Metrolink customers take to contactless as trips top 170k

More than 170k journeys were made using Metrolink’s new contactless payment system in the four weeks since it launched (Monday 15 July – Sunday 11 August).

The new and easy-to-use payment system is proving particularly popular on event days, with 9,931 journeys made using contactless on 9 August – when Lancashire’s 20/20 cricket match with Yorkshire was unfortunately rained off – while a further 8,009 journeys were made on 11 August when Manchester United played their opening Premier League fixture at home to Chelsea.

Contactless cuts out the need to buy a paper ticket or download the app, with passengers simply required to use their contactless enabled devices, such as bank cards, phones and watches, to ‘touch-in’ and ‘touch-out’ at tram stops at the start and end of their journey, with the system working out their fare, up to a daily cap.

Despite the relative ease of use, some customers are not ‘touching-out’, resulting in them being charged an incomplete journey fare of £4.60 – the maximum for a single journey. This charge is not included as a part of the maximum capped daily price of £7.

Information reminding people to ‘touch-out’ has been put on all trams, including on the back of seats and tram doors and at tram stops. Staff continue to be on hand to talk to people about the new system and messages reminding customers to ‘touch-out’ are also being made on Metrolink’s PA system, by drivers and on the digital information displays, as well as on social media.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is working with those customers who have not ‘touched-out’ and is providing refunds where appropriate.

TfGM’s Customer Director, Stephen Rhodes, said: “Contactless is a really simple and convenient way for people to pay for journeys on Metrolink and it’s great to see so many people have already taken to it. 

“We recognise this is a different way of paying for travel and it will take some people a little while to adapt, which is why our customer information has an emphasis on the need to ‘touch-in’ and ‘touch-out’.

“As people get used to it, we hope it will become second nature, but anyone who is really concerned about forgetting is still able to use all the other options that were previously available to pay for their travel.” 

Metrolink improvement work to impact stops

Work to improve Metrolink passenger facilities will result in some minor disruption to two stops this summer.

The works will see new lighting, CCTV and equipment upgrades at both Cornbrook and Shudehill stops, along with new shelters and crossing point at Shudehill and an improved stair/entrance area, canopy extension and platform weather protection at Cornbrook.

To allow upgrade work to take place, the Shudehill stop will close from 1am on Thursday 29 August until 4am on Saturday 14 September.

The Cornbrook stop will close twice, from 1am on Saturday 21 September to 5am on Monday 23 September and from 1am on Saturday 28 September to 5am on Monday 30 September. The closures mean that trams will not call at the stops.

The Eccles line will close from 1am on Sunday 22 September to 5am on Monday 23 September, during which there will be a full bus replacement service.

The lift at Cornbrook will be unavailable from Monday 19 August to the end of October, with passengers requiring lift access being advised to use Deansgate-Castlefield or Trafford Bar stops.

Customers can visit the Cornbrook Shudehill pages on our website for more information

Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Head of Metrolink, Danny Vaughan, said: “This work will provide a number of vital improvements that will not only make the stops much more pleasant to use but also improve their safety, security and accessibility.

“Unfortunately, it will result in some disruption for passengers for some short periods of time – but we have done a lot of planning to keep customers informed and ensure that they plan their journeys in advance and allow extra time to travel.

“Our customers have high levels of customer satisfaction – 89 per cent satisfaction in our most recent survey – but we’re always looking to improve their overall experience and encourage more people to use the network.”

Work will be undertaken overnight to minimise impact on businesses and passengers.
On-stop posters, leaflets and social media are being used to inform customers in advance while TfGM has also met with local businesses to help mitigate any impact.

Park and Ride set for huge boost across Greater Manchester

Following the launch of Our Network – the Mayor’s ambitious 10-year vision for an integrated-transport system in Greater Manchester – TfGM has confirmed 1,000 new park and ride spaces are on their way.

Last week Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, pledged to boost park and ride (P&R) provision across the region by the end of 2020 to help deliver a modern, integrated and accessible public transport system.

