery as part of the Greater Manchester Transport Fund programme. DfT is currently unable to confirm the availability or timing of future funding for the package and as a result GMPTE will be working in conjunction with key stakeholders to identify a way forward for this proposed package of works.

3.2.1 Metrolink 2nd City Crossing

To cater for increased movements through the City Centre and to improve operational robustness as a result of the Metrolink expansion programme, GMPTE have developed proposals for a 2nd crossing between G-Mex and Victoria. The proposals will be the subject of a public consultation during 2011.

Proposals will also be brought forward to ease the conflict with buses by removing bus movements from St Peter’s Square and Mosley Street Metrolink. GMITA has also commenced the statutory procedures to pursue the closure of the Mosley Street Metrolink stop.

3.3 Rail

In line with the forecasts for job growth in the City Centre, we expect demand for rail to reach around 29,000 passengers in the morning peak by 2020.

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by Improvements to platforms, passenger waiting facilities, 2010/11 information and lighting at Victoria Station

Improvements to disabled access provision at Oxford Road 2012/13 Station, including passenger lift to platforms 2 and 3

Improved journey times to Liverpool, Preston and 2013 Blackpool North through DfT’s electrification scheme

Major refurbishment of Victoria Station including: 2014 o A new roof; o An enhanced passenger waiting environment within the station; o Potential relocation of the ticket office and provision of a centrally located travel centre; o Work to protect the heritage features of the station; o Potential for improved and additional passenger facilities.

Increase rolling stock capacity committed by DfT for 2014 additional passengers through HLOS

Rail Proposals

More detail on the proposals for the Grater Manchester rail systems are set out in the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan.

More locally, in the longer term, new network capacity, particularly in and around Manchester Piccadilly, will be needed to deliver the range and scale of services to support a stronger Manchester economy, to address overcrowding and lack of capacity to meet growth in passengers.

Network Capacity

To improve network capacity in the long term will require the delivery of the “Northern Hub” (previously known as the Manchester Hub) improvements, working with the Government, Network Rail and TfGM. The Northern Hub is the coming together of 14 of the North’s radial rail corridors at Manchester’s two main stations, Piccadilly and Victoria, their junctions and signals, and the mix of long-distance, regional, local and commuter and freight services that operate on them.

The Hub is central to the economic success of the north but it is severely congested and suffers from a number of infrastructure constraints that, between them, are preventing the rail network in the North of England from playing its full role in driving economic growth.

Network Rail has developed a solution that makes greater use of both Victoria and Piccadilly stations and which eliminates the majority of crossing movements that constrain capacity and lead to poor performance. The solution is based on all north–south services using Manchester Piccadilly, with most east–west services calling at Manchester Victoria.

The £530million package of infrastructure improvements would be delivered over the next ten years and would include the Ordsall Curve – a new piece of railway providing a direct connection between Victoria and Piccadilly stations via Salford and Oxford Road, improving connectivity from the north east and allowing services from Victoria to access the airport – together with additional platforms, including two new bay platforms at Victoria, two new through platforms (15 and 16) at Piccadilly and a fourth platform at the airport. The key benefits for passengers would include trains every 15 minutes to Liverpool and Yorkshire, faster journey times between Manchester and Liverpool and additional capacity for local and commuter services.

Overcrowding

To address the immediate priority of overcrowding, the Council, working together with GMPTE, will continue to press the DfT to deliver rolling stock capacity and quality improvements committed by the previous Government by 2014.

Through the ongoing governance work, we are developing a closer working relationship with DfT to ensure that future rail capacity, including rolling stock allocation, is jointly agreed, based on robust evidence and that the whole rail investment process is more responsive to the economic needs of the city.

As part of the joint work with DfT regarding governance, GMPTE will develop the economic case for further expansion of commuter rail capacity into Manchester for the years beyond 2014 and ensure that this is incorporated in DfT plans for new franchises and the 2012 High Level Output Specification.

The Council will work with the Government, Network Rail and developers to secure funding that will allow a substantial improvement to the passenger facilities at Victoria and Oxford Road. We will work with GMPTE and Network Rail to ensure that this essential upgrade is delivered as quickly as possible. The option will also be explored to secure Victoria’s adoption as a ‘Network Rail Managed Station’ giving it the same status as Piccadilly. We will also continue to work with GMPTE and Northern Rail to improve passenger facilities at rail stations that give access to the City

Centre. In particular investment should provide better access for the disabled and measures to improve passenger safety and security.

Passenger Facilities We are also aware of the need to raise the quality of station facilities and interchange between modes to meet the expectations of passengers. We will work with GMPTE and Network Rail to improve key rail gateways into the city, specifically Manchester Victoria and Oxford Road. Improving and maintaining the quality of the access routes to transport hubs, like our rail station, to help ease of movement and interchange onto rail from walking, cycling and car is also a key focus for Manchester transport strategy.

We will work with Network Rail to maximise the spin-off benefits of the electrification of the Liverpool–Manchester line via-Newton-le-Willows through, for example, increased Park and Ride.

Two stations in Manchester have confirmed National Station Improvement Programme (NSIP) Tranche 1 funding and contributions which have been committed through the GMITA Minor Works Capital Programme, which supports the scheme and effectively unlocks the NSIP funding.

The NSIP Tranche 1 station enhancements are summarised below:

o Manchester Oxford Road: The £750,000 scheme includes new waiting shelters, new seating, a complete refurbishment of the existing toilets facilities including provision which meets the needs of disabled people, a new customer information point and new directional signage. Delivery is planned for 2011

o Manchester Victoria: The £1.7 million scheme incorporates additional waiting facilities, enhanced lighting on Platforms 3-6, help points, CCTV cameras, cycle parking hoops, and refurbishment of the existing toilets. This scheme is also being developed by Network Rail and Northern Rail in conjunction with GMPTE and as with Manchester Oxford Road a listed building consent application has recently been submitted to the City Council. Delivery is planned for 2011. This work is the first phase of a more comprehensive refurbishment at Manchester Victoria which is referred below.

In respect of Manchester Victoria, it was recently announced that Network Rail in conjunction with key stakeholders and funding partners, the GMITA and the City Council are progressing a scheme to transform the station. It is anticipated the scheme will cost £25 million and will deliver significant improvements including:

o A new roof;

o An enhanced passenger waiting environment within the station;

o Potential relocation of the ticket office and provision of a centrally located travel centre;

o Work to protect the heritage features of the station;

o Potential for improved and additional passenger facilities; and

o Provision for step-free access to the arena; and to additional Metrolink platforms if required in the future.

The first stage of work, which is due to be completed in spring 2011, involves working closely with all stakeholders to define the scope of the scheme and identify a preferred option which can be delivered by the end of 2014. Network Rail has committed to work closely with its funding partners and other organisations such as Northern Rail (who currently manage the station), English Heritage and the Railway Heritage Trust throughout the project.

In addition Network Rail has developed Access for All Schemes at Manchester Oxford Road. Level access to the island platforms 2/3 will be provided via lifts and a disused goods subway at the eastern end of the station. However, this does not extend to platform 1, which would remain without level access in the short term, but accessibility will need to be addressed in the future in order for there to be a complete solution. The scheme, being delivered by Network Rail, is progressing through outline design and is planned to be delivered in 2012/13 to fit with platform 13/14 works at Piccadilly so as to minimise the number of railway possessions required and passenger disruption on the route.

