TfGM set to begin £75 million improvements on key orbital bus routes around Greater Manchester

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is to begin work on upgrades to 10 pedestrian crossings across the city-region as part of £75 million of improvements to orbital bus routes between towns in Greater Manchester.

Five key routes between towns in Greater Manchester are set for improvements, including between Ashton and Stockport, and Ashton to Rochdale and Oldham, with the full suite of work set to complete by 2027.

As well as improving public transport links, these works will also improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes – to improve the roads for everyone, including drivers, by reducing congestion and speeding up journey times.

Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Committee is set to approve the first £720,000 funding for work on 10 pedestrian crossings in Oldham, Bolton and Wigan, and will make it easier and safer for people to access and use bus stops on key routes. Upgrades will also be carried out to minimise delays to road traffic including buses. Work includes increasing the width of crossings and introducing tactile paving and dropped kerbs between several crossings and nearby bus stops.

As well as improving public transport links, these works will also improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes – to improve the roads for everyone, including drivers, by reducing congestion and speeding up journey times.  

Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s Director of Bus, said:

“For the Bee Network to be a success we need to improve journeys on the key routes people use every day.  

“That’s what these wider works are about, whether you are on a bus, driving, walking, wheeling or cycling. They will help to ease congestion and get people moving – making journeys easier and quicker.  

“These crossings are a way we can make real change quickly before the more major changes start to come in over the next few years and make significant improvements for the people that travel on these roads.  

“We know people want to see real change now and we’re going to make sure we do that to not just improve journey times, but reliability, comfort and how safe people feel when out travelling.”