GREATER Manchester has made a bid to secure £20 million of national investment towards major new cycling initiative, ‘Velocity 2025’.
The proposed scheme sets to increase the number of people cycling in and around the city by 2025 and would include a new network of ‘Cycle and Ride’ stations and segregated cycle routes that link employment centres, schools and leisure facilities with the Metrolink and rail services.
“Velocity 2025 sets Greater Manchester apart and will allow us to further establish the positive world class image Manchester holds for cycling.”
Supported by British cycling groups, the programme would see local authorities work with Greater Manchester schools, public health bodies and other stakeholders to promote cycling as a smart, easy and sensible lifestyle choice.
Velocity 2025 ambassador, Chris Boardman MBE of British Cycling said: “If we want to make our cities great places to live and work, if we want them to embrace sustainability, then cycling has to be a critical part of the mix.”
“Velocity 2025 sets Greater Manchester apart and will allow us to further establish the positive world class image Manchester holds for cycling.”
Led by the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), ‘Velocity 2025’ comes as part of the government’s Cycle City Ambition Grant (CCAG), which offers financial support for ambitious long-term plans for cycling in British cities and city regions.
Councillor Matthew Colledge, Transport Lead for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), is confident about Greater Manchester’s bid, “Our application and plans have been thorough, detailed and robust and I now eagerly await the outcome of the bid. I truly hope this will be a positive result for Greater Manchester as the implementation of Velocity 2025 would benefit this generation and the next.”
Nearly 6,000 people expressed their support for Velocity 2025 in an online vote that went live on Thursday 25 April 2013.
Back the bid and find out more about Velocity 2025 here.
