9th JUNE 2008

GREATER MANCHESTER TIF PACKAGE UNLOCKS UP TO £3 BILLION OF INVESTMENT

 

Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Transport, has today announced that Greater Manchester’s bid for an investment of up to £3 billion to boost the city-region’s public transport system has been approved for programme entry by the Department for Transport.

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) will be asked to formally approve a process to take the package into a wide ranging public consultation exercise over the coming months.

Today’s announcement confirms up to £3 billion of funding will be available for transport improvements in Greater Manchester. This comprises Government grants of £1.5 billion, £1.2 billion of local funding supported by future revenue from a limited peak time only congestion charge and £0.1 billion of third party contributions. The DFT has also confirmed that it will fund extra railway rolling stock and other enhancements for a range of local rail services serving Greater Manchester and supporting in excess of 7,000 extra passengers at peak times.

All of this investment is in addition to the £0.6 billion funding which was recently approved by the Secretary of State for Transport for Metrolink Phase 3A.

 

The package which has now been agreed by the DfT, will deliver a transformed public transport system for Greater Manchester funded in part by a limited peak-time only congestion charge. This charge will not be introduced until the summer of 2013 at the earliest and will be no more than £5 per day at 2007 prices.

 

Less than 20% of drivers in Greater Manchester will pay a charge and the average week day daily charge will be less than £3 at 2007 prices.

 

Key improvements TIF will deliver across Greater Manchester include:

 

• An expanded, reliable and accessible bus network which, consistently delivers high quality easy to use services for Greater Manchester
• Bus feeder services to rail and Metrolink stations will be strengthened with direct and more frequent services to the city centre and other town centres across the region
• There will be easy to use orbital services operating throughout the day, making bus journeys a real alternative to the car for more people
• A fleet of 120 additional dedicated yellow school buses to transport pupils to and from school in style and safety
• Eight new transport interchanges
• Up to an additional 35km of Metrolink line including new stops in Rochdale and Oldham town centres, Ashton under Lyne, East Didsbury and Manchester Airport. Funds have also been earmarked for an extension tO Trafford Park and the Trafford Centre.
• This will increase the network to up to 103km carrying about 70 million passengers every year.
• More capacity on peak time trams and trains
• More trams and longer trains running at peak times
• Double the amount of park and ride facilities around the city
• A smart travel card helping to improve interconnectivity and allow for easy movement from tram to train to bus
• Safer cycle routes and an innovative city centre cycle hire scheme

 

Lord Peter Smith, Leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) said: “This announcement is great news for Greater Manchester. As a successful and growing economy, congestion is an increasing problem and one we cannot afford to ignore.

“This will provide a level of investment not seen before outside of London, and will transform our public transport system into one capable of supporting the growth of the region for years to come.

 

“The congestion charge, will not be introduced until 2013 at the earliest, will affect just 20% of cars travelling at peak times, with many drivers paying less than £3 a day. Drivers wishing to avoid the charge altogether will be able to take advantage of the radically improved public transport network the TIF package will deliver.

 

“Debate is vital, and now that we have had confirmation that the DfT are backing our bid, we will be proposing to enter into a period of public consultation to ensure everyone in Greater Manchester is fully aware of the proposals and able to have their say.”

 

“The one thing I urge everyone to bear in mind is that we fully understand the need to offer people a real alternative to travel by car. That is why congestion charge will not be introduced in Greater Manchester until 2013 at the earliest, when the vast majority of the public transport improvements will be in place.

 

“Without a congestion charge we cannot secure anything like this scale of investment.”

 

The bus network will also be radically overhauled throughout the Greater Manchester if the TIF package is implemented   providing more frequent and reliable services running as part of a coordinated and simplified network.  This will include the development of bus transit schemes from Leigh, Bolton and South Manchester, cross city and orbital services and better neighbourhood links. If approved by AGMA following public consultation, the TIF package will deliver up to an additional 35km of Metrolink track to new destinations including East Didsbury, Manchester Airport, Ashton under Lyne, and Rochdale and Oldham town centres. Funds have also been earmarked to extend the network to Trafford Park and the Trafford Centre.

 

There will also be a second city centre crossing to increase capacity as well as more trams and carriages during rush hour in the morning and afternoon.

This, along with the investment already planned, will take the total network coverage up to 103km, which is three times its current size and will boost passenger numbers from today’s figure of 20 million up to 70 million a year.

New transport interchanges will also be created in Stockport, Bolton, Trafford, Wigan, Salford and in the city centre.

 

The TIF package will deliver 120 new yellow school buses in addition to the 36 already in operation across Greater Manchester, with the TIF funded element alone taking more than 2.3 million car journeys off the road every year. 

 

Notes to Editors

The four tests which must be passed are:

·There must be significant investment in transport improvements including Metrolink and enhanced capacity must be in place prior to introducing a charging scheme

·Measures must complement the competitiveness and inclusion priorities of the sub-region and not undermine the competitiveness of the city centre or the town centres in the area.

·Measures must be acceptable, not only to the public but also to the business community.

Measures must be relevant to where congestion exists or where it may emerge in the future notwithstanding the advent of public transport improvements.

 

Today’s announcement confirms up to £3 billion of funding will be available for transport improvements in Greater Manchester. This comprises Government grants of £1.5 billion, £1.2 billion of local funding supported by future revenue from a limited peak time only congestion charge and £0.1 billion of third party contributions. The DFT has also confirmed that it will fund extra railway rolling stock for the city-region supporting in excess of 7,000 extra passengers at peak times.

 

The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) is a central Government fund that supports “innovative solutions to congestion problems, involving demand management measures”. Local Authorities across England bid for this fund.

 

There is no other source of central or local Government funding which would provide the financial support for the dramatic improvement in transport that Greater Manchester needs to continue its recent growth into the coming decades.

 

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