We want to make travelling around Manchester easier for everyone.
Last autumn, we asked people in Manchester how their journeys could be better. Nearly 2,000 people told us what they thought . They said they wanted:
- Buses to come more often and be more reliable.
- Quicker bus journeys.
- Safer places to cross the road and wider pavements for walking.
- Better, protected cycle lanes and safer crossings for people who ride bikes to keep them separate from pedestrians and motor vehicles.
We listened to what people said and have started to develop plans to address these issues – plans that we need your views on as key users of Oldham Road..
First, we’re looking at Oldham Road (between the City Centre and Queens Road). It’s a busy road with lots of cars, and few cycle lanes, which is difficult to cross.
There are 43 two-way bus services per hour on the road with some stops seeing more than 4,500 boardings per month.
Average speeds in the AM peak are often just 9mph and more than a third of buses are more than five minutes late.
In the past five years, there were 36 collisions and seven serious injuries.
All of this shows why we need to make improvements to Oldham Road to make travel for everyone easier and safer.
Thanks to funding from the Government, we’re thinking about ways to make things better, like:
- Making bus stops safer and easier to use, with accurate real time information screens
- Making bus journeys faster and more reliable
- Improving crossings and footpaths to support walking, wheeling, and cycling
We’ve already made some changes at the top of Oldham Road near the city centre to help people walk and cycle more safely.
We want your views on the proposals:
Our streets should work for everyone – people walking, wheeling, cycling, using buses, and driving. Some trips need cars, vans, or trucks. We’re improving roads, traffic lights, and junctions to make them safer and less busy.
These plans feed into the Bee Network’s vision of safer, easier and more affordable travel across Greater Manchester.
By helping more people use the Bee Network, we can keep car journeys reliable and stop traffic from getting worse as Manchester grows, as well as making the Bee Network easier, safer and more convenient to use.
To do this we are proposing to:
- Add more bus lanes so buses don’t get stuck in traffic
- Make bus stops nicer, with better signs and places to wait
- Build cycle lanes that are separate from cars
- Change traffic lights to help people cross the road safely
- Fix busy junctions so they’re easier and safer to cross
- Restrict vehicular access for general traffic to Tib Street from Swan Street and Foundry Lane (designs under review)
Download plans of the proposed changes.
Giving your views:
If you live nearby or travel along Oldham Road, please tell us what you think about these ideas. Your input is vital - by reviewing the maps, answering the survey, and sharing your views, you’ll help us deliver improvements that work for everyone who travels, lives, or works along Oldham Road.
If you require this information translating into another language, please use the 'Translate This Page' feature at the top of this webpage. If you require further support, a paper copy or an alternative format, please contact the Bee Network Contact Centre on 0161 244 1444 or at hello@beenetwork.com
We are planning to hold some engagement events during the consultation period to give you the opportunity to discuss the proposals with members of the highways design team.
These will be both online and in-person. Please check back here for details of how to get involved.
If you have questions or worries, you can email us at: ImprovingJourneys@manchester.gov.uk
What Happens Next
- All feedback will be carefully reviewed and used to shape the next stage of design
- The results will inform more detailed proposals, which will be shared for further consultation later in the year
Have your say before the closing date 29 March 2026.