Committees

MP's visit Manchester to discuss benefits of Active Travel

28 February 2019

Olympic Gold medal winner, Chris Boardman and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, are among the witnesses speaking to MPs.

Switching from motorised transport to walking and cycling has clear benefits for health and environment, but the take-up of active travel options varies widely across England and lags far behind other European countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark.  For many, the private car is still the preferred alternative. Safety risks, poor planning, quality of street design and infrastructure have all been cited as potential reasons for low levels of walking and cycling. 

In Manchester, the Committee will talk to Andy Burnham - Mayor for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman – Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, and Councillor Angeliki Stogia - Executive Member for Environment and Skills for Manchester City Council, about their actions to make walking and cycling more attractive.  The Committee will also question representatives of local cycling and walking groups on what they think about Greater Manchester's plans for making the region more suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.

MPs will also hold a public question and answer session to hear the views of the public, including students, academics and campaigners for walking and cycling. 

The Committee will arrive in Manchester mid-morning.

Offices of Transport for Greater Manchester (2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG), Thursday 7 March 2019

Witnesses

At 11.45, the Committee will hear from walking and cycling stakeholder groups:

  • Nadia Kerr, Delegate, WalkRide GM
  • Jonathan Fingland, Chair, Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign

At 12.30, MPs will question Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council:

  • Chris Boardman MBE, Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester
  • Councillor Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for Environment and Skills, Manchester City Council

At 1.30pm, 

  • The Committee will quiz the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

From 2-3pm, the Committee will take questions from the audience about the work of the Committee and general transport issues.

Chair's comment

Chair of the Committee, Lilian Greenwood MP, said:

“We are delighted to be visiting Manchester to learn more about the city's approach to promoting walking and cycling. We want to hear how and why active travel has been prioritised in Greater Manchester. We want to find out from local stakeholder groups if the city is doing enough and how they feel local policy compares with the national picture.

There are lots of reasons to boost active travel: our health, environment and bank balances all stand to benefit. The UK lags behind other countries like Amsterdam and Denmark, which have achieved significant increases in levels of walking and cycling.  We're hoping Manchester will prove that with the right approach, the UK can catch up.”

Further information

Image: iStockphoto