Proposals for the latest Bee Network scheme have been published for consultation, with Beswick residents encouraged to get involved with shaping their neighbourhood for people using active travel modes such as walking, cycling or other mobility aids.
Where is it?
The project area, labelled ‘Safer Roads for Beswick‘, covers the streets between the Etihad Stadium and Ashton Old Road, and aims to make roads in the area safer and more pleasant, encouraging more people to walk and cycle for short journeys, while discouraging traffic using this as area a ‘cut through’ in and out of the city centre.
What is it?
The proposed interventions include bollards, new crossings, chicanes, improved junctions and more attractive streets, featuring better signage, tree planting and cycle parking.
The consultation website refers to creating a ‘filtered neighbourhood’. This just means that the movement of people would be prioritised over the movement of cars. The idea is to make walking and cycling easier and safer, so that it becomes the natural choice for people to get around their local area.
Using bollards or planters to ‘filter’ traffic on certain routes is one way to do this – for example, allowing cul-de-sac access to some streets for cars but allowing through traffic for people walking and cycling. The idea of ‘filtering’ is to discourage traffic cutting through the area (rat running), while residents would still have access to all homes by car.
At the moment, the council is only planning to place bollards at the junction of Darley Street and Albert Street, but the consultation is a chance to suggest any other places you think filters are needed, as well as any other measures you think would make walking and cycling safer and more enjoyable in Beswick. We recommend that residents seize this opportunity to request more filters in locations that are susceptible to issues like speeding cars.
Why/How is it happening?
In December 2019, the Beswick neighbourhood area was awarded £1.4m in tranche 6 of the Mayor’s Challenge Fund bidding process as part of the regional Bee Network initiative redesign streets for active travel modes.
How can I get involved?
Have your say via the Manchester City Council website (here) by 20 July 2020.