Greater Manchester bids for a £29 million green revolution

Greater Manchester could have a cleaner, greener future ahead following a £29 million bid to become the country’s first ‘sustainable travel city’, which Rochdale hopes to be a part of.

Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) is heading the city region’s bid, which also has the backing of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). 

Greater Manchester is asking for £29 million over three years to deliver a programme aimed at encouraging people to make smarter travel choices to help to cut congestion, reduce harmful carbon emissions and improve health.

The bid includes proposals for an innovative network of five flagship cycle centres in the regional centre, offering: cycle parking facilities, showers and changing facilities, short-term bike hire, information and workshop and training facilities. The cycle centres would also function as centres for sustainable travel and smarter driving advice.

The bid includes plans to offer one in five households Individualised Travel Marketing to help find the best way to travel and offer information to try different ways of getting around such as car sharing, cycling, walking or public transport. Smarter driving initiatives to promote car share and, among other things, look at the feasibility of installing charging points for electric vehicles within the city centre.

Businesses, if the bid is successful, would be offered advice and grants would be introduced for secure cycle parking, showers, cycle training and maintenance points. In addition to plan to introduce a cycle repair, maintenance, recycling and training scheme, which could remove 5,000 bicycles each year from the waste stream and provide safe, low-cost bicycles for students, return-to-work schemes and deprived areas.

The bid would also include a creation of a major Greater Manchester wide website to be a single source of travel information, for locals as well as developing Visitor travel Plans.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, said: “Our plans would make Greater Manchester a national leader in sustainable travel and, if successful, could lead to 13 million more journeys being made on the region’s buses, trains and trams each year. 

“Our bid seeks to challenge people’s perceptions of walking, cycling and public transport and show that they really are attractive and viable options – and to provide facilities like the cycle centres to address some of the barriers to making the switch.” 

Widespread commitment to the plans has been received from the business, education and health communities, with 40 organisations across the region pledging support. Specific partnerships have been established with the Energy Saving Trust, health organisations, Manchester Healthy City (Points4Life) and the Higher Education Precinct.

Lord Peter Smith, Leader of AGMA, added: “Becoming England’s first Sustainable Travel City would make Greater Manchester a more attractive place to live, visit or do business, which is critical if our economy is going to continue to grow. 

“It would also have a significant part to play in improving health. For instance, if a third of car journeys under five miles were transferred to foot or bicycle, it could save as many lives as all other heart disease prevention measures put together.”

The programme provides benefits for all urban areas within the Greater Manchester city-region, concentrating on where the biggest environmental and health benefits are possible, and making best use of the new Metrolink extensions and other public transport improvements that will be in place by 2012.

Nine large urban areas in England are being given the chance to get their hands on the funding by the Department for Transport, which is expected to make an announcement on the successful bid in September.

Cllr Keith Whitmore added: “We want Greater Manchester to be the greenest place in the country and I sincerely hope our bid is successful.”