Bus Priority Package Presentation to Leigh Business Forum 11 December 2015
Over 25 miles of bus routes improved What is the bus priority package?
Key Strategic Benefits Shorter journey times, more punctual and reliable bus services; Better passenger travel experience; More passengers to get to their destination in a single bus journey without the need to interchange; Improved access and connectivity to the hospital site along Oxford Road for staff, visitors & patients; Improved access and links from Leigh to Salford University and Manchester Universities; Increased access to employment opportunities; Improved cycling and pedestrian crossing facilities; Investment along the corridors in key towns and communities; and Improved residential appeal of local communities served by the scheme.
Overview of the Leigh / Atherton / Tyldesley / A580 route
Greater Manchester s first guided busway The 4.5 mile guided busway between Leigh and Ellenbrook will ensure shorter, more reliable and consistent journey times between Leigh and Tyldesley through to the heart of Manchester city centre and beyond; It will improve routes to key locations and enable thousands more people to better access employment, education, health, leisure and retail destinations; The route will also improve accessibility to the public transport network good opportunities to connect into the rail network at Salford Crescent; Salford Central; and Manchester Oxford Road; The multi-user path that runs the whole length of the guided section will be landscaped and will encourage use by pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders; and Stops along guided section will be fully accessible, including shelters, CCTV, real time passenger information and cycle parking provision.
Greater Manchester s first guided busway
Busway progress Update Significant progress made with all track now constructed and the majority ground to tolerance; Works at highway junctions substantially complete (with exception of UTC works, tie in surfacing between the track and the main carriageway and snagging) all major roadworks complete. Works now focused on: multi-user path, which runs alongside the busway; bus stops; UTC works at junctions; park and ride facilities; and landscaping Bus Trial took place on 16 November between Hough Lane and New City Rd, including entry and exit splays, design speed running, brake tests and testing access by a recovery vehicle. Works should be substantially completed by the end of December 2015 to allow testing and commissioning to commence. There will still be some construction activity taking place after Christmas, largely off the main track. Testing and commissioning will increase in intensity in early 2016 in advance of services being launched by First Manchester during April 2016 (subject to completion of the infrastructure.)
Localised benefits for Leigh town centre The scheme will make the town centre more accessible and it will encourage more visitors to the shops and businesses. It will provide passengers with a premium service but not at a premium price. Shorten bus journeys between Leigh and: Tyldesley - to less than 10 minutes (currently 20-25 minutes) Manchester - to less than 50 minutes once full route is completed (currently 70-80 minutes) More direct buses when whole route complete: Tyldesley to Leigh - every 15 minutes Leigh - Salford and Manchester Leigh including the university and hospital sites: every 15 minutes from Leigh town centre (where there is a P&R site) every 7 or 8 minutes from Tyldesley Interchange (where there is a P&R site) As a result of similar investments into better public transport networks elsewhere, there has been an increase in property prices, more available income to spend within the town centre and improved feeder services.
Leigh town centre
Leigh Bus Station over 1 million investment
A580 Improvements
The Busway Service Faster, more frequent and reliable services The new infrastructure and service will provide passengers with a premium journey experience at an affordable price (normal network fares) The service will be operated by First Manchester and all of the new 20 buses will feature: Next stop audio and visual announcements; CCTV; Free Wi-fi; Climate control; High quality e-leather seating; Tables Upstairs; USB Charging Points; and Low emission Euro6, hybrid engine technology.
Lower deck bus interior
Upper deck bus interior
The Busway Service - A first class travel experience Specialist driver training will be given to enhance the passenger experience; Customers will see a longer period of service with the first bus earlier and the last bus later - timetable expected to be available in February; Once the works along the whole route are fully completed, Leigh and Atherton will each be served with 4 buses per hour Monday to Saturday daytime. There will also be Evening and Sunday services; Happy to work with businesses to help raise the profile of Leigh town centre and build on the investment to the transport infrastructure; and Happy to consider how accessibility to Leigh Sports Village and surrounding areas can be improved; First Manchester would be happy to discuss commercial opportunities with local businesses regarding the new services, please contact dwayne.wells@firstgroup.com TfGM would be happy to discuss commercial opportunities with local businesses regarding the bus infrastructure, please contact Clodagh.buckley@tfgm.com
Any questions?