Council support ‘ambitious’ transport plans for region
VISION TO CREATE ‘WELL-CONNECTED, ZERO CARBON CITY CENTRE’ OVER NEXT 20 YEARS
NEW Metrolink connections between Media City, Salford Crescent and Manchester city centre could be created within a couple of decades.
Plans for a tram line connecting the Quays with the Crescent will be developed over the next five years as part of the city centre transport strategy for 2040.
Salford Crescent station could be transformed into an integrated transport hub with improved pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, bus and rail connectivity.
Other options for Metrolink connections in ‘inner Salford’ will also be explored.
The new joint transport strategy aims for 90 per cent of all trips into the city centre made at peak times in the morning to be on foot, by cycle or public transport.
Salford council has now backed the 2040 strategy which has been drafted together with Manchester council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) following a public consultation which received 2,425 responses.
Only 5pc of those who responded to the online survey live in Salford, but one expressed ‘disappointment’ that there was ‘no clear plan’ for how residents should travel to and from the city centre, according to a council report.
The city transport strategy says Salford Crescent will act as a ‘focal point for growth’ as the footprint of Manchester city centre expands in this direction.
‘Ambitious proposals’ for this part of Salford, which is a ‘major transport gateway’ to the city centre, present a ‘unique regeneration opportunity.’
The recently refreshed development framework for Salford Crescent sets out plans to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport over cars on the A6.
The Media City to Salford Crescent corridor has also been identified as a priority city centre route for bus connections within the transport strategy.
Salford council engineer Chris Smith said the local authorities’ shared vision is to create a well-connected, zero-carbon city centre at the heart of the North, offering residents, employees and visitors a great place to work, live and visit.
Labour councillor Tracy Kelly, who is Salford’s statutory deputy city mayor, welcomed the new transport strategy at a meeting on Monday (March 23).
She said: “For me, the pandemic has highlighted even more so the need for this strategy moving forward and we realise people now are using walking, cycling and public transport which has had to be used by many of our staff and key workers.
“So I think it’s an important part of the strategy that we get this right.”