NATIONAL ‘OSCAR’ FOR SALFORD’S CYCLING AND WALKING NETWORK

Salford City Council’s investment in using old railway lines and canal side paths to open up the city’s green spaces to everyone won in the category Excellence in Cycling and Walking at the prestigious National Transport Awards last night.

The awards are known as the Oscars of the transport industry and the Salford project – parts of which saw users jump from just under 12,500 to over 191,500 in just one year -   beat off stiff competition from around the country.

City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“This is fantastic news and a wonderful return on the investment the council, our partners and hundreds of volunteers have put into this fabulous scheme which is already resulting in health and wellbeing benefits for thousands of people in our city.

“Our automatic counter on just one route -  the Roe Green loop line recorded more than 230,000 people using it in just a year and 60% of people who responded to  a survey said they were using all the routes more because of the improvements.

 “It has been fantastic to see how local people have responded to and welcomed the council’s work to improve the paths and looplines. The Manchester and Salford Ramblers have worked with us to create the Salford Trail – a 50 mile route broken down into smaller sections while volunteers working along the Bridgewater  Canal route  have given over 5,500 hours of their time to build benches, paths and steps, plant trees, help with events and activities and regularly keep the area clean and tidy for others.

“By the end of 2018 we will have over 28 kilometres of high quality paths, suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs, bikes and walkers, connecting people to jobs, schools and leisure.”

 

Greater Manchester Cycling and Walking Commissioner Chris Boardman, said:

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“Whilst settling into my role as Cycling and Walking Commissioner, I’ve been exploring some of the infrastructure schemes already in progress across the region.

“Salford City Council in particular is already well on the way, with some excellent schemes, like the Roe Green Loopline, that are giving a wide range of people somewhere to walk and ride bikes in safety, so it’s great to see their efforts rewarded with a National Transport Award.”

 

 

Work to improve the former railway lines – known locally as loop lines – began  in 2015 with public consultation on what improvements people felt were needed. One of the biggest concerns was that barriers put in to prevent illegal motorcyclists using the routes made access difficult for cyclists and people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies.

Barrier-free trials proved successful and now the whole network has open access. Most routes have been resurfaced with a free-draining mixture of golden gravel and recycled tyres, making the surface sustainable and particularly popular with horse riders, runners and cyclists.

New signs, lighting and community artwork have been installed along the routes and new planting including wetlands and trees created.

By 2018 when work is completed Salford City Council will have invested around £5 millon into the looplines and Port Salford Greenway – linking the city with the new road, rail and ship canal port being built in Irlam  Work on the Ellenbrook loopline will start in the next few weeks  to join the new guided busway to the Roe Green loopline near Worsley leisure centre.

The routes are now used by more than 500 people every week for the Worsley Parkrun, local charity Wheels for All which offers adapted cycles to include everyone, local schools and parents for nature projects and the ‘school run’ and Salford City Council’s health improvement service which leads running programmes, cycle rides, buggy runs/ walks and health walks.

 Note to editors: High res photos of the looplines are available. Please email public.relations@salford.gov.uk