Get on yer bikes!

Woman on her way to work on a bicycle

Rochdale could be on the road to a cleaner, greener future following an ambitious £29 million bid to develop sustainable transport across Greater Manchester.

Rochdale schools could bid for grants to implement school travel schemes after the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) launched the bid, backed by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).

Other plans include the introduction of a cycle repair, maintenance, recycling and training scheme to provide safe, low-cost bicycles for students, return-to-work schemes and deprived areas.

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

If the bid is successful, a region-wide website to make information about sustainable travel choices more easily available, as well as the promotion of car share schemes could be in the pipeline.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, chairman 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.”

The bid also includes:

Plans to offer one in five households individualised travel marketing to help to find the best way to travel and offer information and incentives to try different ways of getting around — such as car sharing, cycling, walking or public transport.

Proposals to offer businesses advice, help and grants to introduce schemes such as secure cycle parking, showers, cycle training and maintenance points, and salary-sacrifice schemes for bus travel passes and cycle purchase schemes.

Plans 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 potential to install charging points for electric vehicles within the city centre.

Lord Peter Smith, leader of AGMA, said: “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.”

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.