Final consultation on future of Fallowfield Loop
A £4.9m upgrade to the Manchester walking and cycling route will be rolled out from early next year subject to the outcome of a last round of public engagement.
Last year, Manchester City Council asked the public what improvements they wanted to see along the Fallowfield Loop and Yellow Brick Road to encourage more people to walk and cycle.
More than 5,000 people responded, according to the council, providing a range of suggestions that have formed the basis of the latest consultation that launched yesterday. It will run for four weeks until 30 July and can be found at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/consultations.
The planned changes for the route are:
- Improving existing paths and adding new ones
- Improved entry points, with features which tell you where you are on the route
- Creating new access points
- Replacing kissing gates and barriers with bollards
- Widening Access Point
- Landscaping to make some areas more attractive
- New seating
- New Local information boards
- Repairing or replacing existing steps or ramps
- Removal of graffiti
- Clearing and trimming vegetation (where this could impede users of the route)
- Replacing direction signs
- New lampposts in some locations and lit bollards
- New, attractive wall art in some locations (e.g., under bridges)
- Better drainage, with planted areas to absorb water and prevent flooding
- New crossings including ‘toucan’ crossings which allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross separately and safely at the Sainsbury’s junction at Ladybarn Road
- Junction improvements
- A skate park
- Wildflower landscaped areas installed
- Bridge repairs and resurfacing
Cllr Tracey Rawlins, executive member for environment at Manchester City Council, said: “The first round of feedback we had from literally thousands of residents was a fantastic indication of the value the Fallowfield Loop and Yellow Brick Road.
“Promoting walking and cycling is a key part of the Council’s transport strategy and will involve not just creating new routes, but improving and safeguarding older ones.
“I hope that the same level of enthusiasm will be there for this next consultation as we move forward into creating a sustainable and enjoyable future for this walking and cycling route.
As well as being a valued amenity for the public, the route of the Fallowfield Loop is rich in biodiversity, and a full ecological report has been prepared in advance of the consultation to ensure that habitats are protected, the council added.
I’m probably missing something but it seems odd that they didn’t just make it a new metrolink line.
By BC
@BC
I think it’s because it wouldn’t really be a viable or particularly useful met line.
It would have to form an extension to the Chorlton line, so getting the met from Fallowfield to the city centre would take quite a while and would probably take longer than getting a nearby bus or walking to the closest rail station.
It would act as in inter city radial route around the southern boundary of the city centre (e.g. Fallowfield to Chorlton), but I doubt many people would use it and a large portion of people who would travel along this route are likely to be students who are more likely to cycle than pay for the met.
Also, Manchester needs much more traffic free cycle routes/links.
By Anonymous