Creating transport for all, for the future

Council leaders are set to approve a comprehensive transport strategy to help drive prosperity, mobility and improve the environment.

The strategy covers all modes of travel in the borough and will be used to help secure investment for transport in Bury over the next 20 years and beyond.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “This new strategy comes at an exciting time for transport in Greater Manchester, with bus services coming under local control for the first time in almost 40 years.

“If we are to realise our Let’s Do It vision and our regeneration plans, we need a state-of-the-art transport system that is affordable, safe, reliable and well-maintained. We need our transport network to unlock new sites for development, to promote health and well-being through active travel and to help meet our commitment to having fossil-fuel free travel by 2038.”

The Local Transport Strategy, due to be considered by the council’s cabinet next Thursday, takes on board the views of more than 200 people who took part in a recent consultation.

Cllr O’Brien said: “We received many differing views on whether we were doing enough for motorists, or whether we were doing enough for pedestrians and cyclists. The fact is, we want to make it easier for everyone to get around and give people a real choice of how they travel.”

Aims of the Local Transport Strategy:

• To support sustainable and inclusive economic growth and regeneration, including the regeneration of our town centres and the Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone.
• Improving connectivity across the borough and beyond – ensuring that those that do not have cars are able to use reliable and affordable transport to get to work, leisure and education.
• Reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality, with a reduction in private car use a major contributor to this.
• Encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.
• Improving the maintenance and management of the existing highway network and reducing congestion.
• Improving road safety across the whole of the network on roads and public transport alike.
   

These aims are supported by specific actions needed to address local transport issues:

• For Metrolink, this includes a redeveloped interchange in Bury town centre, and improvements to existing stops on the Buy line.
• Across Greater Manchester, bus franchising is being rolled out, with the first franchised bus services already up and running in parts of Bury, with the rest to follow by next March. A local Bee Network Forum will be set up to help shape the borough’s future bus network.
• Creating a network of high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling routes to promote the use of active travel, particularly for short local journeys.
• Tackling congestion and reducing delays on the highway network for everyone, ensuring that new roads and junction improvements are put in place where they are needed to support new development, alongside better management of roadworks and traffic signal improvements.

Cllr O’Brien added: “This strategy sets out a range of exciting and complementary measures to help deliver a modern transport network that everyone benefits from.

“We can't and won't change things overnight, but we will need to make a gradual change in the way we travel, and show we have a long-term commitment to sustainable transport if we are to attract the necessary investment to make it happen.”