The
Transport Infrastructure Fund (tif) was established in 2001/02 as part of an agreed funding package between
GMPTA and the Government made up of £3.5M PTA resources and £3.5M SCE per year for 10 years to complement the construction of Metrolink
Phase 3. The agreement was a partnership arrangement between GMPTA and Government to work together to enhance transport facilities
and
accessibility in the western areas of Greater Manchester that will not benefit from Metrolink.
Progress to date overall has been good with key achievements in
Bolton in 2005/06 including the completion of the Ticket Office at Horwich Parkway
Rail Station, completion of the upgrade to the overbridge and lifts at
Bolton Interchange
Rail Station and completion of the re-modelled bus station and taxi rank at Bolton Interchange Bus Station. Advance works have commenced
for improvements at Manchester Road/Lower Bridgeman Street and at Tonge Moor Rd/Thicketford Rd including
pedestrian facilities. The access road, drop off and car parking facilities are now complete at Kearsley
Rail Station. This builds on improvements made in 2004/05 including completion of works at A58 Beaumont Rd/Wigan Rd providing upgraded
pedestrian facilities, improved access to
bus stops and more efficient junction operation, reducing bus journey times. Improved pedestrian facilities linking bus routes to the
university have been completed on College way. Phase 1 of the
Bolton – Middlebrook cycle track comprising 3.5km is complete with Phase 2 now underway. The A6 Station Rd, Blackrod junction is
now complete providing pedestrian facilities and improved pedestrian linkages between the village and
rail station. A programme of joint funded
Disability Discrimination Act upgrades at traffic signals has been carried out. A bus turn round has been completed providing better access to buses for
pupils at Mount St Joseph Secondary School. The Bridgeman St/High St junction has had pedestrian facilities upgraded, access
to
bus stops improved and bus journey times reduced across the junction. Parking spaces have been increased at Bromley Cross
Rail Station
Park and Ride in
Bolton. De Havilland way has been widened allowing buses to gain access to the business park. Extensive
accessibility works to improve
street lighting, upgrade
bus stops and provide better pedestrian links has been carried out along a number of bus corridors.
Key achievements in Wigan in 2005/06 include the completion of the new 50 space car park at Hindley
Rail Station, completion of works on the Wigan to Chorley
QBC, upgrades to
bus stops on the Easylink route and completion of the junction improvements and pedestrian enhancements at Atherton Town Centre on
the Leigh to Bolton
QBC and at the Bird I’th Hand junction on the Wigan to Leigh
QBC. A further three new yellow school buses have also been purchased and brought into operation. This builds on progress in
2004/05 including completion of Phase 1 of the Standish Township improvements and final works to the Market St, Wigan pedestrianisation
scheme. Advance works have been carried out for the bus turn round at St Mary’s High School, Astley. New canopies have been
provided to improve pedestrian
accessibility to Wigan Bus Station as part of a joint funded scheme. Three new yellow school buses have been purchased and are in operation
increasing bus use and reducing anti-social behaviour. In Hindley Town centre, junction improvements have been implemented
which will ease bus manoeuvres through the junction.
Real Time Passenger Information equipment for installation in
bus shelter
s and on buses has been funded. On the Leigh –
Bolton Quality Bus Corridor junction improvement work has been completed in Atherton at Mealhouse Lane/Flapper Fold Lane providing
improved pedestrian crossing facilities and better access to
bus stops. Market Street, Atherton, has been made a bus only street during the day and bus stop waiting facilities have been improved.
Extensive
accessibility works to improve
street lighting, upgrade
bus stops and provide better pedestrian links has been carried out along the Wigan – Chorley, Wigan – Ashton and Easylink bus corridors.
An extensive programme of transport infrastructure fund schemes has now been developed for the life of the programme with
aspirations having been raised through public
consultation on proposals. It is therefore essential that tif funding is secured beyond 06/07 to ensure that the objective of producing
a public transport system in the west of Greater Manchester that provides a realistic alternative to the private car is achieved.
The schemes are similar types to Integrated Transport Block schemes and are designed to address identified problems and issues
and support LTP2 Objectives. The schemes include:
Bolton
- Bus corridor works to support objectives 2,3,6 and 8
-
Rail station improvements to support objectives 3,4,6 and 8
- Town centre public transport improvements to support objectives 2,3,5 & 6
- Bus stop environment improvements to support objectives 2 and 5
- Route lighting improvements to support objectives 2 and 5
- Public transport interchange footpath improvements to support objective 5
Wigan
- Design and preparatory work for A5225/Wigan Inner Relief Road to support objectives 1,2,5,6 and 7
- Bus stop waiting environments to support objectives 2 and 5
-
Street lighting improvements to support objectives 2 and 5
-
Rail station improvements to support objectives 3,4,6,8
- Bus corridor works to support objectives 2,3,6,8
-
Real time passenger information to support objective 5
- Disability discrimination act improvements to support objective 5
