A 'cycling Tsar' for Greater Manchester? Not quite yet... but it's a start!

In a fairly sparse agenda, one interesting item has popped up for discussion at the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Committee meeting (Friday 12th July).  

The 33 committee members (assuming that all the Councillors turn up) will be deciding who to appoint from their midst to take on the responsibilities of becoming the very first TfGMC Cycling Champion.

According to the  Report for Resolution the TfGMC Cycling Champion will undertake to:

2.1 To assist the Committee in undertaking its responsibilities in relation to Active Travel, the TfGMC member nominated by the Committee to serve as Cycling Champion will undertake:

• To work to promote the long-term aim, as set out in LTP 3, to make cycling a genuine, attractive choice for journeys to work, for leisure and for fitness, and to oversee an increase the number of people cycling to work and education; 
• To ensure the Committee consider cycling as a key mode within an overall, integrated transport system; 
• To promote the Committee’s Active Travel Policy Priority in relation to cycling to key partners including, for example, district and public health authorities, transport operators, the business community and the voluntary and community sector, and; 
• To act as the Committee’s key contact in relation to the further development of cycling policy and GM-wide cycling initiatives and measures.

We wait with hushed expectancy to see which of the TfGM committee members will be stepping up to the plate.   You can check out the likely (or unlikely) candidates here.

It will be interesting to see what progress the newly appointed Cycling Champion will make with their Committee colleagues on cycling related issues, given that they have been more used to discussing the finer points of bus, tram and train provision.

Anyone expecting Greater Manchester to follow in London's footsteps (or wheel tracks) and create a funded cycling advocacy post may be dissapointed.  Andrew Gilligan, London's recently appointed 'Cycling Tsar' is reported to be paid £38,000 for the two-days a week post, whilst the TfGM Cycling Champion position "will not attract a Special Responsibility Allowance." [2.2]




Update

The TfGM Committee agreed to select Councillor Chris Paul (Withington) as the TfGMC Cycling Champion.  Details of how to contact Chris Paul are available on the Manchester City Council website.