Pop-up lanes what we need

WE call on Manchester city council to act boldly and collaboratively to create pop-up cycle lanes for people to commute to work and also travel within the city. Cycling is a social justice issue – a third of the city’s households do not have cars and people will be forced back onto public transport if the council refuses to see sense.

In replies to citizens calling for better thinking, the council has merely given the following vague assurance - ‘where neighbouring local authorities are planning to create temporary pop-up cycle lanes which approach Manchester, we will work with partners in each case, to ensure that safety for all road users is prioritised.’

We call upon the executive member for Environment, Planning and Transport, Angeliki Stogia, to announce an urgent programme to first complete all the protected routes into the city centre that originate in other council areas and then to add emergency protected provision on all other main roads.

The council has said it has bid for £600,000 worth of measures but the details have not yet been shared with residents – we suggest creation of a web page, updated weekly, on the city council’s website that sets out this programme and the progress made.

This action will help restore the council’s tattered credibility. Without greatly increased trust in council decision-making and transparency, real action on the climate emergency, air pollution and safe mobility will be virtually impossible.

This is a moment to lead, not to hide.

Rose Arnold, Andy Barclay, Mark H Burton, Roger Bysouth, Ian Cookson, Mike Duddy, Neil Edwards, Judith Emanuel, Nick Hubble, Marc Hudson, Sarah Irving, Carolyn Kagan, Pooja Kishinani, Harriet Larrington Spencer, Chloe Jeffries, Hannah Malcolm, Calum McFarlane, Bri McIntosh, Margaret Morris, Martin Nash, Northern Quarter Forum, Chris Paul, Adam Peirce, Ruth Rosselson, Greg Sammons, Owen Sedgwick-Jell, DL Sheridan, Richard Shirres, Marion Smith, Pete Somerville, ,Samuel Thomas, Walk Ride PiccNQ, James Ward, Jane Ward, Dave Warnock, Adam Williams