Made to Move – the vision, goal and 15 steps

This time last year we were finalising our 10-point-plan for the incoming GM Mayor, which Andy Burnham gave his commitment to before being elected in May. Since then he has emphatically delivered one of the most crucial elements of the plan by appointing Chris Boardman as the first GM Cycling and Walking Commissioner.

Chris has now produced the “Made To Move” report which he has described as “an incredibly ambitious but wholly deliverable plan” and the December 2017 meeting of Greater Manchester Combined Authority resolved: “To welcome the presentation and strongly support and commend the GM Cycling and Walking Strategy.”

In GMCA’s Made To Move press release Andy Burnham referred to the level of investment required then added “we are aiming to create a challenge fund of around £50 million a year from 2019 to 2021, which will be able to be accessed by our 10 districts if they are building to the required standard and meeting part of the costs.”

Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign welcomes this initiative which has the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life whilst refreshing our built environment and tackling inactivity, congestion and pollution – Made To Move will help deliver the 2040 Transport Strategy and many of the priorities set out in the main GM Strategy.

Click on the image to view or download the Made To Move report (5MB PDF)

Made To Move sets out a goal and 15 steps “to transform Greater Manchester, by changing the way we get around”

Our Goal:

To double and then double again cycling in Greater Manchester and make walking the natural choice for as many short trips as possible.
We must do this by putting people first, creating world class streets for walking, building one of the world’s best cycle networks, and create a genuine culture of cycling and walking.

Our 15 steps

We must:

1. Publish a detailed, Greater Manchester-wide walking and cycling infrastructure plan in collaboration with districts in 2018.

2. Establish a ring-fenced, 10 year, £1.5 billion infrastructure fund, starting with a short term GM Mayor’s Active Streets Fund to kick-start delivery for walking and cycling. With over 700 miles of main corridors connecting across Greater Manchester, this is the scale of network we need to aim for.

3. Develop a new, total highway design guide and sign up to the Global Street Design Guide.

4. Deliver temporary street improvements to trial new schemes for local communities.

5. Ensure all upcoming public realm and infrastructure investments, alongside all related policy programmes, have walking and cycling integrated at the development stage.

6. Develop a mechanism to capture and share the value of future health benefits derived from changing how we travel.

7. Work with industry to find alternatives to heavy freight and reduce excess lorry and van travel in urban areas.

8. Partner with schools and local authorities to make cycling and walking the first choice for the school run, and take action on traffic and parking around schools.

9. Deliver year on year reductions to the risk per kilometre travelled, by establishing a task force to improve safety on roads and junctions.

10. Call for devolved powers to enforce moving traffic offences, and develop strategies for reducing antisocial driving, through public spaces protection orders.

11. Prioritise investment based on the measurement of people movement, rather than motor-traffic, and integrate with a new street satisfaction index.

12. Ensure local communities are engaged and supported in the development and use of new infrastructure and programmes.

13. Deliver greater levels of public access to bikes across Greater Manchester, working with the private sector to deliver low cost and innovative solutions.

14. Work with local businesses to help shape our new network and achieve a culture-shift on commuting.

15. Launch our own version of a ‘Summer Streets’ festival, creating low car town and city centres to trial street closures on the network.

GMCC especially welcomes the clear calls for:

– local authorities to boldly commit to put active travel into the planning and design process of public realm and infrastructure investments while engaging the local communities

– street improvements trialing new schemes that prioritise active modes (walking and cycling) and summer street festivals to open up our city and district centres to residents and visitors alike

– commitments to make active travel the main way of accessing schools and colleges, and to ensure high-quality, inclusive design standards which will enable use by all ages and abilities

Made To Move presents an inspiring vision of a healthy city geared to improve and enhance its built environment and transport networks, for everybody’s benefit.

It is about making streets safer for everyone and developing an environment that current and future generations will embrace and be proud of, and be proud to live in, healthily.

Improvements to our environment will help attract and retain the economic activity and workforce that is needed to achieve the ambitions set out in national and regional development plans.

We’re really pleased with Made To Move and the support it has received so far, and we look forward to its vision being promptly delivered to a high quality.