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Greater Manchester has been awarded nearly £3.4 million from the government and Active Travel England’s Capability & Ambition Fund to support walking and cycling infrastructure projects across the city-region.
Funding received represents 10% more than the city-region’s initial allocation following a high-quality bid submission in autumn 2022. Across England, £32.9 million of total funding was announced on 2nd January for local authorities across the country to support projects to encourage more people to walk or cycle for shorter journeys over the next year.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, commented:
“This funding announcement is a vote of confidence in Greater Manchester’s plans for active travel.
“In November, I launched my refreshed mission for active travel – to ensure walking, wheeling and cycling is possible for everyone. This new funding will be used across the region to further develop active travel work in 2023.
“From helping increase cycle hire facilities to building a comprehensive and cohesive pipeline of high-quality schemes, and also to ensure there is better publicity to ensure people can use existing active travel routes.
“I look forward to working with the Mayor, local authority leaders, the Transport Commissioner and community groups to continue the work that has been underway to make Greater Manchester the best place in the country to walk, wheel and cycle.”
The latest round of government funding will support the continued delivery of the Bee Network of cycle routes across Greater Manchester, as well as schemes to increase access to active travel, including bike libraries and the city centre’s bike hire scheme.