Work is now being carried out to assess potential P&R expansions, as well as the development of completely new sites, with locations in Radcliffe, Whitefield, Withington on existing Metrolink lines and adjacent to the new Trafford Park Line, currently under review.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Many people have to use their cars for part of their journey before they switch to public transport and park and ride sites are critical in helping people switch to trams, trains and buses.

“I’m regularly asked about whether or not new park and ride sites are on the way and I’m pleased to say that there are a number of locations that are currently being developed to provide park and ride facilities. Work is ongoing but we are looking at 1,000 extra spaces being delivered to ensure people can access public transport as easily as possible.

“Alongside the introduction of contactless payment on Metrolink, Our Pass, new cycling and walking measures and work that is under way to improve the way our bus network operates, we are taking steps towards an integrated transport system for Greater Manchester.

“But to ensure we unlock our potential and make journeys easier Greater Manchester needs more investment into its transport networks and the powers to manage it effectively and I will continue to press government until it becomes a reality.”

Work to deliver on the Mayor’s 10-year vision for our public transport network is already seeing major strides made:

• the launch of a Contactless payment system on Metrolink is due imminently
• the new Our Pass scheme will see 16-18 year olds receive free travel and a wealth of other benefits
• a new bike hire scheme that includes electric bikes is set to launch in 2020
• confirmation that an assessment into the future of the city-region’s bus market has now been completed and has recommended franchising as its preferred option.

Expanding Greater Manchester’s P&R offering is central to the region’s growing public transport network as they make access to trams, trains and buses easier and more accessible, which in turn, helps to reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Work to assess the sites in more detail, including the number of spaces at each location, is taking place now alongside local councils and more details will be released later this year.

New traffic tech could see the back of late running buses

A recent trial carried out by Transport for Greater Manchester could see improved bus punctuality on some of the region’s busiest routes.

The four-week long pilot used the latest traffic signalling technology to help late running buses make-up time on one of Greater Manchester’s busiest bus corridors, the A6 Stockport Road. The scheme monitored both benefits to buses and general traffic, as well as the impact on pedestrian wait times.

SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique), technology was used, which analyses real-time traffic data to optimise and co-ordinate traffic signal timings. The system was used to prioritise the journeys of Greater Manchester’s busiest bus service, the 192, at 14 sets of traffic lights along the busy route between Stockport and Manchester, by the ‘lateness’ of each given bus.

By using transmitters found on most modern buses, the SCOOT system would quickly identify the vehicle to extend the green time as it approached lights – effectively enabling late running services to pass through the junction without the need to stop and wait.

Results showed that of all messages received by the signals throughout the week, 11.8% resulted in priority being granted to buses running behind schedule, providing an average saving of 31 seconds per junction. Across an average commuter’s journey, these savings could add up to a considerable reduction in journey time.

Across weekday morning and evening peaks, respectively, 8.2% and 12.9% of messages resulted in priority being granted, with 11.5% over the weekend.

Punctuality and reliability are always cited by current or potential bus passengers as a key consideration when they are deciding whether to travel by bus or not. Delays to services are often caused by congestion across the region’s road network.

It’s estimated that congestion costs Greater Manchester’s economy around £1.3 billion each year in lost time and productivity, not to mention the health and wellbeing impacts it has on the region’s 2.8 million residents.

Alison Chew, Head of Bus Services at TfGM, said: “The A6 bus priority trial was extremely positive and could see us permanently extend the use of this technology across more of the region’s busiest routes.

“Tackling congestion and improving air quality are two priorities for us at the minute and clearly measures that improve the reliability of public transport is one way of encouraging more people to leave the car at home.

“Buses carry around 200 million passengers per year, representing 75% of all public transport trips in Greater Manchester. When you also consider that around three quarters of all journeys made by cars and vans in the morning peak only carry one person, and that a bus can carry in excess of 70 passengers, it’s clear that buses represent a more efficient use of road space.

