Women on Wheels campaign - Information and Social Evening

Dear All

For this year’s Women on Wheels campaign, we are offering grants for activities relating to Women’s Cycling, to encourage, inspire and enable more women to get on their bikes in 2018.

For those of you that may be interested, we are offering grants of up to £2500 for Greater Manchester non-profit organisations to run a series of events to help women start, return to or progress their cycling.

The aim of any events funded should ultimately be to encourage and enable more women to make journeys by bike, and we are looking for organisations, clubs and charities to run a whole programme or series of women’s cycling events rather than one off-single day events, (although these of course would still be considered).

The information and social evening is an informal event to find out what we did last year, what’s changed for this year, an opportunity to exchange ideas and find out what you need to do next if you would like to apply for a grant.

Rapha CC Manchester are kindly hosting the evening in their lovely clubhouse café and will be providing coffee and cake!

Come along and have a chat with us about what the grants are about and how you can apply.

For those of you who can’t make the event, drop us an email at cycling@TfGM.com to get an application form.

Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm

Date: 9th November

Venue: Rapha Clubhouse, 5 St Ann’s Passage, Manchester, M2 6AD

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-on-wheels-201718-womens-cycling-grants-information-and-social-evening-tickets-35822471978

**If you are able, please share the event for us through your social media channels using the Eventbrite link or image attached**

Faye Drinkwater
Active Travel Officer
Transport for Greater Manchester
2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG
Direct line 0161 244 1461 Extension 701461
www.tfgm.com/cycling

Plan ahead to avoid any unexpected travel spooks this weekend

Commuters are being advised to plan their journeys to avoid any scares ahead of a busy weekend of sporting and spooky events taking place as Greater Manchester celebrates Halloween.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has been working hard to help those travelling into the city centre and areas of Trafford to make their journeys as easy and as stress free as possible.

A travel advice page is available to help commuters with their travel plans.

As well as Manchester United hosting Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, large crowds are expected for Halloweekend, taking place across the city. A Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest event takes place at the Etihad on Saturday and heavy metal legends Metallica play the Manchester Arena on Saturday evening.

The size and locations of the events mean that public transport and the road network in the region will be busier than normal.

There are also some changes to Metrolink services on both days, affecting the Bury, Rochdale and Manchester Airport lines.

There will also be no direct trains running from Manchester Piccadilly to Leeds over the course of the weekend due to Network Rail improvement works.

TfGM’s Transport and Event Planning Lead, John Fryer, said: “We want everyone coming in to the region for these events to have a fantastic time. We have the skills, expertise and experience to manage these large scale events and have a thorough and detailed plan.

“However, we are expecting large numbers of customers to travel and our advice is to plan ahead, think about your travel options and allow extra time for journeys.

“Whether you’re flying in on the Witch Way or travelling in the midnight hour, there’s nothing scary about travelling this weekend and our plans mean there’ll be no gremlins across the network.”

For information on public transport across Greater Manchester visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter.

Don’t abandon your bike to the shed this winter! Get Winter Ready

If you’ve been reaping the health benefits of cycling all year, enjoying that extra couple of quid in your pocket at the end of the month and sailing past queues of traffic each morning, don’t let the winter weather slow you down.

We will be at three locations in North, Central and South Manchester this coming Saturday to help get you and your bike get Winter Ready, just in time for the clocks going back.

Take your bike in for a free maintenance check, get safety tips and advice, take advantage of shop discounts and cycling freebies and enter a prize draw.

If this is your first winter on two wheels or you worry about riding on the roads, book onto a one-to-one training session at tfgm.com/cycling to boost your confidence. You will also find our maintenance courses there too—handy if you find yourself with a flat tyre on a dark evening!

We’d love to hear about what you’re doing to help your colleagues get Winter Ready. Let us know by dropping an email to cycling@tfgm.com to feature in our next newsletter. You can also share your plans on social media using #WinterReady

Central Manchester

Cycle Republic
4-10 London Road
Picadilly
Manchester
M1 3AN

Sign up

South Manchester

Ken Foster's Cycle Logic
374 Barlow Moor Rd
Chorlton
Manchester
M21 8AZ

Sign up

North Manchester

Petrus Bike kitchen
Unit 29-30 Market Place
Rochdale Shopping Centre
Rochdale
OL16 1BA

Sign up

Early Christmas present as Metrolink roadworks lifted at intu Trafford Centre

Christmas has come early with the completion of the first phase of highway works for the new Trafford Park Metrolink line at intu Trafford Centre.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has unveiled a new temporary road layout at Peel Circle and removed roadworks to help visitors travelling around TRAFFORDCITY from now until New Year – a busy time for retail and leisure.

Work to construct the new Trafford Park Metrolink line will press ahead at other key locations along the route as well as on land at intu Trafford Centre which is off the road.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “Construction of the Trafford Park line is progressing at quite a pace.

“However, we have purposely scheduled our work to help visitors and businesses close to intu Trafford Centre at this busy time of year. We’ve opened newly-constructed lanes and removed temporary traffic lights in the immediate area.

“Anyone travelling to the area to shop, dine, attend an event or ski should be aware that there is a new temporary road layout at Peel Circle to help improve the flow of traffic.”

A plan of the new temporary road layout close to EventCity, Barton Square and intu Trafford Centre, is available on the Trafford Park line webpage.

