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Manchester's elected mayor needs to prioritise cycling says British Cycling

Greater Manchester wants to see 10 per cent of all commutes by bike

British Cycling says that ‘world class’ cycling infrastructure is needed in Greater Manchester, as well as a change in attitude toward physical activity. The organisation is therefore urging the elected mayor to prioritise cycling and increase investment.

Currently, less than three per cent of Greater Manchester’s population commutes by bike. While the goal is to increase this to 10 per cent by 2025, British Cycling’s Joel Lavery told the Manchester Evening News that more investment was required.

The election for the first mayor of Greater Manchester will take place in May 2017 and Lavery said this presented an opportunity to prioritise cycling, walking and other forms of public transport across the city.

Aware that Boris Johnson is not exactly flavour of the month in many circles, Lavery nevertheless pointed to the ex-London mayor as someone who was willing to support cycling.

“Love or loathe Boris he has shown really strong leadership in delivering cycling infrastructure and policy. At the end of his time as mayor, he said his main regret was not looking at cycling until near the end of his term – he wished it was the first thing he did.”

Of Manchester’s 10 per cent target, Lavery said:

“If things stay the same as they are now we won’t make that - we need transformational change and some big decisions by leadership to make it.

“I think there’s a real opportunity for us to not only catch up with – but leapfrog – other cities who have over five or six years been proactively investing and making decisions around planning and design with cycling at the heart.”

Inactivity in Greater Manchester is said to be costing the NHS £35m a year with 32 per cent of residents doing less than 30 minutes’ exercise a week.

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Leviathan | 7 years ago
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I must be brave. Though I do go from Didsbury out to Chorlton then back in to avoid Princess Parkway or Wilmslow road

https://www.strava.com/segments/7939114

There are quieter and safer routes, but if you are a student in Fallowfield they are too far out of the way. I only hope that people using the 42 route are careful and go the speed that the route is designed for as it is designed to slow cyclists down. Dutch style means slow and steady. I go further and faster to get there.

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sswindells | 7 years ago
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Has anyone seen the segregated lanes on Wilmslow road into Manchester for cyclists. They are designed so awfully it's scary. They've caused car congestion and are barely used to the intent they were set up for. Manchester as a city is not set up to accommodate cycling on any of its routes. 

 

The tram tracks that have been extended to various boroughs from Manchester are also a disaster. I've come off on them on the way into work before because they just out right next to the bike path. Nightmare. 

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Manchestercyclist | 7 years ago
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I just walked past the council offices on Princess road and the bike lane one side had two taxis in it, the other direction had a coach and a bus taking a break. Until Manchester council start enforcing traffic resrtictions properly and installing bollards on cycle lanes then no one but the brave will cycle to work in Manchester.

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StraelGuy | 7 years ago
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Best of luck with that. I drive into Manchester every day and I wouldn't commute for all the tea in China. The roads are poorly designed for cycling, often in appalling condition and don't get me started about the general standards of driving...

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