congestion Conversation Tell me about it The Greater Manchester Let s do something about it.

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1 The Greater Manchester Congestion Conversation Tell me about it Let s do something about it. Mayor Andy Burnham would like your ideas on how we can reduce traffic Mayor congestion Andy Burnham in Greater wants Manchester. to hear your views on traffic congestion in Greater Manchester

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3 Foreword Improving transport is one of my top priorities as Mayor and I want to work with people in Greater Manchester to develop a plan to tackle congestion. An effective transport system is absolutely vital to connect people with jobs, skills, education and leisure. A great transport system should be reliable and provide stress-free journeys for all transport users, whether they travel by car, rail, tram, bike, or on foot, as well as for businesses delivering goods and services to customers. Improving transport is one of my top priorities as Mayor and I want to work with people in Greater Manchester to develop a plan to tackle congestion. People s time is precious and it can be incredibly frustrating if you are stuck in traffic, in your car, van, bus or on your bike counting down the minutes to the meeting you are about to miss, a class you are running late for or the friend you are about to stand up. Congestion affects our health with dangerous emissions building up in areas of slow moving, stop-start traffic. Poor air quality contributes to the premature death of around two thousand people each year in our city region. That can t continue. Congestion also costs our economy, increasing the time people spend commuting to work by car or bus, delaying deliveries and increasing business costs. That is why I want to start a Greater Manchester Congestion Conversation. I know there are traffic hotspots across Greater Manchester but I want to know which ones affect your journey the most. Our bus services do need improving but what is the one thing that would encourage you to catch the bus more regularly? I think there s more we can do promote car sharing so what would encourage you to car-share with your colleagues? And working with Chris Boardman, our Cycling and Walking Commissioner, what practical actions can we take to get more people cycling to school or work? So please read on to find out more about congestion, its causes and impacts and hopefully, it ll inspire you to think about what we can all do to get Greater Manchester moving. This is not a unique problem to Greater Manchester, and successful and thriving cities across the world all experience congestion on their transport networks during rush hours. However, we do need to build a better understanding of the congestion issue in Greater Manchester, what actions are already taking place, and the different options available to tackle this as quickly and effectively as possible. Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester 3

4 1 What is congestion and what causes it? Simply put, congestion is when the volume of traffic exceeds the capacity of a road, causing delays to your journey. Most people accept that some congestion is inevitable in busy towns and cities at certain times, and can plan their regular journeys to allow for this, such as at peak times when lots of people are travelling to work or school; or during the busy Christmas period when people are going shopping or visiting friends. But there are occasions when congestion is less predictable or more extreme, often as a result of serious crashes, breakdowns, road works, major events or bad weather. Such events can all create unexpectedly long delays and cause frustration and inconvenience to travellers. As well as the different day-to-day factors that cause traffic congestion, we have also seen additional pressure put on our transport system with a growing economy and population and because the majority of journeys (57%) are still made by private cars, vans and lorries, with inconsistant offers of alternatives to car travel. Other factors, such as increased online shopping, and the LANCASH expectation of same or next day delivery has also put many more vans on our roads. to significant changes in how people travel, with more and more people choosing to leave their car at home for many of their daily journeys. Increasingly, people can also access ORRELL services online, which has reduced the number of trips people need to make every day. This has all helped us to manage traffic congestion, particularly into our town and city centres, but there RSEYSIDE is clearly much more to do. STANDISH CHORLEY However, it s not all bad news. Over recent decades, we have invested heavily in public transport, and walking and cycling infrastructure, which is leading WIGAN NEWTON-LE- WILLOWS ADLINGTON INCE-IN- MAKERFIELD GOLBORNE HINDLEY W I G A N HO BIRCHWOOD Growth in the number of Light Goods Vehicles on Greater Manchester s roads. All traffic growth in Greater Manchester KM (millions) LGV growth in Greater Manchester KM (millions) % % All traffic LGV Between 1993 and 2015 traffic in Greater Manchester increased by around 19% whereas Light Goods Vehicles (LGV) using GM roads increased by around 62% in the same period. LGVs now account for over 1.6 billion kilometres on GM roads. 4

