Your chance to comment on Middleton to Manchester bus improvements

A map showing proposals for bus improvements in the North Manchester area.

Consultations over a major set of infrastructure improvements which will help to improve bus services from Middleton through to Manchester city centre are underway.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is working in partnership with the Council to finalise a package of improvements along the route from Middleton Bus Station to Manchester via the A664 Manchester New Road and Rochdale Road.

A key aim of the proposals is to provide seamless bus links across Manchester city centre – so people will not have to change services or pay more than one fare – supported by infrastructure that will help to cut journey times and improve reliability.

In doing so, they will also provide better links between areas in the north, west and south of Greater Manchester and the education and health facilities on the Oxford Road corridor.

A major, 12-week consultation on the proposals started on Friday (2 October).

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chairman of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA), said: “These are radical proposals that will provide a significant change in the way bus services operate through the Regional Centre.

“They will play a crucial role in improving the journey times and reliability of bus services for parts of Salford, Middleton, North Manchester and South Manchester that will, in turn, offer new and improved links to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure pursuits.

“By laying the foundations to encourage through-services to run we aim to make bus travel a more attractive, reasonable alternative to the car for these journeys.”

Once the consultation is complete, work should start in 2010 and could be complete by 2013.

The scheme is one of 15 major transport projects covered by the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, a £1.5 billion, 10-year investment programme announced by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) in May this year.

Councillor Richard Knowles, Chairman of GMITA’s Capital Projects Committee, said: “The core of the cross-city scheme is a set of improvements to bus measures through the Regional Centre that will improve connections with the bus corridors to Salford, Middleton and East Didsbury.

“The scheme includes bus lanes, bus gating and junction improvements, as well as pedestrian and cycle measures. It will also involve making some sections of city centre highway bus only, alongside complementary measures to ensure that traffic flows smoothly.

“The consultation will help us to develop the detailed designs of each element of the scheme within the relevant district, so I would encourage people to get involved to find out exactly what is proposed so that we can hear their views and ensure that the final plans best meet people’s needs.”

People will be able to view the proposals, and get involved with the consultations, by visiting www.gmpte.com/haveyoursay or calling 0800 917 8808 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm).
Comments can be made by writing to Freepost GMPTE – BUS 2009, emailing views2009@gmpte.gov.uk or texting “VIEWS” followed by comments to 60777 (texts will be charged at the standard network rate).

More than 80,000 consultation brochures will be distributed across the region during the consultation, and leaflets will also be available at local shops, newsagents, libraries and other outlets.

A public exhibitions will be held at Middleton Arena, Corporation Street, on 20 October, from 12pm-7pm.