The consultation is live until 30 January 2026.
You can have your say by completing the survey using the button at the bottom of this page. You can also attend the public engagement events detailed below.
Making Princess Street Safer and Easier to Use
We want Manchester city centre to be a clean, green, and welcoming place — somewhere people want to live, work, and visit.
To make that happen, we’re improving key streets to make them safer and more pleasant for everyone. Following last year’s consultation on Phase 1 (John Dalton Street and Bridge Street), we’re now focusing on Phase 2: Princess Street.
What’s happening on Princess Street?
Location: Between the junctions of Mosley Street and Portland Street.
Princess Street is a busy route for buses, walking, and wheeling. It connects people to key places like:
- Manchester Town Hall
- St Peter’s Square
- Manchester Art Gallery
But right now, it’s not working well for everyone. Footpaths are narrow, bus stops are crowded, and street clutter gets in the way.
What changes are we proposing?
We want to make Princess Street safer, more accessible, and easier to use. Here’s what we’re planning:
- Wider pavements so there’s more space to walk, wheel, and wait for buses
- Better crossings at Mosley Street and Portland Street junctions
- Raised crossings on side streets to slow down traffic and make it safer to cross
- Consistent paving that fits with the look of nearby historic buildings and St Peter’s Square
- Less street clutter by removing unnecessary signs and furniture
- New loading bays on George Street and Faulkner Street
- Clear cycle markings to alert drivers that cyclists may be using the road
- Parking and loading moved to side streets where possible, keeping the main road clear
Phase 2 Plan
Download a plan of the proposed changes.
The plan shows the proposed changes to Princess Street (between Mosley Street and Portland Street) that include:
- Proposed wider pedestrian crossings at the junction with Mosley Street and the junction with Portland Street
- Proposed wider footways on the south side of Princess Street
- Double yellow lines and kerb blips show where there is no parking and loading allowed
- Proposed Raised Tables at the entrance to Back George Street, George Street (north and south sides), St James Street (north and south sides), Faulkner Street (north and south sides), Reyner Street
- Existing No Motorised vehicles at entrance off Portland St and Bus Gate to be retained
- Proposed removal of pay and display bays to be replaced with loading bay on George St (south) and Faulkner St (north)
- Proposed improved bus stops on Princess Street, between George Street and St James Street (south side), and between St James Street and Faulkner Street (north side)
- Proposed Cycle Awareness symbols and cycle lane to advanced stop line for cyclists
Why are we doing this?
These changes will help:
- Make the area safer for everyone
- Improve access for people using wheelchairs, buggies, or mobility aids
- Support public transport and active travel
- Create a more attractive city centre
Have your say
There are three public engagement events that you can take part in, where you will get the opportunity to speak to members of the highways design team and local ward councillors about these plans.
Drop-in event 1
- Date: Tuesday 13 January 2026
- Time: 1pm to 2.30pm and 3.30pm to 5pm
- Location: Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL
Drop-in event 2
- Date: Wednesday 14 January 2026
- Time: 12noon to 2pm and 4pm to 6pm
- Location: Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, M2 5PD
Online event
- Date: Thursday 15 January 2026
- Time: 6.30pm to 7.30pm
- Email a34corridor@manchester.gov.uk to receive a link to a Microsoft teams meeting
We want to hear what you think. Your feedback will help shape the final plans.