TfGM says that the Bee Network is having a positive impact on the number of people opting to walk short journeys, rather than travel by car.
The latest Active Travel Annual Report reveals a shift in people’s travel habits and that the Bee Network is starting to enable more people to walk or use public transport rather than drive.
Today members of the Bee Network Committee approved the findings of the Active Travel Annual report and endorsed the requirement for continued investment in the walking, wheeling and cycling network.
In the last five years, Greater Manchester has seen the proportion of people walking short journeys increase from 52% to 57%, while the proportion of short journeys being taken by car is down from 41% to 36%. It comes as Greater Manchester sets out its ambition to make 2025 the year that even more people leave the car at home and embrace public transport.
Walking, wheeling and cycling – also known as active travel – is an important part of the Bee Network and often the mode that links people’s journeys, such as walking or wheeling to the bus stop, tram stop or train station. In 2023, a third of all trips made by Greater Manchester residents in 2023 were made by people walking, wheeling or cycling.
Meanwhile, half of residents surveyed in 2024 agreed that Greater Manchester’s transport network encourages them to walk or cycle as part of their trips, marking a significant increase from 2023. This correlates to the ongoing work to improve crossings, footways and junctions across Greater Manchester.
The increase in walking mirrors an increase in public transport use, including an uptick of 5% on bus travel since the start of bus franchising in 2023 and record-breaking patronage on Bee Network trams last year.
The Active Travel Annual Report sets out the next phase of priorities to enable even more people to walk, wheel and cycle as part of their day-to-day journeys.
In order to increase an uptake in cycling, TfGM will work with local authorities to continue to build a network of connected routes, known as a strategic cycle network. The city-region will seek emulate the network of cycle ‘superhighways’ built in London, prioritising future active travel investment to create sections, link up or extend routes on the existing cycle network. This work will align with neighbourhood improvements that connect local communities to the rest of the Bee Network.