“While it’s early days, the results that we’ve seen from this initial pilot suggest that if bus priority schemes were increased, services would be more punctual, encouraging more users to use buses and helping to contribute to reduced congestion across the region. Therefore benefitting not only bus users but other road users and pedestrians as well.”

Passengers set to benefit from new contactless payments on Metrolink

Metrolink passengers across Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a new and easy-to-use contactless payment system – transforming the way people pay for public transport.

Launching on Monday 15 July, it will see Greater Manchester joining a small band of leading global city-regions including New York, Rio and Singapore, which are currently also introducing the technology.

It also marks one of the first tangible steps towards Our Network – the Mayor’s ten-year plan to create an integrated, modern and accessible public transport system.

Metrolink customers can already use their contactless bank card to buy a ticket at a ticket machine, and this will remain an option. What the new ‘intelligent’ contactless system will do is cut out the need to buy a ticket or download the app – with passengers simply required to touch-in and touch-out at tram stops, with the system working out their fare, up to a daily cap.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, said: “On Monday we opened applications for Our Pass and today I’m pleased to be able to announce that contactless will launch on Metrolink on 15 July.

“These initiatives are the first of many on our journey towards the integrated, London-style transport system we want to see here.

“Contactless payments on Metrolink in particular will be a major boost for many people, including commuters and the millions of visitors we get every single year.

“It is something people visiting London will already be familiar with and will make travel by tram easier, and improve access to jobs, leisure, skills and education opportunities across Greater Manchester.”

TfGM has been working closely with leading global payments provider Visa to introduce the new system. Recent research conducted by Visa highlighted that complex payment options acted as a barrier to travel and was also the cause of many complaints. The research also revealed public transport use could increase by as much as 27% if payment was easier.

Nick Mackie, Visa Global Head of Urban Mobility, said: “The future of our cities is intertwined with – and reliant on – a public transportation system that is easy for residents and visitors to use while also being cost effective to operate.”

“Our partnership with Manchester uses the power and ease of contactless payments to improve the experience of living, working and travelling around the city.”

TfGM’s launch of contactless ticketing on Metrolink represents the first aggregated Pay As You Go implementation on light rail outside of London, following the Contactless Transit Framework developed by UK Finance, and features in their latest Contactless Transit Report.

Eric Leenders, Managing Director, Personal Finance UK Finance, said: “Digital payments are transforming the way we pay for goods and services in the UK, and transport is no exception.

“Research by UK Finance shows 69 per cent of adults in the UK are now using contactless payments, as consumers choose to opt for the speed and convenience of paying with their contactless cards.

“We are delighted to see TfGM’s launch of contactless ticketing on Metrolink, following several years of work between the finance and transport industries.”

The new system will mean customers can simply touch-in at the start of a journey and touch-out at the end using a contactless bank card or another contactless-enabled payment device, such as a phone or watch. The system will then automatically work out the total daily fare for a customer’s journeys and the price will be capped – to ensure they are paying no more than the relevant adult daily 1-day travelcard price.

Day-capping is especially beneficial to those who are less frequent travellers on Metrolink and who buy adult day and single tickets – which totalled more than 11.5m in 2018.

Greater Manchester’s Bee Network increases to 1,800 miles as £134m of new cycling and walking schemes announced

One year on from the launch of its proposals for the UK’s largest cycling and walking network, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has today published an updated Bee Network map which has seen the total length of the network increase by 77% - from almost 1,000 miles to more than 1,800 miles. The total number of new and upgraded crossings has also increased from 2,000 to 2,400.

The changes to the Bee Network map have taken into account feedback from local authorities and the 4,000 public comments received when it was first published in June last year.

TfGM also today announced that a total of 15 new Bee Network cycling and walking schemes with a total value of £134m will be considered by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) this week.

If approved, this would take the number of endorsed schemes so far to 57 and will deliver 469 new and upgraded crossings and junctions as well as 127 miles of new cycling and walking routes, to be known as Beeways. This includes 20 miles of Busy Beeways, Dutch-style cycle lanes that are protected from motor traffic.

