Bus stop plan ‘will make us housebound’
ELDERLY residents have protested over a £73m transport scheme proposed by the council that will see their bus stop shifted to make way for a cycle lane.
Around 20 people at Carlton Crescent, Portwood, have signed a petition that was submitted to a Central area committee meeting last Thursday.
Many have mobility problems and say moving the stop 50m along Newbridge Lane, in Offerton ,when currently it is directly outside their homes, will cause major difficulties.
It has to be moved so a cycle route can link the Trans Pennine trail, New Zealand Road, St Mary’s Way and areas of Stockport centre.
This is part of the town centre access plan, which includes measures to improve traffic flow and congestion around the town centre, particularly between the A6 and M60.
Resident Hugh McGowan said: “Everyone in here has some sort of disability. If the bus stop is moved it will make a lot of people housebound, it is what gets people out.”
Councillor Chris Murphy told the meeting: “It is important. I would like you (the council) to reconsider and see if you can leave it there.”
Georgina Summers, from the council’s traffic services, said that officers would meet with Carlton Crescent residents, of which there are around 30, to discuss concerns and see what could be done.
But the cycle route, which will be shared space with pedestrians, needed to cross Newbridge Lane after it left the town centre to be on the Carlton Crescent side of the road.
Also a toucan crossing would be installed, which has to be a certain distance away from junctions with side roads and means the bus stop needed to move.
She said: “It is very difficult to site it anywhere else. There are benefits as well. There is a government initiative to keep people healthier and cut down on congestion by providing these routes.”
The plan is for work at the site to begin on Saturday and for the cycle routes to be finished by late September.
The town centre access plan proposes improvements or widening to major roads such as St Mary’s Way, King Street West and Belmont Way.
It also includes improvements to Daw Bank bus station and would be completed by 2020.
Others have already objected with residents near St Mary’s Way petitioning the council saying work there will cause bottlenecks and congestion.