Manchester’s Transport Update

Here is everything that you need to know about the state of Manchester’s transport plans this week.

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to Manchester World. My name is Theo Duesenbeth and today is our transport

00:04update video for the week. As always, there are lots of things to keep in mind, so let's

00:09dive straight in, shall we? We're going to start with a call by Mark Hunter for more

00:14progress to be made on Stockport's pending involvement in the Metrolink system. Now Hunter

00:19is the leader of the Stockport Council and was speaking during a visit from Simon Lightwood,

00:24the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Transport to Stockport Interchange

00:29last week. We'll get into the reasons for Lightwood's visit in just a sec, but Councillor

00:34Hunter used the trip as an opportunity to really hammer home the need and the importance

00:38of Stockport to Greater Manchester and the need and importance of strong transport links

00:43to Stockport itself. A major update on the project has been promised by September this

00:47year with Transport for Greater Manchester stating at the end of last year the contracts

00:52had already been awarded for the design, modelling and appraisal of the work. Now the reason

00:57for the visit of Simon Lightwood is the news that Manchester has been awarded a fresh funding

01:02package of over £20 million, which will be directed towards funding a range of active

01:07travel schemes across Manchester. The funding has not yet been allocated but the focus is

01:11expected to be on a range of walking and wheeling projects, the strategic cycle network, travel

01:15schools and much more. So the idea basically is to get people in Manchester much more active

01:20using bicycles or walking as opposed to using public transport or cars. The money is part

01:25of a national £291 million package from Active Travel England, with the North West

01:30receiving just over £40 million of the overall package. Now finally for today, the number

01:3650 bus which services the route between East Didsbury and Media City is in line for a substantial

01:41upgrade on its route. Bus stops are set to become fully accessible and will provide commuters

01:46with comfortable waiting areas as well as opening up opportunities to create more safe

01:50walking and cycling routes through the city. Now that's all we've got for you today,

01:55thank you very much for watching and keep an eye out on our website for any more travel

01:59news.