The latest schemes would bring the total value of proposed cycling and walking related-projects across Greater Manchester to around £339 million. Around £160 million of this funding is from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund with £120 million coming from local contributions. A further £74 million funding will now be sought to fully cover the cost of all of the schemes plus associated programme costs.

Schemes being proposed include a huge £32 million cycling and walking programme for Wigan, including a segregated cycling route along the A49 plus the transformation of several neighbourhoods to make them more people-friendly for on foot and by bike travel. A continuous east-west walking and cycling route in the north and east Manchester city centre fringe serving Ancoats, New Islington and the Green quarter is also proposed. A complete overhaul of the cycling and walking environment is also planned for Salford as well as a major active neighbourhood project in Urmston, where the movement of people is prioritised over the movement of cars.

TfGM has also today published an update on its plans for a GM bike hire scheme, confirming an ambition to launch the first phase in Spring 2020.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “A Greater Manchester-wide bike hire scheme will be an integral part of our transport network. If we can get tens of thousands of people doing their first and last mile on a bike or on foot, we’ll be well on our way to creating a more integrated, sustainable and varied transport offer.

“The 15 schemes being proposed today are an exciting next step towards building the Bee Network. When complete it will be the largest joined-up walking and cycling network in the country. We’re embarking on an active travel revolution in Greater Manchester and I’m looking forward to the first Bee Network schemes opening later this year.”

Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “I couldn’t have imagined when I took up this role two years ago that we’d get to a point where we’re already oversubscribed funding-wise because we have so many high quality schemes being proposed. What a fantastic problem to have. We can crack on with the development and build of a lot of these schemes - and in the meantime we’re going to scale up our campaign to secure further funding and will shortly publish a delivery plan. A true alternative to the car is something that Greater Manchester residents clearly want – that’s why I’m so pleased to announce that our planned network is now longer and more comprehensive than before.”

The 15 new proposed projects being funded as part of the Mayor’s Challenge Fund are:

Bolton
1. Bolton Town Centre Phase 1 (East) - £4.1 million

This project will improve the on foot and by bike experience across a large part of the town centre, including creating seven new crossings, upgrading two junctions, creating two-way cycle tracks on one-way streets, upgrading two subways and delivering more cycle parking.
The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £4.1 million with £3.5 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.6 million in local contributions.

Bury
2. Bury Fishpool - £3.6 million

This project will deliver a series of junction improvements, new routes and infrastructure enhancements to connect communities and improve safety in the Fishpool area of Bury.
The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £3.6 million with £3.4 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.2 million in local contributions.

Manchester
3. Manchester Northern and Eastern Gateway - £13.2 million

Connecting the neighbourhoods of Ancoats, New Islington, New Cross, New Town, Redbank and the Green Quarter, this scheme will create a high quality, continuous east-west walking and cycling route in the north and east city centre fringe.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £13.2 million with £4.2 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £9 million in local contributions.

__Salford __
4. Salford City Centre Package - £28.2 million

This scheme will remove the barriers to cycling and walking in Salford’s city centre, delivering a complete, high-quality walking and cycling network across the entire area, linked to public transport.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £28.2 million with £23.1 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £5.1 million in local contributions.

1. Salford RHS Links - £2 million

This scheme will significantly improve the on foot and by bike experience in the area, improving access to the new RHS Bridgewater Garden, Parr Fold Park, Worsley College and Walkden Train Station.
The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £2 million with £1.3 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.7 million in local contributions.

__Stockport __
6. Stockport Heaton Norris Bridge - £6.8 million

VISUALISATION AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE

A new cycling and walking bridge will replace the existing narrow, unattractive pedestrian bridge over the M60 on a key route linking Heaton Norris with Stockport town centre. This scheme also includes a new path within Heaton Norris park, a signalised junction upgrade and one parallel crossing.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £6.8 million with £5.8 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £1 million in local contributions.

1. Stockport Hempshaw Lane – £1.2 million

This scheme will provide new crossings as well as delivering a new walking and cycling route through St. Thomas’ Recreation Ground.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £1.2 million with £0.7 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.5 million in local contributions.

