Cyclists and green campaigners say cost-cutting plans to put steps over a new Metrolink line will sever a national trail.
Proposals drawn up for the Metrolink extension to East Didsbury include diverting the TransPennine Trail over a bridge with a series of steps.
The coast-to-coast walking and cycling route stretches 215 miles from Southport to Hornsea – mostly on paths suitable for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users.
But campaigners say it would be made inaccessible to cyclists, parents with prams and wheelchair users if the steps are built off Sandhurst Road in Didsbury.
Catherine Thomson, from Manchester Friends of the Earth, said: “We support the extension of the Metrolink tram system, but this should not be at the expense of existing popular walking and cycling routes.
“Metrolink and Manchester city council have a duty to ensure that this popular trail remains accessible to all.”
The trail winds through Trafford, Manchester and Stockport following the route of the River Mersey before passing through Didsbury.
Bosses at Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive say the steps would cost about £850,000 – four or five times less than ramps.
The trail has been diverted along Burnage Road and School Lane for the Metrolink work.
Campaigners have called for a rethink. They were hoping to raise their concerns at a meeting of transport leaders today.
They claim Manchester council has a duty under disability legislation to prevent barriers being put in place.
Transport charity Sustans and the Manchester Disabled People’s Action Group are lobbying for a ramp.
Members of Manchester Friends of the Earth and the Love Your Bike campaign have also written letters of concern to the transport authority.
Philip Purdy, Metrolink director at GMPTE, said the body has been in talks with cycling groups and the council.
He said: “Providing steps over the bridge at this location would be the most cost-effective way of maintaining the trail within the corridor, compared to the significant cost of providing ramps.”
Coun Paul Andrews, executive member for neighbourhood services, said the council is working with the groups and GMPTE to find a ‘suitable solution’.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
I am sick to death of whinging cyclists.
Ah good old GMPTE. Them & their stupid vanity project never run out of new & interesting ways to annoy people
If people would care to read the article properly, it is the cyclists that are lobbying for a ramp on behalf of cyclits, people with prams and wheelchair users who currently use the walk and will be denied access. Maybe instead of moaning about whinging cyclists (and i am not a cyclist myself) if people thought things through a little they would see how this could affect people. Maybe if the equality laws applied to them they would consider it more instead of the blinkered view they currently hold.
The whole of the new line (up to Trafford Bar) should have had a cycle path alongside it. Would have created two new ways of getting around the city, for very little extra expense.
Has anybody stopped to think about the costs idicated. £850,000 just short of a million pounds for some steps? And a ramp would be five times more, say £4,000,000 (4 million)? How can some simple structures cost so much? Who has quoted them so much money? Someone is making a killing out of GMPTE if these are the sorts of amounts they accept as being valid quotes.
A 215 mile continuous route suddenly being made inaccessible in part to anyone in a wheelchair, pushing a pram or pushchair. Not really that i8nterested in the cyclists as they would be able to cope with steps. The others wouldn't.
To insert steps into the route without an alternative route for the disabled is, clearly, against the law.
if cyclists are up in arms why don`t they just use said arms and carry their bikes over a few steps, moaning minneys or what.
Ahh the good old meal ticket of public sector being charged a fortune for building steps.
Has anyone bothered to challenge the clearly extortionate fee of £850k for this??
wouldnt a subway be better? how about going underground rather than a bridge?
Could someone explain to them what a traffic light's for?
MEN Staff please ask GMPTE to provide the bill of works for the job. £850K sounds very wrong. Specially when you can buy preformed concrete flight of stairs for less than 10K.
The other side to this story is the householders who live adjacent to the line and who will have to tolerate steps (and the antisocial behaviour this will bring) or worse still, a ramp (which will be like a skateboard park!). I'm all in favour of accessibility but cyclists are using the disability rights legislation for their advantage...residents have to live with the consequences every day! The best solution is to re-route the transpennine trail away from the bridge - then the cyclists can cycle, people with prams or wheelchair users would be on a nice safe pavement and local residents will only have to worry about the trams themselves, not all the other side effects.
There are some points on the Fallowfield Loop where access/egress are not properly accessible. The point where the loop reaches Fallowfield for one .. very steep .. and the point where Withington Road crosses .. steep path leading up to steps. Not a route in progress for Light Rail.