Ashbury’s rail station is included in GMITA’s Rail Station Improvement Strategy (RSIS) which was established to improve existing passenger security and information systems at the smaller rail stations across the Greater Manchester. Improvements include the introduction of CCTV, Help Points, Customer Information Screens and a Public Announcement System. Funding is not yet confirmed but it is hoped that – once funding is confirmed – it will be delivered within the next four years.

The Council will continue to work with GMPTE to secure passenger improvements local rail stations in the City focussing on passenger accessibility and security enhancements such as improved access, cctv, help points and information screens.

The West Wythenshawe Local Plan contains a proposal to assess the feasibility of providing a passenger and goods stop on the Altrincham – Stockport line at Baguley. GMPTE have carried out feasibility work and concluded that the anticipated cost of £8 million did not represent value for money based on the forecast usage of the stop.

The Council will continue to work with GMPTE to seek to improve the business case for an stop in this location particularly in the light of proposed developments in the area and in the context of the Northern Hub proposals.

3.4 Encouraging Active Travel

City Centre Pedestrian Movement and Public Realm

The significant increase in pedestrian activity in the City Centre, as a result of the growth in employment, additional public transport trips, improvements to the highway network and the introduction of bus priority measures, demands a transformation of the public realm with greater priority for pedestrians along certain streets together with the creation of new public spaces.

The council recognises the primary role of pedestrian activity in supporting the vibrancy of the City Centre economy, by making Manchester a pleasant and enjoyable place to visit, shop, work and live.

Delivery of improved public realm needs to be secured across the City Centre. Walking is the primary transport mode in the City Centre and it is how people choose to access their work, education or leisure facilities. A welcoming pedestrian environment raises the perceptions of the centre and, if implemented appropriately, can unlock further potential for economic growth.

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by Oxford Road – the proposed diversion of through and 2012# general traffic allows the carriageway to be narrowed, footways to be widened and segregated cycle paths to be introduced with significantly enhanced public realm and landscaping. This will also improve improved pedestrian and cycle connections to and on parallel routes

St Peter’s Square refurbishment, where general traffic and 2014 buses will be removed, as will buses along Mosley Street

The closure of Victoria Street outside the cathedral, 2014 creating a strong pedestrian link from the retail core area through to Chapel Street, which will also be traffic-calmed under plans developed by Salford City Council

New public spaces along the River Irwell, including 2016 Salford’s Exchange/Greengate proposals, which incorporate a new pedestrian bridge over the river

New or enhanced pedestrian walkways along the river 2016 frontage as part of Irwell River Park

# Subject to confirmation of funding for the Cross City Bus package

Limited capital and revenue funding for minor works, maintenance and information activity demands will require a focus on low cost measures, integrated as part of our Smarter Travel work, raising awareness of walking routes and the benefits of walking, in close partnership with Manchester’s health sector.

Priority must be given to creating safe, convenient and attractive routes to and from the Regional Centre, our local centres, public transport nodes and key services (including employment, education, health, retail and leisure venues)

Leisure or tourism routes will need to be funded through other sources so as to maximise PRoW contributions to the region's overall transport network.

Manchester’s Public Rights of Way (PRoW)

The City Council will continue to ensure that the Public Rights of Way (PRoW) should be fully integrated with Manchester's overall delivery plan for LTP3 and focus on prioritising improvements that meet local needs. The overall LTP3 objectives are all supported by PRoW, particularly those relating to shorter local journeys or part journeys, for example from the home to a public transport stations and stops.

Promotion of the network will be undertaken as part of the overall information work, including maps at stations, online resources, and signposting. MCC will periodically review the PRoW definitive map and statement.

All new PRoW will be accessible to all, including DDA compliance. An opportunistic approach will be taken to upgrading existing routes to DDA standards.

Maintenance work will carried out to improve accessibility where local need has indentified a priority.

Walking the Neighbourhood

Most infrastructure for walking already exists, through a comprehensive network of footways, tow paths, ginnels and other Public Rights of Way. Our strategy will focus on maintaining the condition of this asset and making targeted improvements to overcome barriers and support pedestrian movements.

The council will undertake a programme of works as funding is made available to remove barriers and overcome missing links to significant destinations including bus, rail, and tram stations, local centres, schools, and other transport infrastructure including the national cycle network

Pedestrian crossings and other engineering solutions will continue to be identified in support of pedestrian movement, through Regeneration programmes and local ward coordination. Proposals will be assessed and ranked against value for money and local policy criteria and considered for funding as and when funding is available.

The City also aspires to deliver a 20mph programme of schemes around every Manchester school, to calm vehicles speeds, whilst addressing other parking and highway problems where funding is available. Implemented along side school travel plans, the journey to schools will be targeted for encouraging journeys on foot, bike or bus.

Walking schemes will continue to be developed in accordance to The Concise Pedestrian and Cycling Audit (COPECAT) process, which was designed to provide a consistent approach to the development of the pedestrian and cycle infrastructure.

The City Council is committed to ensuring that all projects meet its responsibilities to be compliant under the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and commitment to the Access 2000 Strategy is taken. This will mean therefore that walking schemes will be compliant with the relevant standards in Design for Access 2.

Manchester’s newly built environment and residential streets will also be guided by best practice, local design manuals and community travel planning measures to reverse the dominance of motorised traffic and give a greater balance back to people.

The City Council will continue to promote journey planning tools, such as Walkit.com, which was launched in April 2009 to encourage residents to make smarter, more informed active travel choices for shorter journeys.

Travel Plans in schools and competitions to encourage pupils to walk to school will continue to be supported, where funding is available, in support of obesity action programmes and reducing congestion associated with the ‘school run’.

Although mostly consisting of footpaths, many routes are suitable for upgrading to bridleway status which opens them up to other users including cyclists, thereby helping create a step change towards an extensive off-road network. This will facilitate both short routes to improve permeability and journey times, and longer journeys. The Council will therefore convert suitable footpaths to bridleway status and undertake minor works as necessary and when funding is available. New routes - for example those created as part of new developments - will be bridleways.

Gaps in the network will be filled wherever opportunities arise, for example through S106 agreements.

3.5 Cycling

Cycling will play an increasing role in improving access to the City Centre. This will be aided through the development of an updated cycling strategy in the City Centre, ensuring the links on the key radial routes into the City Centre are connected to key destinations. Summary of the key issues are: o Address the demand for cycle parking; o Make major junctions safer for cyclists; o Work with partners to reduce cycle theft; o Liaise with City Centre employers to improve workplace cycle parking and changing facilities; and o Improve opportunities for crossing the Inner Ring Road

We will increase and improve the provision of secure cycle parking at key locations, such as rail stations and bus interchanges. The Council views the provision of adequate and safe cycle parking as a key factor in helping change travel behaviour. As a key part of the GMTF, bus improvement works include provision for the extension of many cycle lanes in the City Centre. This work also includes provision for cycle parking at key destinations along the routes.

The Council is committed to investigating innovative ways to improve cycling infrastructure and increase cycling rates. We will play an increasing role in delivering new facilities and look at opportunities for delivering new infrastructure alongside public transport and highway improvement schemes.