Tameside
8. Tameside Ashton West Retail Centre Link Bridge - £1.2 million

A new 60 metre cycling and walking bridge will be delivered by this scheme linking existing facilities to the north and south of Manchester Road and Ashton Metrolink. Ramped access will be provided to a wide shared bridge area suitable for all users.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £1.2 million with the total cost coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund.

1. Tameside Ashton Streetscape Scheme – £6.1 million

High quality walking and cycling routes will be delivered across and along the A6043 Wellington Road / Albion Way corridor, forming part of Phase 3 of the Vision Tameside public realm works.
The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £6.1 million with £3.5 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £2.6 million in local contributions.

1. Tameside Ashton South - £1.2 million

VISUALISATION AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE

This scheme will establish cycle routes into and through the town centre and enhance the environment for pedestrians. The scheme will consider the use of contraflow cycle lanes and potentially reversing sections of one-way streets to deter motor vehicles rat running. The scheme will also reduce speed limits, remove unnecessary street furniture and provide additional cycle parking within the town centre.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £1.2 million with the total cost coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund.

Transport for Greater Manchester
11. GM Safety Camera Digitisation and Upgrade - £9.2 million

The project will reduce road danger by improving red traffic light and speed limit compliance through the replacement of existing safety camera housings and identifying new prioritised locations. The latest technology will assist in improving red-light; spot speed; and average speed compliance rates. This is a Safer Roads Greater Manchester (SRGM) partnership initiative between TfGM, GMP; and GM Local Authorities. The newly prioritised locations will be identified in co-ordination with Bee Network schemes and delivery Partners.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £9.2 million with match funding of £400k from SRGM and the remainder from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund.

1. TfGM Active Neighbourhoods Support - £3.2 million

This scheme involves the development and delivery of 10 active neighbourhoods across Greater Manchester – where the movement of people is prioritised over the movement of motor traffic. The schemes will be delivered by a bespoke team of specialists in close collaboration with the community from the outset. The locations for the active neighbourhoods will identified over the coming weeks.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £3.2 million with £2.8 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.4 million in local contributions.

Trafford
13. Sale – Sale Moor – Sale Water Park - £10.4 million

VISUALISATION AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE

A safe, high-quality and attractive walking and cycling route will be delivered, linking Sale town centre, the district of Sale Moor and Sale Water Park, connecting with Chorlton, Manchester.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £10.4 million with £8.4 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £2.0 million in local contributions.

1. Trafford Urmston Area Active Neighbourhood - £11.5 million

This major active neighbourhood scheme will significantly improve the walking and cycling environment in the Urmston area. Interventions will be community and stakeholder driven and it is expected that they will include segregated cycle routes, new and upgraded crossings, improved signage, parklets, school street treatments and collision reduction measures.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £11.5 million with £11.4 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £0.1 million in local contributions.

Wigan
15. Wigan Standish to Ashton - £32.2 million

VISUALISATION AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE

This scheme will deliver high quality, attractive alternatives to the car along Wigan’s A49 corridor, including segregated cycle lanes and improved crossings. The project will deliver 13 miles of traffic free routes, including almost six miles of resurfaced off-road routes, four miles of refurbished canal towpath, three miles of completely new path on a disused railway line, including Whelley viaduct. Three sets of steps will be replaced with ramps to open up the ‘3 bridges’ link over the canal, river and railway. Around 13 protected junctions on A-roads, three miles of segregated cycle lanes and 13 miles of routes on quiet roads will also be delivered as well as neighbourhood cycle parking and parklets.

The scheme is expected to cost in the region of £32.2 million with £22.2 million coming from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund and £10 million in local contributions.

The £160 million that the Mayor of Greater Manchester has allocated to the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund has been made possible thanks to national government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

The Transforming Cities Fund aims to improve productivity and spread prosperity through investment in public and sustainable transport in some of the largest English city regions and was first announced on 20 November 2017 by the Prime Minister.