Alison Niven, Regional Centre Director for intu Trafford Centre, said: “We’re approaching our busiest eight weeks of the year, with shoppers travelling from across the UK to enjoy a day of Christmas shopping, dining and leisure attractions.

“Therefore we’re pleased to have worked closely with TfGM and their contractor M-Pact Thales to arrange the resequencing the construction work and minimise the effect on the roads until the New Year, providing an easier approach for shoppers during this peak period.

“We look forward to the opening of the new Metrolink line in 2020 – it’s going to be new, frequent and convenient travel option for our 30 million annual visitors and 8,000 retail colleagues.”

Sean Anstee, Leader of Trafford Council, said: “The council is in support of any scheme that helps businesses in the borough, especially in the run up to the festive period. This is a critical trading time, so we welcome the removal of the roadworks and look forward to the next phase of construction starting.”

The next phase of Metrolink construction affecting highways close to intu Trafford Centre will start in January 2018.

TfGM is working with M-Pact Thales and WSP to deliver the Trafford Park Line Metrolink extension which is planned to be complete in 2020.

The £350 million Metrolink project – which includes a £20 million contribution from Trafford Council – will support regeneration and economic growth by improving public transport access to employment, business, retail and leisure opportunities in the Trafford Park area and beyond.

The six-stop line will also take in other major visitor attractions including Old Trafford football stadium, the Imperial War Museum North and EventCity.

Your boots are made for walking this autumn

Greater Manchester’s first ever autumn Walking Week runs from Saturday 21 October to Sunday 29 October, offering more than 100 free guided walks to choose from across the region.

Coordinated by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), with support from many local walking groups and charities, Greater Manchester Walking Week aims to showcase all that the region has to offer on foot.

The event’s calendar features many expert-led walks, catering to a variety of interests and themes for all ages and abilities.

For adults looking for a challenge, there are lots of trails to pique their interest, be it getting out and about with Mountain Rescue teams, giving Nordic walking a go or getting up into the hills for spectacular views.

There’s also a selection of guided walks designed to entertain the family. From trick or treat treks to welly walks, there’s plenty to keep little ones occupied during the half-term break.

The full list of walks can be found at the Greater Manchester Walking Week webpage.

Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, said: “The Mayor’s aim is to make Greater Manchester the best place to live and we can do this by enabling people to walk more short journeys.

“Walking briskly for 20 minutes a day can add up to seven years to your life and if we start to switch short car journeys for walking we can help to cut congestion and improve the air we breathe.

“I hope that by encouraging people to get involved in TfGM’s Greater Manchester Walking Week, they will be inspired to continue walking regularly after the event has ended.”

TfGM’s Interim Head of Active Travel, Sam Coppin, added: “I’m delighted that we’re launching the first Greater Manchester autumn Walking Week this month. The event aims to get as many people as possible across the region to find out how easy – and enjoyable – walking can be. No special equipment is required when it comes to walking, you can even pop out on your lunch break and get active.

“Autumn is heralded for its beauty as the landscape changes colour, so this is the perfect time for people to explore and experience everything Greater Manchester has to offer. The walks, which cater for a variety of abilities and ages, also provide the chance to meet new people.

“I’d like to thank all our walking partners and walk leaders, many of whom are voluntary, who run all the walks and make this event possible.”

Funded by the Department of Transport, the Greater Manchester Walking Week and annual Walking Festival is part of TfGM’s Active Travel programme, encouraging people to walk more as part of their daily routine.

Printed brochures will be available from a wide range of places, including TfGM travel shops, leisure centres and libraries, in the next few weeks.

Visit www.tfgm.com/walking for more details and keep up to date via the TfGM Walking Facebook page, or search for the #GMWalking hashtag on Twitter.

Customers advised of public transport changes this weekend

Transport bosses are asking people to plan their travel in advance this weekend as scheduled improvement works result in changes to bus and tram services.

On Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October, the full length of the Leigh to Ellenbrook guided busway will be closed to enable improvement work to take place safely and efficiently.

This means that they’ll be no Vantage services operating on the busway between East Bond Street in Leigh and Newearth Road in Salford and Vantage V1 and V2 services will operate via local road diversion routes.

Alternative bus stops will be in use and their locations will be signed, however, the interchange on Astley Street in Tyldesley will remain open. Works will be complete to allow services to operate as usual in time for the first bus on the morning of Monday 23 October.

Also this weekend, Network Rail and Metrolink improvement works mean there will be changes affecting services on the Bury, Rochdale, East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines as well as some city centre services. Bus replacement services will run during these times. For more information, click here.

TfGM’s Transport and Event Planning Lead, John Fryer, said: “Essential improvement work on the guided busway and Mosley Street tram track, together with Network Rail’s works, will mean significant changes to Vantage and some Metrolink services this weekend.

“To help minimise disruption and ensure a smoother journey our advice is to plan ahead, be prepared, and think about all your travel choices. Customers should allow extra time to complete their journey.

“We strongly advise that people check the TfGM and Metrolink websites for regular service updates and information, or follow @OfficialTfGM, @FirstManchester and @MCRMetrolink on Twitter.”

Greater Manchester is also expected to be very busy on the following weekend (Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October) with major sporting events, large participation runs, exhibitions and concerts scheduled to take place across a number of venues.