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by

As part of Smarter Choices, encourage employers to Ongoing prepare Workplace Travel Plans that will include the provision of adequate parking, changing and storage facilities and the introduction of salary sacrifice and loan schemes

The Council will work with the Salford City Council, From 2010 transport operators and cycle groups to deliver additional cycle parking in key locations, particularly transport interchanges

A Strategic Plan for Cycling in Manchester will be 2010 developed in partnership with the relevant cycling check organisations and advocates

Cycle hire scheme at Piccadilly Station (funded from 2011 check Government Cycle-Rail programme)

As part of the Cross City bus package, we will construct 2012#

raised cycle lanes adjacent to the carriageway on Oxford Road and provide additional through-routes for cyclists in the City Centre

Cycling Proposals (MAY NEED TO REVIEW IN LIGHT OF GMITA DRAFT)

The focus of the strategy will be improving routes within the City Centre to make them safer and to increase the number of people cycling by creating a positive environment for cyclists. The integration of sustainable modes of travel with major public transport infrastructure is a key aim of the strategy, with cycling taking a central role. To deliver this approach we will progress the following proposals:

o Working with adjoining highway authorities and cycle groups, we will seek to deliver a network of safe and clearly signed cycle routes into and within the City Centre, serving key destinations.

o Identifying where significant barriers exist (such as large roundabouts and complex junctions, particularly adjacent to the IRR), which can discourage cycling, and identify solutions.

o Working with the Salford City Council, the universities and private sector interests to examine the feasibility and delivery of a cycle hire scheme.

o Working with cycling organisations to continue to promote cycling across the city through the development of a Strategic Plan.

o Engaging with Virgin Trains and Network Rail to ensure that maximum benefit is derived for the city from the proposed cycle hire scheme at Piccadilly Station.

Cycle Network Development

Manchester will develop the network, primarily based on a bicycle wheel model (as developed by Transport for London for the ‘London Cycle Network’). Manchester’s ‘spokes’ will represent radial cycling ‘express ways’ in to the City Centre, via existing primary roads, existing well used cycle routes and canal towpaths. The Council remains committed to completing the ’rim’, Manchester’s Orbital Cycleway and National Cycle Route 60. The objective will be to increase the permeability into both the Regional Centre and district centres and to key employment and education destinations, supported by increased end of journey facilities such as cycle parking and directional signing. The Council will continue to work with TfGM, private developers, Regeneration Teams and other partners to secure funding where a local need has been identified for improving cycle links that improve accessibility and encourage healthier, more sustainable travel by bikes.

The Council will seek to develop safe and secure pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the Irk and Moston Brook Valleys to link with the City Centre We will also record suggestions made by cyclists to improve the existing cycling network, including filling gaps, removing obstacles to cycling and improving the overall signing and usability of the network and seek to fund some schemes as resources permit.

The Council will also seek to identify funding to invest in cycle training with the aim of increasing the number of primary school children in Manchester being trained to Bikeability ‘level 2’ providing competence use on-road from 1314 (28%) in 2004/05 to 2404 (48%) in 2009/10. In 2010 the Council also offered free cycle training to adults either as residents of the city or working within the city boundaries. Once programme data has been analysed to quantify the effectiveness in encouraging more cycling journeys, particularly to employment locations, the Council will consider extending the programme of adult cycle training subject to funding being available. As with supporting pedestrian movements, the ongoing maintenance of key walking and cycle routes to a good standard is a priority. Repairing pot holes and clear of debris and maintaining adequate lighting and signage are all important to ensuring routes are safe and pleasant.

3.6 Taxis

Taxis and private hire vehicles play an important role in complementing the conventional public transport system. Taxi rank bays are provided outside the main areas for interchange in the City Centre such as Piccadilly Rail Station and Portland Street and at key locations to serve businesses and the night time economy.

However, there are some issues regarding taxis that require interventions and ongoing management.

The recent introduction of taxi marshalling in the evenings has helped to reduce night-time incidents around The Printworks. It will remain necessary to respond to changes in demand for taxis and work with the industry on effective solutions, within the current constraints on funding.

The pressure for waiting space on hackney carriage taxi ranks in the City Centre has been exacerbated by economic conditions reducing taxi demand at Manchester airport and elsewhere and more taxi licenses. This change in supply and demand has let to a situation where too many taxis are trying to access too few spaces at too few of the ranks that are available across the City Centre. This unmanaged and market driven

operation of taxi services can often lead to taxis contravening traffic orders and operating with poor practice as competitive pressures bite.

These unmanaged ranks often impact on bus services, pedestrian safety and traffic congestion. In order to tackle these practices enforcement protocols have been implemented and carried out, however this requires careful management and cooperation with the taxi trade.

The Council also recognises the need to keep pace with the demand for taxi services as the City Centre develops. In response the Council has reviewed the supply, use and demand of all the taxis ranks in the City Centre and has developed a criteria assessment to prioritise those ranks most needed. Ranks will be introduced in Spinningfields, the Northern Quarter, Sportcity and Didsbury West.

The City will continue to hold regular meetings with the taxi trade to discuss operational and highway issues and balance pressures and the differing interests between private and Hackney trades.

The council and the trade are looking at ways to improve communication between the Council and the industry to address this issue with better communication through industry newsletters, the Licensing department for the Council and enforcement managed through Manchester Parking.

The City Council are committed to working with the taxi trade and will seek a balance to ensure taxis continue to support the economy by providing a quality transport service, whilst tackling problems associated with taxis waiting in restricted areas.

3.7 Managing our Highways

The Council as the Highways Authority manages the local highway network within Manchester. In managing the highways network in Manchester we aim to: o Improve the efficiency and reliability of key routes for workers, customers and suppliers to strategic employment location o Make best use of walking, cycling and public transport routes to key centre and major new development o Encourage the optimal use of the network by giving travellers information about travel choices o Minimise the impact of road traffic on residential areas and to improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists We work with neighbouring Highways Authorities, the Highways Agency which manage the motorways, and Greater Manchester Police. The Council welcomes new opportunities to plan and deliver a more integrated management of the network through the strengthening of coordination protocols being developed by the creation of Transport for Greater Manchester.

In a period of constrained funding better coordination and ongoing network management is important to make best use of the existing network to improve connectivity and accessibility from housing and labour markets to employment and opportunity.

This strategy recognises that it will be important to retain good access to the City Centre and other strategic employment locations for all vehicles to support economic activity. The Council recognises the importance of managing the network efficiently and reducing congestion, which undermines our economic competitiveness.

Summary of Key Issues Resolving peak period junction delay and balancing capacity demands Reducing the number of through or ‘far side’ trips using the City Centre Reviewing and improving City Centre car parking and signing Maintaining good levels of access to car parking and servicing Need to review the function and operation of the Inner Ring Road Improving key rote performance during peak time Improving incident management and reducing delays Coordinating events to minimise delays Managing and coordinating streetworks

Network Management Operational Structures and approach in Manchester

The primary function of the Network Management Team of Manchester will be to improve the efficiency and reliability of key routes for workers, customers and suppliers to significant centres of economic activity

Further text to be added

Network Management Strategy

Optimisation of traffic signals and traffic lane usage on strategic routes to key destinations to improve journey time reliability

Further text to be added

A new activity under the GM Network Management Strategy will be to analyse the performance data as described in "Route Performance" above and prioritise those locations that would be most likely to benefit from traffic signal or traffic lane improvements and the enhancement of the performance of the strategic routes on which they are located.

