We are aiming for 90% of all morning peak trips to the city centre to be made on foot, by cycle or using public transport by 2040. This aim was set out in the City Centre Transport Strategy.
This means having the right tram, rail and bus connections in the right places, all working together and interlinked with high quality routes for people walking, cycling and using wheelchairs.
We secured funding for the next phase of this work from the government’s Active Travel Fund, through which we aim to create an easier, safer and more attractive route for people to move around the city centre.
The aims of this work include:
- Encourage more people to walk and cycle along this route
- Link walking and cycling routes to each other, and to places where people want to go
- Connect city centre transport hubs
- Reduce the volume of traffic entering the city centre, in line with the City Centre Transport Strategy
- Reduce the risk of casualties from road traffic accidents
- Deliver significant health, environmental and congestion benefits.
- Expand the area across the city centre where pedestrians have priority, and provide more space for walking
- Encourage people to travel across and around the city by walking and cycling
Following the last consultation about this scheme in June 2022, a number of changes have been made to the proposals previously shared following feedback in the consultation responses, from Councillors, and more detailed discussion with businesses, the community and partners.
See the consultation from June 2022
See the results of the consultation from June 2022
These changes have now been applied to the final design as seen in the plans below. The scheme will now go forward to the legal process of Traffic Regulation Orders, to allow the work to take place.
In the consultation, businesses asked for more loading and unloading facilities, and residents asked for more disabled parking spaces. We have also made some changes to junctions, crossings and bus stops to make them safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.
Download the detailed maps which show the proposed changes for the scheme
The changes made are:
- At the Junction of Peter St and Quay Street – a new cyclops (cycle optimised) type crossing arrangement will be introduced which will provide improved crossing arrangement for all users.
- Loading bays have been added on the west side of Deansgate, just south of Quay Street; on the east side of Deansgate just south of Quay Street; and loading bay on the west side of Deansgate between St John Street and Camp Street has been added.
- Blue Badge parking on the west side of Deansgate between Camp Street and Tonman Street has been increased from 4 to 6 bays, and five pay and display bays have been added.
- On Camp Street, the loading bay has been moved over onto the south side.
- A bus stop has been added on east side on Deansgate just north of Camp Street, featuring a bus stop bypass (which allows cyclists to pass buses safely while they are stopped, by going behind the area where people are getting on and off) with a zebra crossing over the cycle tracks.
- At the junction of Deansgate with Liverpool Rd improvements will be made which consider a wider range of movements for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Deansgate between Whitworth Street West and Bridgewater Street is 2 lanes northbound. From Bridgewater Street to Liverpool Road there is a merge into one lane at the stop line (replacing the previous dual carriageway).
- On Deansgate, the layout has changed for the cycle and pedestrian crossing, and this will be a new parallel crossing with a raised table.
- The left turn from Deansgate onto Bridgwater Street will remain as it is currently (the previous proposals showed it as a banned movement).
- On Chester Road the buildout between Gr Jackson Street and Old Deansgate is now larger than on previous plans. The new puffin crossing is only to the north of the cycle tracks, and there is a zebra crossing at the cycle tracks.
- The junction of Great Jackson Street with Chester Road has now been included within the scope. As part of the junction improvements, the radius to the junction has been changed to naturally slow vehicles at that location with the addition of a zebra and Belisha beacon crossing, and the cycle route connect to the wider Chorlton scheme.
- Sustainable drainage, in the form of trees, shrubs and rain-gardens, are proposed on Whitworth Street West, Old Deansgate and Chester Road.
- The proposed bus stop on the east bound side of Whitworth Street has been moved down to a location just before the taxi rank starts.
- The first bus stop as you turn left into Whitworth Street West from Deansgate will be a stop for rail replacement buses. There will be a zebra crossing to access the bus platform.
- The proposed bus stop on the east bound side of Whitworth Street has been moved down to a location just before the taxi rank starts.
- The west bound bus stop has been relocated and includes a bus by-pass on Whitworth Street West (which allows cyclists to pass buses safely while they are stopped, by going behind the area where people are getting on and off).
- On Century Street – a section will be no entry between Trafford Street and Whitworth Street West).
- On Albion Street the right-hand turn into Whitworth Street West will be for buses, hackney carriages and cycles only.
- On Whitworth Street West the cycle route now merges into the existing cycle lanes prior to the junction on Whitworth St West and Albion St
The next phase of this scheme will be a Traffic Regulation Order consultation, which is the legal process to allow the works to progress. If this is approved, the works are due to start in January 2024.