5 The Greater Manchester Congestion Conversation WHITWORTH HIRE 2 LITTLEBOROUGH RAMSBOTTOM R O C H D A L 1 E WEST YO R K S H I R E ROCHDALE CHORLEY MILNROW B O L T O N L A N CA S H I R E 6 RWICH BURY MARSDEN HEYWOOD 2 BOLTON B U R Y A627M ADLINGTON SHAW ROYTON 1 HORWICH RADCLIFFE MIDDLETON WHITEFIELD FARNWORTH O OLDHAM L D H A B M O L town centre CHADDERTON WESTHOUGHTON STANDISH ATHERTON PRESTWICH WALKDEN TYLDESLEY A L F O R D INCE-INMAKERFIELD WESTHOUGHTON HINDLEY 0 S WIGAN ASHTONUNDER-LYNE SKELMERSDALE FAILSWORTH WORSLEY LEIGH 1 MOSSLEY PENDLEBURY SALFORD ECCLES city centre 02 M58 MANCHESTER STALYBRIDGE ORRELL DROYLSDEN T A city centre M E S I ATHERTO D E DUKINFIELD M 62 CULCHETH 7 M A N C H E S T E R URMSTON 0 R A F F O R A N LEIGH GLOSSOP REDDISH CHORLTON SALE T I G HYDE STRETFORD IRLAM W DENTON GOLBORNE M E R S E YS I D E ROMILEY D DIDSBURY ST HELENS NEWTON-LEWILLOWS D E RBYS H I R E CULCHETH STOCKPORT ALTRINCHAM MARPLE CHEADLE S T O C K P O BIRCHWOOD R T LYMM WYTHENSHAWE CHEADLE HULME HAZEL GROVE M5 6 HALE BRAMHALL POYNTON Roads over capacity in AM peak CH E SH I R E Source: TrafficMaster GPS NEW MILLS 2 MANCHESTER AIRPORT Motorway WILMSLOW WARRINGTON County boundary WHALEY BRIDGE District boundary CHAPEL-ENLE FRITH Contains OS data Crown copyright and database right 2017 Congestion is thought to cost Greater Manchester s economy 1.3 billion annually. (TfGM HFAS Report 2015) M56 5

6 Why is congestion a problem? Traffic congestion impacts on people, businesses and the economy. An unreliable commute can put off potential employees, deliveries can be delayed and it can make it difficult for companies to do business together. Congestion can even deter potential investors from the city region. Businesses are less likely to locate and invest in an area where productivity and growth is constrained by congestion. Congestion has a major impact on public transport users too. Buses in Greater Manchester carry around 200 million passengers per year and are crucial to keeping our city region connected and moving. They are particularly vital to the third of households (345,000) in Greater Manchester that do not have access to a car, who need dependable travel options to access jobs and opportunities, but delays on our roads can lead to unreliable bus journey times. Metrolink and rail users also experience the effects of congestion, with severe overcrowding on some services at peak times making them less attractive as an alternative to car travel. Investing in more capacity on our train and Metrolink networks could help to address this and ultimately help to tackle traffic congestion on our roads. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, road traffic emissions are increased by congestion, affecting our health and the environment. In Greater Manchester, road transport accounts for 65% of nitrogen dioxide and 79% of particulate emissions. These dangerous emissions have been linked to serious health conditions including cancer, asthma, heart disease and dementia. The impact on the environment is also significant with road traffic responsible for almost a third of the city region s carbon emissions. It s a serious issue and that s why we need your help to ensure we have the right plans and public support for us to make the case to Government for more investment in the transport and services which can really make a difference. 6 Who is responsible for managing congestion? Many different partners take care of the roads in Greater Manchester: The region s 10 local authorities are the Highway and Traffic Authorities with duties in law for the safety and maintenance of all local and major roads and for the expeditious flow of traffic on those roads. They also have the powers to make improvements to the road network; A577 Standish A49 Wigan A49 Ashton-in- Makerfield TfGM is responsible for oversight and performance, but not the maintenance, of major roads (the Key Route Network), all traffic signals, co-ordination of road safety and for long-term planning of improvements across Greater Manchester s transport network; Highways England is responsible for motorways and trunk roads; and Greater Manchester Police are responsible for road policing and enforcement of moving traffic offences. A6 Hindley Together, we ve done lots of work to improve connectivity and manage traffic congestion across the region, from introducing Metrolink to installation of smart traffic lights, and from improving priority for buses, to investment in cycling and walking. This has already had a significant impact, with more people now choosing not to use a car for many of the trips they make each day. We have also published our 2040 Transport Strategy which sets out a long-term approach to developing a much more integrated transport system, including using new technologies. You can find out more about the 2040 strategy online at the TfGM website: A A5 A5