Where management actions, such as traffic signal timings, are required they will be implemented immediately. Where maintenance actions or very minor improvements are identified as a priority, the relevant Authority will be asked to include these actions within their current works programmes. More substantial improvements will be prioritised for future works programmes, as finance becomes available.

Enforcement of bus lane, parking & moving traffic offences on key routes at key times

Further text to be added

As the LTP3 period starts, all ten local highway authorities in Greater Manchester have decriminalised parking enforcement powers and several authorities also have decriminalised bus lane enforcement powers. Greater Manchester Police will continue to have powers to enforce moving traffic offences, which will assist in improving network reliability, as well as road safety offences such as speed, drink and drug driving, seat belt wearing, mobile phone use and red light running.

It is proposed that Greater Manchester authorities and agencies explore two options of prioritising the enforcement of offences which significantly affect highway network safety and efficiency - developing a service level agreement with GMP and seeking decriminalisation of moving traffic offences.

In addition it is proposed to explore collaborating on the procurement of efficient back office support for all road traffic and road safety contraventions.

Whichever enforcement option is chosen, the locations identified by analysis of performance data as described in "Route Performance" above will be prioritised on the basis of intervening in the locations most likely to benefit from enforcement action and the associated improvements to route performance. The relevant enforcement agencies will then be requested to take the appropriate actions in line with the previously agreed GM network management strategy.

Incident Management Management of incidents and activities on strategic routes to maximise route availability

Working with the Highways Agency and the Police the Council we will identify strategic routes within Manchester and on the motorway network, which suffer from regular incidents and events and develop resilience plans and where needed, tactical diversion plans to be implemented for future incidents or events.

The Council will continue to work with the police in responding to emergency incidents to minimise disruption to the network and to maximise network capacity as soon as practicable.

Incidents include; • road traffic collisions; • obstructions of the highway from fallen trees or other street furniture; • debris or diesel spillage on the road; • failures of the carriageway, such as pot holes or cavities; • failures of utilities’ apparatus, which cause disruption to the highway, such as burst water or gas mains and other emergency repairs to apparatus; • adverse weather conditions; • major incidents where a road has to be closed for safety or operational reasons or security alerts.

TFGM will coordinate the responses on strategic routes which affect more than one Authority.

Event Management Strategic traffic management for major events to maximise network efficiency & reliability

Further text to be added

Working with partners such as Greater Manchester Police, the Highways Agency, major entertainment and sporting stadiums and venues, Manchester will seek to better coordinate those planned events and street works that can impact on traffic movement to reduce disruption and keep public transport and general traffic moving, thereby reducing congestion and related emissions.

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The city region partners will assist with the management of planned strategic, operational and tactical response to events at key sporting, cultural and leisure venues, together with major, less frequent and sporadic events that take place on the highway or which will have an impact upon the use of highways. This role will be coordinated across all forms of transport.

A calendar of events that have the potential to cause significant delays on the strategic routes will be identified and support given to the event organisers to produce a traffic management plan, which the organisers will arrange to deploy. The deployment of event plans will be monitored and further strategic, tactical and operational interventions will be deployed as required.

GM Road Activities Permit Scheme

Strategic traffic management for road, street and developers’ works to maximise network efficiency & reliability

It is proposed to introduce a Greater Manchester joint permit scheme in September 2011 to better plan, schedule and manage Highway Authority, Statutory Utility and developers' works on Greater Manchester highways in order to minimise traffic disruption to all road users.

The scheme will provide clear information on what planned replacement, improvement and maintenance works are proposed by the Highway Authorities and Utilities to enable consideration of the proposals alongside planned developers' work and events to establish whether changes are necessary to that which is proposed in order to minimise disruption to highway users.

The scheme will, through a parallel Street Works Overrun scheme, charge Utilities for unreasonably prolonged occupation of the highway and will encourage Highway Authorities to manage their works on the same basis.

Improved resilience of the transport system to climate change

As the climate changes, so we will also need to adapt to different weather condition. We recognise the need to consider the vulnerability of strategic roads to flooding, the potential for better warnings, strategic road clearance to avoid people becoming stranded and plans to support people who do become stranded. Manchester will incorporate risk management strategies, in particular for surface water management, within Manchester’s Highways Asset Management Plans.

We aim to undertake a review of those bridges at risk of flood damage that also contain or support other utilities and make recommendations on the replacement of vulnerable bridges or the re-routing of utilities to avoid a cascade failure.

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In terms of winter maintenance, we plan to increase collaborative working, and regional route optimisation including routing vehicles across and beyond local authority administrative boundaries. We will also explore the use of the most appropriate technologies to deliver the most efficient service, optimise vehicle usage and equipment utilisation and the location of salt storage barns. We will also seek to collaborate with other organisations, such as the hospitals, to ensure that their needs are met.

We will undertake a detailed review of side slopes, artificial embankments and cuttings adjacent to the strategic road network and recommend site specific actions. Further we will assess the risk to bridges from thermal expansion, and monitor the structures at highest risk during periods of high temperature.

For highways vegetation, we will develop a robust landscape and maintenance regime to ensure that both new planting and existing vegetation are able to tolerate different weather, such as periods of low rainfall.

Severe Winter Maintenance Strategy

The strategy will be to provide more grit bins around the city, and to coordinate volunteers to help with clearing snow and other essential community work. We will also be working with schools and other educational establishments to help them develop a severe winter weather strategy.

In 2010, in accordance with the recommendations of the Quarmby Report, the City Council doubled the amount of salt stocks it holds in reserve from 1,440 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes in preparation for future severe winters. All A and B roads, bus routes, busy commuter routes and access to community services are included in its Winter Services Operational Plan.

More than 10,000 potholes caused by the adverse weather conditions of 2009/10 were identified and repaired.

We will continue to prioritise gritting on the busiest routes, the steepest roads and roads around key services such as schools; hospitals, bus routes, railway and Metrolink stations and Manchester Airport.

We will look to introduce new technology to improve the service delivery and investigate different ways of de-icing the roads and footways that are more environmentally friendly.

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Ring Road “Interception Strategy”

A key element maximising the efficiency of the existing road network in support the economic competitiveness of Manchester will be to develop a long-term routing and signage strategy, which intercepts through and ‘far- side’ traffic to direct motorists to more appropriate routes including the M60 and other orbital routes, ensuring these routes become more attractive to drivers than driving through the City Centre.

The removal of this traffic should ensure that the City Centre remains accessible to service traffic, and gives greater priority to pedestrians, cyclist and buses. It will also support our policies to create pleasant attractive public realm, reduce noise impacts and vehicle emissions, making the City Centre an altogether more pleasant place to visit, shop and reside.

Implementing an effective traffic interception and circulation strategy will make best use of the main highway network through a range of mechanisms, including better information, improved signing, better route numbering and selective traffic management measures at key junctions.

These changes will in turn provide capacity for the introduction of priority measures to accommodate public transport and also opportunities for an improved public realm to accommodate the significant numbers of pedestrians moving around the City Centre. This approach will therefore contribute to our low carbon action plans and meet other important environmental and social inclusion objectives.

This will involve making improvements to the signal junctions, signing and road layouts on the IRR and other orbital routes. This has the potential to remove up to a quarter of the existing traffic, comprising trips that are currently either entering the City Centre unnecessarily or travelling across the City Centre to reach their destination.

