Six new cycle hubs have been opened at Greater Manchester railway stations, doubling the number of bike parking spaces in the region, as councilors push for Manchester to become a ‘flagship Cycling City’.
Over 400 new bike spaces have been created at Manchester Oxford Road, Salford Central, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Eccles and Hazel Grove stations, with Northern Rail set to take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the hubs.
Manchester City Tower and MediaCityUK host existing hubs, which are available from just £10 a year, and which offer a parking space, lockers, showers and CCTV protection.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “It’s great to see more and more stations offer cycling facilities so that people can easily make their journey on different kinds of sustainable transport.
“It might just be the extra incentive people need to get on their bike for the short journey to and from their local stations, meaning a healthier lifestyle and taking more traffic off the roads.
“From just £10 a year to make sure your bike is safe and secure – it’s also a real bargain.
“Cycling is on the up and up across Greater Manchester and initiatives like the cycle hubs are key in helping us reach our long-term vision to become a flagship Cycling City.”
Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said that the move underscored the Government’s commitment to improving cycle infrastructure in the city.
“The new cycle hubs will transform journeys for cyclists at these six rail stations, offering affordable and secure storage for passengers,” he added.
“As a Cycling City, we are committed to getting more people on their bikes in Manchester with new routes, road improvements and better infrastructure.
Work has already begun to construct segregated cycle-ways along key routes in the city, whilst over £600,000 of investment was secured by the Department for Transport’s Cycle Rail fund earlier this year, to be used at a further nine stations.
Furthermore, TfGM’s Better by Cycle programme has been created to aid those who are new to cycling, with training and practical support.
Richard Allan, Northern Rail’s Commercial Director, added: “Cycling is a sustainable and affordable way to keep active.
“These state-of-the-art hubs at our stations in Greater Manchester not only help us do our part to promote a healthier lifestyle for our customers but it also means our customers can rest assured while their bike is at our stations, it is safe, dry and secure.”
Image courtesy of Department for Transport, via Youtube, with thanks.
