Rochdale could be in line for a multi-million pound upgrade to a cycling and walking corridor linking the village of Castleton with the town centre.
The £10.7m scheme is among 18 new projects that make up the latest round of cycling tsar Chris Boardman’s Bee Network masterplan.
Proposals for nearly one kilometre of new cycling lanes along Manchester Road, improved bike and pedestrian links to the train station, and new, safer raised crossings have already been approved.
And ‘phase two’ of this project would take things to the next level – with nearly a mile of streetscape improvements, a 0.7 mile cycle street, five signalised junction upgrades and more than half a mile of segregated cycling track.
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The latest Beeline proposals were revealed by Mr Boardman – the city-region’s cycling and walking commissioner- and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in Leigh on Friday.
All the ‘tranche four’ schemes will go before the region’s ten leaders for approval when the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meets next week.
Rochdale’s environment chief, Coun Neil Emmott says the upgrade – funded by the Mayor’s Challenge Fund – could bring real benefits to the borough.
He said: “This proposal for a new £10.7m dedicated cycling and walking programme is great news.
“Important schemes like this boost people’s health and improve the environment by making it easier for them to choose sustainable travel options.
“ By helping to take more cars off the road, it will also encourage our residents to get out and about and enjoy our beautiful borough in the fresh air.”
A total of 42 Bee Network routes have not been announced – representing a £204 investment- and Mr Boardman believes they will be ‘truly transformational.
He said: “We’ll get a real bang for our buck here in terms of the positive knock-on benefits that will be made possible by this investment.”
Mr Burnham added: “This is a hugely exciting time for Greater Manchester – we’re just at the start of a process that will see us eventually compete with some of the world’s best and most liveable cities like Vancouver, Copenhagen and New York City.”
Greater Manchester Combined Authority next meets at Stockport Town Hall on Friday, March 29 from 10.45am.
