Transport breakthrough for Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester’s leaders have agreed to find the funding for many of the transport proposals which were originally part of the failed Transport Innovation Fund bid.
The deal, agreed by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), will divert funding from local funding allocations for transport into a central pot of money to pay for larger schemes, the Greater Manchester Transport Fund, which will be supported by borrowing against a small increase in council tax. The council tax levy which goes to the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) will increase by 3% for the next six years, likely to be funded by a small increase in council tax bills. Further contributions will come from the Airport and Metrolink revenues.
The Government is supporting the scheme by ‘fast-tracking’ £195 million of funding to pay for 4 specific schemes for completion within the next 4 years:
- Metrolink extension – Chorlton to East Didsbury
- Metrolink extension – Droylsden to Ashton-under-Lyne
- Cross-city bus package
- Park and Ride sites across Greater Manchester
Other schemes to be prioritised as part of the Greater Manchester Transport Fund are:
- Metrolink – Extensions to Manchester Airport, Oldham and Rochdale Town Centres and the Second City crossing
- SEMMMS relief road (A6 relief road linking Hazel Grove with the Airport)
- A revised Mottram bypass and Glossop spur road
- Leigh-Salford-Manchester guided busway
- Ashton Northern bypass
- Wigan inner relief road
- A contribution towards rail station improvements
- Altrincham and Bolton interchanges
The full investment will total over £1.5 billion. Schemes which formed part of the original TIF bid but do not form part of this proposal include the travel behaviour change programme, smart card ticketing and yellow school buses.