7 A56 A6033 Littleborough A671 Horwich A666 A675 A58 Bolton A579 A58 Bury 6 Heywood Rochdale A58 Milnrow A671 2 A663 Shaw A672 A62 8 Atherton A A579 Leigh A572 A580 Farnworth 2 A6144 Walkden Irlam A57 A6 Altrincham 02 Eccles A56 A666 Swinton 0 Prestwich A5081 Stretford Sale A56 Salford 0 A560 A665 A56 A576 M56 A576 A5103 Wythenshawe Manchester Airport Middleton A664 Manchester A6 A34 A34 Didsbury A62 A669 A57 A662 A663 A62 Failsworth 0 Oldham A627 Stockport A6 Denton Hyde Hazel Grove A560 A669 7 A635 Stalybridge Wigan A6018 A577 Woodley Standish A49 Ashtonunder-Lyne A49 Ashton-in- Makerfield A6 Hindley Greenfield A666 A675 Horwich A673 A58 A58 Bolton 1 A579 Farn Atherton A577 W A578 A579 Leigh A572 A580 Irla A6144 Greater Manchester Key Route Network Considered the most economically important roads in Greater Manchester, carrying the highest concentration of commuting and logistics traffic. Motorway Trunk Road Key Route Network Managed by } Highways England Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right

8 Ramsbottom Standish Horwich Rail electrification Bolton to 1 Lostock BOLTON Bolton station re-modelling Radcliffe Orrell Wigan Wigan M58 Link Road Smart motorway Wigan Interchange Wigan A49 Link Road Ashton-in- Makerfield Hindley WIGAN Leigh Atherton Tyldesley Rail electrification Farnworth Salford Bolton bus network improvements Walkden Smart motorway SALFORD Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route: Regent Road Eccles MediaCi W Greater Manchester s funded transport schemes General and GM-wide schemes: General and GM-wide schemes: Minor Works Programme 2016/17 Minor Works Programme 2016/17 Rail Station Improvement Strategy Tranche 6 Rail Station Improvement Strategy Tranche 6 Platform lengthening (various stations) Platform lengthening (various stations) Metrolink Service Improvement Package Metrolink Service Improvement Package Cycle City Ambition Grant 2 Cycle City Ambition Grant 2 Safety and security programmes Safety and security programmes Travel Choices programmes Travel Choices programmes TfN integrated fares and ticketing system TfN integrated fares and ticketing system Contains OS data Crown copyright and database right 2017 Contains OS data Crown copyright and database right 2017 Greater Manchester Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme 2 Irlam Smart motorway Partington TRAFFORD Altrincham Metrolink Trafford Park line Sale Metrolink Stretfor 0 Smart motorw A556 Knutsford to Bowdon (East Cheshire) 8

9 Calder Valley line journey time improvements Littleborough ROCHDALE Rochdale Bury wn centre 6 New turnback facility at Rochdale station Heywood 2 Smart motorway BURY 2 Junction 19 Link Road Metrolink 0 Metrolink hitefield Middleton Chadderton Oldham OLDHAM Rail electrification Prestwich Salford Central additional platforms Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route: Great Ancoats St Mossley Salford city cente tyuk d Chorlton Ordsall Chord Manchester Oxford Road re-modelling Fallowfield MANCHESTER Manchester city centre Piccadilly platforms 15 & 16 (Northern Hub package) Reddish 0 Denton Ashton-under- Lyne Tameside Interchange Hyde 7 TAMESIDE Stalybridge Mottram Moor Link Road Metrolink Smart motorway East Didsbury Stockport Town Centre Access Package Marple Metrolink Wythenshawe Cheadle Hulme Stockport Interchange STOCKPORT Hazel Grove ay M56 Heald Green Manchester Airport A6 Manchester Airport Relief Route Bramhall 9

