Manchester Piccadilly to gain cycle centre ….
According to Crain’s Manchester Business, Manchester’s first cycle centre is to be set up at Piccadilly station.
It will offer secure parking for bikes and may also have facilities such as an information point, cycle hire and bike maintenance.
Manchester City Council and Salford City Council have commissioned a report which identified a number of potential locations, but Piccadilly Station Approach topped the list.
The city council and Network Rail are working together on the project, which could create a secure space for around 150-160 bikes.
The council, which is funding the project, hopes it will increase the number of cycle journeys, which currently account for only 1 per cent of commuting. St Peter’s Square is another potential site.
Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester’s executive member for environment, said: “We still have to go through the planning process, but we are working to get the first scheme up and running in the next financial year.”
Councillor Derek Antrobus, Salford City Council’s lead member for planning, said Salford City Council hopes to open a centre at MediaCityUK.
“The quickest link between Salford Quays and Manchester city centre is along the River Irwell. So this ties in with the Irwell River Park vision to promote cycling and walking along the river.”
Cycle centres are already operating in London, Cambridge, Leicester and Liverpool.
4 comments 
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March 29th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
For interested MCRUA readers, I keep a Salford Quays MediaCityUK Photographic Timeline Journal. This is currently made up of 12, 500 pictures starting from the first digger on site in June 2007.
The timeline is updated weekly with the latest photos. The link below always redirects to the current month.
I am an IT Manager in Salford Quays and work only 500 yards from the site. As such, I am able to keep abreast of the development with ease and post pictures quite frequently.
Here is the link, hope it proves useful.
March 29th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
It’s a pity that you can’t take your bike on the tram.
Joined up thinking – unfortunately NOT.
April 7th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
It’s typical that Manchester is the only place I have so far found where you cannot use a Plusbus on the trams, the only place where you cannot take bicycles onto trams and the only place where you can’t buy an affordable Weekly/Monthly/Annual Bus/Train/Tram combined season ticket which has an option for young people and students.
Instead people have to buy a tram season ticket which can cost up to £21.80, then pay another £28.60 a week for a Countycard.
So much for integrated ticketing, but then at least they’re further ahead than Cheshire.
April 12th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Carl,
I don’t know where you are travelling to and from but in Greater Manchester you can buy a through season ticket from any heavy rail station to any Metrolink station (only the station booking offices and train conductors have the prices) and then a “Buscard Extra” which covers all buses in Greater Manchester
The buscard is £6.70 for a week and £26.80 for a month – more details at:
http://www.systemonetravelcards.co.uk/travelcards/display.php?card=77.