Funding for these improvements will be sought from the later years of LTP3 programmes and from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Additional potential funding support will also be sought through other streams including future major scheme bids, and developer contributions.

Improving capacity and performance of existing highway network

The Inner Ring Road is central to the future of the highways network in the City Centre. It allows efficient access to the City Centre and allows traffic to circumnavigate the City Centre network. An efficient IRR will support economic activity related to the movement of freight and workers, whilst helping to improve the environmental performance and ambience of the City Centre, by reducing through traffic, minimising traffic emissions and noise impacts.

The Council will work with Salford City Council to identify funding to deliver a programme of junction improvements on the IRR together with redesigned key junctions in the City Centre to reduce congestion and

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provide better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. These plans are to be progressed through the local transport plan process.

A number of schemes have been identified on radial routes, orbital corridors and junctions on the Inner Ring Road for improvement including:

> Mancunian > Great Ducie > Great Ancoats > Cheetham Way/Trinity Street/Trinity Street junctions Hill Road/New Way/ Way Bridge Water Street junction Street junction junctions

> Miller Street – > Cheetham > Queens > Rochdale Addington Hill Road/ Road/Rochdale Road Road/Queens Street/ Queens Road Road Swan Street

> Queens > Alan Turing > Pottery > Slade Lane – Road/Scropton Way, Lane/Kirkmanshulme junction with Street to approaching Lane/St John’s Road Stockport Road Monsall Road the junction into Gibbon Street (turn into Asda)

Junction improvement alone will not solve congestion, if too many people continue to rely on cars for too many journeys that could be made by more sustainable transport, typically public transport and cycling. The long term congestion strategy remains to reduce the need to travel through integrating land use planning with transport investment to increase accessibility by sustainable travel options and encourage a change in travel behaviour by supporting interventions to encourage people to choose sustainable travel modes, whenever practical.

Further update to be added

The Council will also need to work with partners at Manchester Airport and the Wythenshawe Regeneration Team to ensure the freight movements are supported as the proposals to develop the Airport City concept and Roundthorn industrial estate come forward. The Council will seek a balance between ensuring the reliability of supply and goods movements, as well as travel demand from passengers, employees and the concerns of local residents potential affected by HGV or LGV traffic.

The Council will work with the Greater Manchester Freight Quality Partnership in bringing forward solutions that will benefit Manchester’s economy and residents.

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Managing Key Routes into the City Centre

The Council will work to develop a comprehensive signing and routing strategy (including the removal of existing clutter) to encourage drivers to use the Inner Ring Road to reach the nearest available car park to their destination rather than navigating and circulating through the City Centre. This should be used in conjunction with a co-ordinated information strategy, taking advantage of all forms of communication, including in-car and mobile phone-based technologies.

We will encourage commuters to park earlier in their journey so as to reduce driving delays either by taking advantage of the enhanced Park and Ride facilities or, where they chose to drive into the city, by using Metroshuttle, Cross City buses and Metrolink or walking to their destination, taking advantage of the network of public realm improvements.

The Council will continue to support the ongoing road safety and congestion management programmes in the City Centre. These provide effective complements to the highway and public transport proposals in this strategy.

Ensuring the appropriate provision and location of car parking is an important strand of this strategy. However, parking is a complex and ever-changing picture of supply, demand, policies and pricing. Any balance in provision can be affected by the appearance of temporary car parks, for example on vacant development sites, or by the loss of parking spaces as a result of development activity. Commuters, shoppers and evening visitors have differing requirements and sensitivities to pricing and location. In order to develop a consistent approach to parking, we have agreed with the Salford City Council to work together to develop a joint parking strategy to be brought forward for public consultation. The first important stage of this will be to secure a strong evidence base to gain a better understanding of the current location, provision and pricing of all public, private, permanent and temporary parking in and around the City Centre.

As part of this work, we will keep under review the provision of on-street parking to minimise unnecessary restrictions at evenings and weekends so as to support, in particular, the leisure economy.

Through a programme of travel behavioural change, we will work with businesses to increase car occupancy levels so as to increase the number of people accessing the City Centre by car while holding the car numbers relatively constant. We will achieve this through the actions and intervention described in the later section on Smarter Choices.

We will also ensure that access is maintained for servicing to all parts of the City Centre from the IRR and consult with businesses as detailed proposals are brought forward that may affect access or servicing arrangements to their premises.

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We will also ensure that Blue Badge holders can continue to gain access to and park in the City Centre. This will support the city’s commitment to equality of opportunity and meeting its obligations under disability discrimination legislation.

Tackling Congestion

The Greater Manchester Congestion Target Delivery Plan [Hyperlink to document], funded throughout the LTP2, addresses traffic conditions along 15 key routes, 6 of which are in Manchester. Working with other agencies, the Council are continuing to identify relatively modest interventions (but with cumulative potential) that can help tackle congestion, including traffic management and parking measures, enforcement and better co-ordination of traffic signals.

We are also working with key employers along the routes to develop and implement travel plans.

Update needed on CPF position

Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by Check delivery Ongoing Tackle congestion on priority routes serving the City Centre as part of the Greater Manchester Congestion Target Delivery Plan

Upgrade of the UTC system in the City Centre 2010

Upgrade and expansion of the City Centre Car Park 2010 Guidance (VMS) system

Work with the Co-op to re-route the IRR so as to 2012 reduce the impact of Miller Street and better integrate their development with the City Centre

Expansion and development of the Metroshuttle free 2012 City Centre bus (linking public transport termini and car parks to the business and retail areas)

Introduce traffic management measures and improved 2016 signage in the IRR to develop more appropriate routing strategies so as to reduce the number of unnecessary through trips

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3.8 Highways

Development Management

The Core Strategy seeks to significantly increase the number of jobs in the City Centre and other employment areas as well as to increase Manchester’s population. This will require development to proceed that creates more commercial floorspace and a net increase in the number of residential units.

The Community Strategy seeks to achieve this growth whilst being environmentally sustainable, helping communities feel safer and improving the health and wellbeing of Manchester’s residents. Effective management of development will be essential in supporting this growth whilst delivering on these other priorities.

More jobs and an increasing population will inevitably increase the number of journeys being made. With very little scope to add to the existing amount of space available for highway this will inevitably place a significant demand on the existing highway network requiring innovative approaches to minimise the impact.

The main focus of Development Management is long-term and it will be to reduce the dependency on the private car for the accessing of employment, retail, education, leisure, cultural and tourism opportunities. This will be achieved incrementally by ensuring that new developments are appropriate for their location, possess a progressive travel plan, include sufficient cycle parking and have excellent access to a choice of sustainable modes of travel, such as walking, cycling, buses and the Metrolink. However, the car will remain an important means of accessing the majority of new developments. Therefore Development Management will seek to minimise the impact of parking and any additional demand on the network and provide advice to decision makers as to the residual impact should development proceed.

For residential developments Development Management will ensure that proposals are consistent with the latest guidance, such as Manchester’s Streetscape Manual. This will ensure that new homes are well integrated with neighbourhoods offering quality of life, provision of adequate access to a range of services and facilities and will be a place where people chose to live.

The appropriateness of a development will in large part be dictated by location; therefore Development Management will consider the priorities of each SRF areas and be sensitive to their different priorities.

