Final Local Transport Plan 2006/07 - 2010/11

‘Sharing the Vision’ is founded on eight key themes that aim to deliver the vision, to promote a dynamic economy; enhance the regional centre; promote culture, sport and tourism; improve connectivity; raise levels of education and skills; create sustainable communities; reduce crime; and improve health and healthcare services. The themes are closely interrelated and are set out in detail in ‘Sharing the Vision’, which can be found at the AGMA website www.agma.gov.uk.

The transport actions identified to help to underpin each of the themes are detailed below and form key elements of the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Strategy:

Theme 1 : Promoting a dynamic economy - Key actions include:

• Reviewing the location of sites and their access requirements to nurture and attract growth-sector industries, with a particular emphasis on seeking to develop strategic sites in such a way as to minimise their impact on transport networks and to be accessible by the more sustainable modes.
• Improving surface access by the more sustainable modes to Manchester Airport to support the growth forecasts and policy direction set out in the Aviation White Paperⁱⁱ and support the development of its ground transport strategy
• Improving accessibility so that the benefits and opportunities of new development and economic growth are available to all parts of the community.
• Improving awareness and take-up of e-commerce to help to reduce the need to travel.

Theme 2 : Enhancing the Regional Centre - Key actions include:

• Improving access to Manchester Airport by more sustainable modes to support a critical mass of internationally competitive growth sectors;
• Improving the radial bus, Metrolink and rail corridors·to support the Regional Centre's potential to become the physical location of a world-class Knowledge Capital;
• Improving connectivity, particularly by public transport, between the Regional Centre and other key centres to ensure that the benefits of economic growth in the Regional Centre are spread across Greater Manchester.  This will be achieved through the Corridor Partnership approach which seeks to develop an integrated public transport and congestion management strategy for each corridor through partnership working of stakeholders.  This should improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public transport.

Theme 3 : Promoting culture, sport and tourism - Key actions include:

• Improved access to Manchester Airport (which will be important to facilitate increases inbound tourism), the Regional Centre and to District Centre destinations by public transport to facilitate sustainable tourism, retail and leisure movements;
• High quality public transport access to football and cricket stadia and other sports complexes to encourage more sustainable travel
• Improvements in public transport access to river valleys, forest parks and open countryside close to the urban area and development of Rights of Way Improvement Plans
• Improved accessibility by more sustainable modes to local leisure centres or community centres

Theme 4 : Improving Connectivity - Key actions include:

• Partnership with regional bodies, and other agencies, leading to the identification of strategic transport priorities for the North West region;
• Improving surface access to support the growth of Manchester Airport's role as an economic key driver for the city-region and the North West;
• Development of affordable options for increasing rail capacity for commuters;
• Delivery of a continued programme of public transport improvements including extensions to Metrolink and Quality Bus measures;
• Promoting local transport solutions to problems of access to healthcare, education and training, leisure and culture, job opportunities and to meet specific community needs in partnership with local authorities, communities, health, education and training providers, employers and regeneration agencies;
• Working with the Government and transport operators to seek solutions to enable bus provision to better meet the needs of socially excluded communities.
• Developing a Greater Manchester e-Government Strategy.

Theme 5 : Raising levels of education and skills - Key actions include:

• Improving access to jobs and training opportunities, for example to the Knowledge Capital area;
• Reducing transport barriers to new businesses;
• Improving accessibility by more sustainable modes to and reducing the impacts of travel to school.

Theme 5 : Raising levels of education and skills - Key actions include:

• Improving access to job and training opportunities, for example to the Knowledge Capital area;
• Reducing transport barriers to new businesses;
• Improve accessibility by more sustainable modes and reduce the impact of travel to school and further education

Theme 6 : Creating sustainable communities - Key actions include:

• Contributing to the creation of better living and working environments which are sustainable, for example Neighbourhood Renewal, Housing Market Renewal and other housing action areas, by land-use planning which minimises the need to travel and by enhancing accessibility by non-car modes.

Theme 7 : Reducing Crime - Key actions include:

• Introducing measures which combat fear of crime in design of local transport networks and on public transport;
• Implementing a range of safety measures.

Theme  8 :  Improving Health and Healthcare services- Key actions include:

• Ensuring good access by more sustainable modes to existing and re-organised health facilities, including travel planning and parking control measures, and by encouraging more walking and cycling as healthier forms of travel;
• Working with Health Authorities to ensure that transport is considered when they develop their plans and programmes.