10 Developing solutions. What is the most effective approach? There are various approaches we can consider to try to tackle congestion. The first is to provide more road space, either by building new roads or widening existing ones. Where there s clear economic need, we re improving capacity through new roads like the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road and the A556 link road; through new technology such as smart motorways which will help traffic to run more smoothly; and other localised schemes to improve capacity at junctions. However, there s also evidence to suggest that building new roads can often encourage more car travel, making traffic even worse in the long-run or relocating the congestion to another point further along the same road. Road building is also very expensive and in a busy urban area like Greater Manchester, we often do not have the space to build bigger roads. A second option is try to reduce the amount of cars or vans that want to use busy roads at the same time. This is about making alternatives to car use more attractive, such as better and more affordable public transport with smart ticketing, more cycle lanes and safer walking routes. These measures can make better use of existing roads, help to tackle pollution, improve road safety, and make our city a more pleasant place to live, work and visit. Encouraging people to work from home or travel outside of peak periods, and more car sharing can also help free up road space at peak times. Single occupancy car trip data Total car / van journeys 710,313 Assumed number of sole occupancy journeys per day 573,119 Percentage of journeys per day that are sole occupancy 80.69% *data sourced from TRADS Household survey May

11 Car Cycling Bus Walking 100 People in 100 Cars The road space used by 100 cars compared to the same number of travellers cycling, using the bus or walking. 100 Cyclists 100 People 2 Double Decker Buses 100 People 11

12 Finally, there are things we can do to better manage the existing traffic we have on our roads: Such as improving traffic signal phasing to smooth traffic flows, re-timing road works, managing events and the impact of extreme weather more effectively, providing better information to road users when there s disruption, and enforcing traffic regulations (such as yellow box junctions and illegal parking) to reduce delays at junctions. In reality, we are likely to need a combination of all of these options, but we d like to know what you think about the different ways we can tackle congestion and where you think the priorities should be. Ultimately, we will need a plan that meets the different needs of Greater Manchester s diverse communities not just considering how we want to live now, but how future generations will want to live, tackling tomorrow s congestion today. We also need to recognise that we are all, as individuals, part of the solution. The choices we all make every day about how and when we travel have an impact on congestion. It s important that we think about what role we can all play in tackling this critical issue. Mode of travel by distance Nearly a third of all journeys that are less than 1km are completed by car. 12

13 The plan so far Greater Manchester s 2040 Transport Strategy sets out a long-term plan for creating a more integrated and reliable transport system to support major growth in Greater Manchester. Funding has already been secured for a number of new infrastructure related schemes and interventions which will help to tackle congestion. Please see the map on centre pages 8 and 9. These schemes are a combination of investment in highways, Metrolink, rail and infrastructure improvements, along with some GM wide interventions which should take some of the pressure off our roads. The details of these schemes and others that are subject to funding and some which are at an early stage of assessment can be read as a part of the 2040 strategy here: The congestion plan we want to develop over the coming months, however, will focus on what we can do in the shorter-term to tackle congestion. We are already investigating a range of measures that we think could help tackle congestion in the near term. These include: Enforcing traffic offences which create delays (obstruction, yellow-box blocking, banned turns etc.); Better real-time information for motorists to help with journey planning; Campaigns to encourage people to avoid travelling by car during peak periods; Better routing and timing of deliveries; Better timing and planning of road works; Smart traffic signals to smooth traffic flows; Further investment in road maintenance to reduce the impact of bad weather; Congestion rapid response team to respond proactively to incidents; Road safety campaigns to reduce crashes; and Better bus and cycle priority measures. 13

14 Now, we need your help The Mayor s new Greater Manchester Congestion Plan is all about making travel easier by tackling traffic congestion, but we really need your input to ensure it works for everyone. We would like you to tell us what you think the priorities should be, what sounds useful, what could be improved and any good ideas of your own you would like to share. Please take just a few minutes to complete our survey here: Let us know what you think about congestion and how we can all tackle it together. Thanks! 14

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