Development invariably brings about permanent changes to the highway whether this is in terms of additional demand on the network or through physical changes such as a new access. It is these permanent changes that Development Management will manage to ensure benefits are maximised and any impacts minimised. Where appropriate either s278,

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s106 or commuted sums may be sought to fund works that are needed to provide access to the network, address any disbenefit or fund additional maintenance commitments created by the development.

New development that includes measures that are aligned with the objectives of LTP3 and other transport strategies such as the Transport Strategy for Manchester City Centre have the potential to assist in the delivery of these strategies. Therefore Development Management will ensure that all new developments are aligned with the various strategies and in so doing will through the cumulative impact of new development assist in delivering these strategies.

Managing Traffic Demand

The Council will continue to explore and implement the full range of policy levers to manage the demand for travel, hold traffic at current levels and encourage the journeys created by economic development to be accommodated by sustainable modes of travel. Such policies are described throughout this strategy section, including:

Car parking and pricing strategies discouraging commuter parking, particularly when investments have been made in public transport;

Reduce the need to travel through integrating transport with land-use planning, locating development in accessible locations;

Polices and investment in public transport systems, ticketing and information;

Polices and investment to support more walking and cycling for shorter journeys, particular journey to work and education; and

Investments in activities and intervention around smarter travel choices.

The Council will continue to monitor traffic levels and network performance to inform our policies and help develop interventions.

The Council will also continue to identify opportunities to re-allocate road space to pedestrians and cyclists, through new development and the planning process or delivery of large scheme such as the Cross City Bus packagel, as funding and approvals are confirmed.

Pedestrians will be given greater priority in the City Centre through the implementation of the TSfMCC, where unnecessary traffic will be removed or diverted away from the pedestrian and retail core.

Major crossing points and public realm improvement such as those planned on Oxford Road will help to encourage people to walk as the environment is calmed and to create a pleasant urban environment.

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Asset Management and Highways Maintenance

Manchester City Council is required to prepare a Transport Asset Management Plan to assist in the effective and efficient management of the physical highway assets and to achieve the wider aims and aspirations of Manchester’s Community Plan, the Local Transport Plan and the wishes and desires of the local population.

Transport Assets include all assets both within and beyond the highway; both physical and those more abstract values associated with usage and benefits to the community.

Manchester recognises the role of asset management in identifying need, allocating resources and provides a mechanism for maximising outcomes and helping to deliver the four shared priorities in conjunction with our partners both within and outside the City Council.

The City is currently implementing a Highways Asset Management Plan (HAMP) that provides a structured approach to planning and investment in maintenance and improvement works on the network. This plan allows us to monitor the condition of the asset in order to more effectively target works to maintain optimum functionality. Coupled with our Network Management Plan (NMP), this allows us to integrate the highways asset function with traffic movement and behaviour to give an overall picture of current and future highway network performance in Manchester.

Manchester will continue to target investments to improve the quality of the pedestrian environment through the management of the highway network, maintenance of pavements and introducing schemes that benefit pedestrians such as road crossing, where a local need has been identified through ward coordination and regeneration action plans.

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3.9 Smarter Choices

Smarter Choices are measures to help reduce the need to travel and encourage greater use of sustainable modes by influencing travel behaviour. Travellers can be targeted to influence the way people choose to travel and the way businesses operate in a changing world where technology and flexible working practices can play a major role.

Smarter Choices will play a key role in complementing the other measures in this strategy to deliver our overall objectives of creating an accessible City Centre to support the growth of the economy and the increase in jobs.

For example, increasing (through the encouragement of car sharing) the occupancy ratio of cars currently entering the City Centre during the morning peak period from the current level of 1.25 people per car would help towards achieving our goal of increasing the number of people accessing the City Centre while keeping car numbers constant. Where people need to use cars, we will encourage greater use of Manchester’s car club (currently operated by City Car Club).

The key outcomes we plan to deliver through the use of smarter choices in combination with our other proposals are:

A significant increase in trips made by sustainable modes; A long-term shift in travel behaviour across Manchester Improved public health through increased walking and cycling

The Council is committed to work with GMPTE to develop smartcard proposals, integrated multi-mode, multi-operator ticketing system, and travel information and transport services marketing. These elements of the transport system are best planned and implemented at the Greater Manchester level and are covered in the main Greater Manchester LTP3 document.

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Funded schemes and interventions Delivered by Whereas other schemes and commitments set out in this Ongoing document are capital-funded, the nature of Smarter Choices initiatives mean that they are revenue-based focusing largely on the activities of travel co-ordinators.

In particular, the Council and the health and higher education institutions on the Oxford Road Corridor have developed programmes of ongoing initiatives around workplace travel plans and campaigns to promote:

o The health benefits of walking and cycling o More use of public transport by the provision of personalised information and ticketing offer o Car sharing schemes o Salary sacrifice schemes o Use of the car club

Get On Board

As an influential employer for the region the City Council is determined to lead by example and set the standard for implementing robust Travel Plan measures that help to embed healthier, more sustainable transport choices within the business’ operations.

The Council operates a staff travel plan called “Get On Board”. The aim is to encourage employees to make more efficient, healthy and environmentally friendly travel choices in their journeys to, from and while at work.

Get on Board is a package of measures and staff benefits tailored to the needs of employees and services, which aims to provide greater choice and freedom, while reducing the need to use a car for work-related journeys. Get on Board is our way of managing the transport needs of employees, Councillors, services and visitors, while continuing to develop

Get on Board Outcomes: • Reduction in the proportion of staff travelling as lone drivers from 42% in 2007 to 35% in 2009. • Halving of City Centre staff travelling as lone drivers from 22% in 2002 to 11% in 2009. • Proportion of City Centre staff walking or cycling to work has almost tripled from 5% in 2002 to 14% in 2009. • Fewer staff with parking passes has saved over £100 000, with much more to come. • In-house car share website created • 435 (to August 2010) bikes purchased through tax-efficient scheme • 1110 interest-free public transport season ticket loans 111 • Reduction in carbon emissions of 277 tonnes each year (and success increasing)

accessible services. Measures have included: a bike pool, parking and shower facilities, discounted public transport tickets, car sharing and flexible working, active travel promotion events to raise awareness of the benefits.

The Council will continue to develop, integrate and promote the City Council‘s own Travel Plan through a senior level steering group

Working with a range of partners, from major businesses, schools and education institutions the Council will continue to undertake a Smarter Travel Choices programme to deliver a change in travel behaviour towards lower carbon travel (i.e. walking, cycling and public transport), to contribute to climate change objectives, as well as to public health through increasing activity levels.

The focus will increasingly be on the high proportion of short distance car journeys, where there is potential to switch to walking or cycling and linking with those public sector services that support areas of worklessness with transport solutions for those that need to access employment.

Our main activities will be to lock-in the benefits of major public transport schemes such as Metrolink, development cycling corridors and the City’s car club. The Council and its partners will continue to provide businesses, communities and groups with expertise in support of Smarter Travel Choices

Manchester will continue to identify clear investment priorities for cycling and walking invest and support Greater Manchester initiatives on travel information, ticketing, travel planning, marketing/ promotion and initiatives such as car sharing/car clubs.

Maintain school travel plans

Manchester will continue to maintain school travel plans to ensure they are effective. We will continue to prioritise support mechanisms such as websites, supporting material and improvements to the Journey Planner for the development of destination (e.g. workplace, schools) and community travel plans by others, and to ensure that these are monitored effectively.

