A new ‘bus gate’ in the city has got local residents up in arms — because it now takes twice as long to drive around than it does to WALK through.
The new bus lane, on Bridge Street, means private motor vehicles cannot leave the city centre via the road. They can enter Manchester, however, as there is no corresponding bus lane on the Salford side of the Irwell, which is where the bus lane ends.
Manchester City Council says it installed the bus lane as ‘part of a wider programme of improvements around the Deansgate area’ to ‘improve walking, wheeling and cycling throughout the city centre’. However, residents from The Bridge Apartments, next to the Lowry Hotel, say they’ve been ‘discarded’.
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“I have lived in my flat since 2004 and I feel like my needs are discarded in favour of people who come in and out of the city on buses or for work by car,” Liz Henning, secretary for her building’s residents’ association, said. “I think they should limit access for residents or maybe access after peak hours for residents. It does not need to be closed the whole time.”
Liz is an education consultant, which means she travels all over the country to film teachers delivering lessons. Her job means she carries video recording equipment and learning resources with her, often to remote locations.
“I use my car for work and I am in remote places with a lot of equipment. It’s not like I’m going from Swinton into Manchester every day,” she added. “If we want to come across town we cannot go 50 yards at the end.
“That means we have to go right round onto the ring road and with traffic leaving the city. Then we sit still for a lot of time. The other evening I was coming across town, and I had the choice of sitting on the ring road or going through the logical way.
“I either stay in the traffic for 45 minutes, or I go for 5 minutes. That was my choice, do I add another 45 minutes to my journey — depending on what night it is — or do I go through the city and the 50 yards to turn right behind the Tesco [on to Browncross Street].
“If they are doing this to reduce emissions, it’s totally counter productive. The local traffic should be allowed. It’s only 50 yards, so it’s just over the bridge and past the museum and then I turn right at the shops. For all that, I’m going to have to add emissions and congestion [going another way]. They are not listening.”
Another resident in the building, who has asked not to be named, said: “We are already massively affected. They’ve really messed it up, especially close to where we live.
“They made Blackfriars Street one way, [on] Bridge Street you can’t go out of town, Deansgate [is] one way.”
The Manchester Evening News decided to drive and walk the route to see the impact the closure has had on residents nearby. During our journeys, which took place on a Friday lunchtime, in normal traffic, it took 11 minutes to follow the detour, via Gartside Street, Quay Street, Trinity Way, Chapel Street, Bridge Street, and finally Browncross Street.
By comparison, it took around half the time — five minutes and 30 seconds — to walk through the bus gate. Despite the extra journey times for locals, who have suggested making the bus gate operational during peak times only, or providing an exemption for them, the council says no changes are planned.
"The implementation of a bus gate on Bridge Street was part of a wider programme of improvements around the Deansgate area, as the Council works to improve walking, wheeling and cycling throughout the city centre,” a spokesperson said. “We worked with Salford Council to deliver this project, as well as support further improvements they would implement. The Council anticipated a certain level of disruption as this scheme beds in and no changes are planned at this current time."
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