“Our proposals set out ways to improve the pedestrian environment, remove barriers to cycling, improve cycling infrastructure…”
Which sounds really progressive and is certainly to be welcomed. Unfortunately, another part of the Greater Manchester transport machine is gearing up to implement this policy by installing a series of steps into the Trans-Pennine Trail near Sandhurst Road as part of the Didsbury Metrolink extension construction work. See previous blog entry for more details.
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| Metrolink's new access policy? |
Those nice people at Love Your Bike, working with Sustrains and the Trans-Pennine Trail office have been lobbying Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority members to encourage Metrolink to come up with a better solution. The campaign has been reported in both local and national cycling media.
Hundreds of people took part in an email action asking their local councillors who are GMITA memebrs to intervene. The GMITA councillors asked Metrolink for a report to be discussed at the Authority meeting on Friday 25th March. Unfortunately, the report's recommendation is that "members note this update and the issues encountered in incorporating the Trans Pennine Trail into the corridor and affirm their support for the proposed design." Or put more simply, to carry on installing steps.
Which in terms of the LTP priority commitment to remove barriers to cycling demonstrates the same logic as the (in)famous Vietnam era quote that saw the US military report that 'It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.'
Love Your Bike has updated the email action and is urging people to contact their local GMITA members and ask them to reject the steps option. Oh.. and you may want to remind them that the GMITA constitution states that all members must not: "do anything which may cause your authority to breach any of the equality enactments (as defined in section 33 of the Equality Act 2006." Just a thought ....
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