Public Transport Information

The City will continue to seek to maximise improvements in public transport by providing access from residential areas and raising awareness of public transport options. Investment will be focused on ensuring routes to key transport hubs are well maintained, signed and safe.

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Active travel has a huge impact on public health. People who walk or cycle for significant parts of their travel have on average substantially better cardiovascular and mental health than people who do not, and tend to live longer, happier, more productive lives benefitting both themselves and our economy and communities.

The Council will work with transport providers and health professionals to improve the health of Manchester's residents through increasing rates of walking and cycling. This will help tackle deprivation in our deprived communities and increase health equalities. Where possible we will provide services that achieve both transport and health outcomes, e.g. exercise on prescription programmes that replace car commuting with walking. We will also improve road safety through physical infrastructure, education in schools, and promotional activity, particularly working with locations and communities that are at high risk.

The focus will be on short trips, either as the whole journey to key centres of activity or as the first or last leg of a journey by public transport.

Review wording following consideration of the public health white paper

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Spotlight on City Car Club

Manchester is proud to have one of the most successful car clubs in the ountry outside London. We have over 1000 members, both companies and ndividuals, in the City Centre and south Manchester suburbs.

This has reduced car ownership while facilitating occasional car use to people who either did not have access to a car at all, or who owned a car and have chosen to use the car club instead. There is evidence that people who use a car club make more linked trips and fewer overall car journeys, ave money, and have increased use of walking, cycling and public ransport.

We will continue to maintain and expand the network of cars, particularly in he City Centre, and expand the service in other districts where it is viable ncluding Chorlton, Didsbury, Withington, and other areas. The car club also elps support the wider economy by maintaining competitiveness and attractiveness to outside investors ensuring Manchester does not fall behind ompeting cities in the facilities open to residents and businesses. We will also investigate whether the service could provide access to a car for eprived communities where many households may not be able to afford full ar ownership. n the City Centre, a fleet of low emission cars are available for hire.

Found at locations across the city, the City Car Club cars are a greener and more convenient alternative to car ownership, while reducing congestion, uel consumption and emissions. Of all the cities City Car Club operates within, Manchester is the most successful.

t has shown itself to be an environmentally sustainable service, reducing pollution and congestion by using cars that are chosen for their lower emissions, reducing the amount of time drivers spend behind the wheel, and exploring alternative low-carbon technologies.

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3.10 Road Safety

Reduction in casualties statistics (slight, Killed or Seriously Injured, and children) have played a major role in the delivery of of LTP1 and 2. Manchester has been very successful in reaching most of its casualty targets, and will continue consider safety paramount. Safety concerns will continue inform investment decision making and scheme designs and be vital in contributing to the LTP3 strategic objective of maintaining and improving public health and wellbeing.

Engineering measures, including Safer Routes to School, have improved road design focusing on collision hot spots. However, if further improvements are to be made to reducing casualty numbers during the life time of LTP3 and with the scope for improvement from engineering measures reducing, changing road user behaviour will be essential to maintain progress.

Education, Training and Publicity (ETP) together with enforcement will continue to contribute towards changing attitudes and behaviour, making for a safer road environment. Manchester’s approach going forward will shift away from making roads safer through physical schemes, as this work is largely completed, to encouraging the people who use them, to use them more safely.

The Manchester Road Safety Strategy for ETP and the School Crossing Patrol Service will implement the Council’s ETP strategy to:

o Highlight the scale of the problem in Manchester o Identify ways to reduce casualty numbers and improve road safety o Encourage ownership of initiatives for improving road safety o Be an integral part of the Highway Services Business Plan and have a collaborative approach with other departments/agencies in delivering modal shift and safer road users. o Compare road safety in Manchester with our core cities and nationally (Best Practice). o Bid for external funding to enable the delivery of additional initiatives which will give added value to the core programme. o Provide information on progress.

Road Safety Schemes

The capital schemes will continue to be indentified through analysis based on the most recent casualty data (from GMAXI for the most recent past 36 months). In addition, route analysis is also considered and undertaken

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based in this data. Any safety hotspots are prioritised and considered for funding and scheme delivery.

Manchester Safer Routes to Schools and School Travel Plans

The Council will continue to work with all schools to implement their existing school travel plans. We will implement a rolling programme of working with schools to keep their plans useful and up-to-date. School Travel Plans not only address road safety concerns that discourage cycling and walking, they introduce measure to the school run and associated peak-time congestion, improve our children's health through increasing levels of walking and cycling to school, reduce KSIs associated with travel to school, and teach children about how sustainable travel helps improve their own health and our environment.

We will secure travel plans and associated infrastructure such as road crossings at all new or substantially rebuilt schools through the planning process. We will provide teaching materials and advice to schools for use in promoting sustainable travel to pupils, including working with partners to make resources and services produced elsewhere available to our schools. We will ensure our schools benefit from schemes including eco schools, health schools, and sustainable schools.

We will work with schools to identify transport-related cost savings and efficiencies that can be achieved through sustainable travel to help meet the overall costs of school travel planning and make it fully viable in the context of restricted funding. Schools will be expected to meet a share of the costs, particularly those with full control over their budgets such as Academies and independent schools. We will deliver travel training for pupils with special needs, both to cut car journeys by allowing them to use public transport or walking/cycling and to increase their independence and confidence.

We will provide school transport such as a cycle allowance or bus pass for pupils that qualify, and will provide incentives for pupils to travel in the most sustainable manner possible, i.e. cycling will be prioritised over bus travel. We will work with schools to facilitate cycling to school for all pupils who want to, including the provision of cycle training (Bikeability) and secure cycle storage at all schools.

We will work with school staff to ensure they can take advantage of sustainable transport options wherever possible, including use of the council's own travel plan measures for those schools in LEA control. Overall we will help deliver the council's overall aims of improving our neighbourhoods, cutting carbon emissions, and improving educational outcomes through a package of measures around transport delivered through schools.

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Improving Safety and Security on Public Transport

Most journeys by public transport pass without any incident. Nevertheless it is important to continue work to improve the perception of safe travel.

The Council will continue to work with TfGM, GMP and BTP together with transport operators, on the following areas during 2011/12:

Intelligence: Maintaining links with the fourteen local tasking meetings and monitoring the Greater Manchester against Crime analysis documents for each Ward in Manchester Organising the Transport Safety and Security Group Coordinating and continuing the work of the cable theft focus group Sharing intelligence between transport providers and Local Neighbourhood Policing Teams via the Local Tasking Meetings. Continue to assist and expand the Friends of Route scheme

Cable theft: Consider joint cross border initiatives targeting offenders and scrap yard dealers Consult with the British Transport Police on best practise Research ways to improve security devices on the tracks Develop a service level agreement between Police and Metrolink, detailing responses to incidents of serious acquisitive crime on the Metrolink Research option of employing a full time BTP Officer Develop a generic toolkit to identify different types of cable theft

Crime Prevention Initiatives Maintaining links with Manchester’s High Schools, Primary Schools and Schools Based Police Officers Pursuing innovative initiatives to involve and educate young people about behaviour on public transport Assisting Network Rail in distributing the Rail Safety Reps programme into Manchester’s Primary Schools Promoting the new educational DVD on behaviour and personal safety on the buses

Enforcement Action Strategically planning initiatives according to hotspot routes and areas from the previous year

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Making recommendations to the Transport Safety and Security Group to use any available funding on tactical initiatives as funding from other resources may be unavailable. Bidding to other funding sources to run tactical initiatives

Effective communication and community engagement Supporting the Friends of Route Scheme Disseminating positive publicity through various outlets Corresponding with residents who are suffering from antisocial behaviour

3.11 Low Carbon, Climate Change and Air Quality

Manchester: A Certain Future is Manchester’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) and describes a vision of a green prosperous low carbon Manchester in 2020. It sets headline actions for just one decade, but it also provides a strong starting point for a much longer journey, through to 2050 and a radically changed, low carbon future, where large-scale emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have become a thing of the past.

The CCAP sets two headline objectives for the period 2010 to 2020:- To reduce the city’s annual CO2 emissions by 41% on 2005 levels To engage all individuals, neighbourhoods and organisations in a process of cultural change that embeds ‘low carbon thinking’ into the lifestyles and operations of the city The Chapter “Moving – Our Transport, Our Infrastructure Our Connectivity” sets out the actions that will be taken to move Manchester towards a low carbon economy and transport system. As Manchester moves into a low carbon future, we will lead by example and show that cities can grow and prosper without more congestion, pollution and CO².

Most of the actions have already been described in this strategy and the proposals to support public transport and encourage walking and cycling. The Council will continue to work with partners across Greater Manchester to develop integrated transport strategies that will provide efficient public transportation services, the development of infrastructure across the city and the piloting of new and alternative modes and fuels, including electric vehicles. We will support these transport strategies with effective planning and highways services that encourage people to make sustainable travel choices and make fewer unnecessary journeys.

The City will work with TfGM and the private sector to invest in sustainable road transport including new initiatives to increase the take up of electric vehicles; investment in a future electric vehicle network and city-wide car clubs.

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There are a number of ways in which the maintenance of the highway network can reduce our carbon footprint. There is the potential to reduce energy costs in street lighting by utilising the latest techniques or switching off and dimming where appropriate, and to reduce energy usage by utilising the latest LED lighting technology where whole life costing shows an economic benefit. This will, however, require large scale retrofitting or replacement of existing stock and would therefore take time to implement. In the short term we will optimise performance through the type of lamp, maintenance standards and setting of solar cells.

The Council will work with Manchester Airport to deliver the targets in Manchester Airport’s Ground Transport Plan and its commitment to becoming carbon neutral in site energy and vehicle fuel by 2015.

The Council’s own business operations are being examined to reduce our carbon emission, through the performance of vehicle fleets, stimulating and supporting cleaner-fuelled vehicles, including service points and incentives. The Council will embed sustainable transport options across the organisation in delivery of our services, reducing our direct transport emissions by 20% by 2013/14 and 40% by 2020 through new operating systems to deliver training on fuel efficiency, reducing fuel used by the council’s vehicle fleet and staff commutes through training on driving techniques and route planning/sharing.

Where appropriate, Manchester will seek to use recycled, re-used and cold materials for highway maintenance to minimise waste and will collaborate with neighbouring authorities to reduce carbon and achieve better value for money.

Manchester currently recycles or sends for recycling 98% of all material removed from the public highway. The Council uses over 80% of re-cycled type material within the base of all footways and sub-base of carriageways. As a Council we also encourage all contractors to consider the re- use of material following excavation, which is currently situated within the existing highway network.

Greater collaboration between highway authorities on procurement will also reduce carbon usage through bulk purchase and through optimal use of salt, storage, vehicles, fuel and staff resources.

We will develop a City Council Green Transport Plan and a Business Travel Policy that takes into account carbon reduction and adopt ways of working that reduce unnecessary travel across the organisation.

The Council will encourage all staff to reduce emissions from their own transport, using the Get on Board Campaign and other behaviour change campaigns to encourage and incentivise the use of public transport, car clubs, cycling and walking and design services to reduce travelling for residents by optimising local and online access and information.

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Air Quality in Manchester

The annual mean air quality objective of 40 μg/m³ is currently being met at the south Manchester monitoring site. However, it is being marginally exceeded at the Piccadilly Gardens monitoring site. There has been an overall downward trend in NO2 concentrations since the early 1990s at the Manchester Piccadilly monitoring site. However, it is important that we take action to ensure that further reductions are made. The Council has declared an air quality management area for this pollutant and has had an Air Quality Action Plan in place since 2004.

Encouraging modes of transport that are carbon free or that produce significantly lower carbon emissions will help in halting climate change and improving air quality. UK local authorities are responsible for working towards achieving health-based air quality targets specified in the UK Air Quality Strategy for seven air pollutants.

3.12 Public Health and Wellbeing Healthy adults, children and young people are the key to Manchester’s continued success. Improving the health of children and young people strengthens emotional health and wellbeing builds resilience, while reducing obesity.

We will continue to work with our partners to identify schemes that promote shorter journeys to be taken on foot or bike. Interventions include developing the cycle and pedestrian networks, maintaining them in good condition and overcoming barriers, such as proving pedestrian crossings, reducing traffic speeds and installing more cycle storage in local centres and around Public Transport nodes.

Changing travel behaviour also supports efforts to create stronger neighbourhoods and addresses climate change, obesity, social inclusion, and the collective health and wellbeing of residents. Reversing the domination of the car on public space will also improve safety and air quality and give physical environments a better sense of place.

The Public Rights of Way network in Manchester can provide resident with attractive, safe and quick journeys to local services and destinations and must therefore be protected and strengthened.

Manchester also recognises the benefits of creating successful districts centres that are easily accessible by more active modes of transport (walking, cycling and Public Transport) and can offer residents essential services and the opportunity to buy fresh and healthier food. Creating a positive sense of place in the City Centre, district centres and our neighbourhoods has a major influence on how safe and happy we feel in our lives. How well we design our streets and how effectively we mange the impacts of traffic, in terms of vehicle speeds, noise and air pollution, will make a significant contribution to public health and wellbeing of Manchester residents.

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Even more directly, the improving of health facilities and achieving a good level of access to these facilities, by staff and patients, is also important to improving the general health of the local community.

3.9 Manchester Airport

Transport Action Plan

o Key capacity schemes in the vicinity of the Airport are : o Delivery of SEMMMS (access to the east) o Airport Station extensions and improvements o Airport City access & Western transport corridor o M56 widening (J5-J6); Junction 6 M56 – Terminal 2 improvements o Metrolink extension o Local road diversions : Ringway Road & Realignment of the A538 Wilmslow Road and link to J6 M56

A range of ‘softer’ measures are also required, to complement capital investment. These include : o Through & multi modal ticketing using ‘smartcard’ technology o Improved real time and journey planning information o Passenger improvements at stations and key interchanges (recognising the particular needs of airport passengers and staff) o Improved punctuality, choice, reliability and frequency of transport networks (road, bus, rail) o Behavioural change campaigns to secure modal shift (especially a reduction in passenger ‘kiss and fly’ and staff ‘single occupancy’ car trips )

Strategic issues which support airport growth : o Delivering the Northern Rail Hub scheme o Securing HS2 line to Greater Manchester o Rail re-franchising to provide more direct airport rail services o Rail electrification to Liverpool & Preston o Maintaining the strategic function of the motorway network o Develop strategic park & ride around the conurbation o Improving orbital links (road, rail and bus) around the conurbation o Stimulate and lever greater private sector investment in transport services and networks (through policy, governance and funding)

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