In Council today – encouraging active travel to school

Cllr Angeliki Stogia speaking in Council today (click to view)

The increase in car journeys to and from school over recent years is harmful to the environment, raises the risk of accidents, and damages the health of schoolchildren, parents and public alike. But the reasons why more parents are choosing to drive their children on the school run are complex – shortage of time, longer distances to travel and ironically concerns about road safety can all be factors.

At today’s meeting of full Council, Whalley Range Labour councillor Angeliki Stogia seconded a motion on this important issue, and noted the action to encourage more active travel to schools led by some of our local volunteer groups including Whalley Range Climate Action and WalkRide Whalley Range.

The latest action will be a ‘school street’ (where cars are prevented from going up to school gates at drop off and pick up times) on College Road in the vicinity of Manley Park Junior School. It will be taking place this Friday 15 July at the start and end times of the school day.

Improving safety and reducing pollution outside schools

Aftab joins volunteers at the recent temporary closure on Springbridge Rd

At their full meeting earlier today, Manchester City councillors discussed and agreed a range of measures to do more to enable children (and their parents) to walk or cycle safely to and from school, reducing car usage together with the problems of parking, pollution and accidental danger which come with the ‘school run’.

Whalley Range Labour councillor Aftab Razaq spoke at the meeting. He noted the contribution of local schools and volunteers, including the Whalley Range WalkRide and Climate Action groups, in organising temporary street closures outside several Whalley Range schools in recent weeks. “When the roads are closed to non-essential traffic, even just for one day, it allows parents and pupils to see for themselves all the potential benefits of fewer cars” he says.

You can watch Aftab’s speech in Council here.

Cycleway work begins on Upper Chorlton Road

Work has now started on the next phase of the City Centre to Chorlton Cycleway, which will affect the full length of Upper Chorlton Road and is scheduled to last for approximately six months. As well as the construction of segregated cycle lanes, there will be major upgrades to road drainage, pedestrian crossings and bus stops.

The working hours for the project are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 6pm on Saturdays. Inevitably there will be some temporary disruption to residents on Upper Chorlton Road, Moss Grange / Oakfield / Whitethorn and Sylvan Avenues, and other neighbouring streets. The contractor (Galliford Try) has undertaken to keep this to a minimum, and anyone experiencing specific problems (eg with access) or who would like more information about how the work is progressing should contact the contractor’s agent Ben Mathers on 07873 858202 (or email ben.mathers@gallifordtry.co.uk). For more general enquiries, please contact one of the councillors.

Latest Whalley Range road improvements start soon

Angeliki and Bano inspecting the current state of Yarburgh St road surface last week

As previously reported, Manchester City Council have been taking advantage of reduced traffic density to press ahead with essential road and pavement repairs during lockdown. Next up in Whalley Range is Yarburgh Street, with resurfacing work starting next Monday 1 March.

Muqaddasah Bano, Whalley Range Labour candidate in the local elections on 6 May, says, “The Councillors have been listening to concerns raised with them by local drivers and cyclists, and we know that this road is in quite poor condition now. This work is very good news for all users”. Whalley Range councillor Angeliki Stogia adds, “The project is part of the massive £100m investment which the Council is making to improve our pavements and roads across the city. This brings benefits to all – pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists – and I’m pleased that Yarburgh Street will soon join the list of resurfaced roads in our area”.

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Fallowfield Loop improvement work gets underway

Angeliki and Bano yesterday at the Athol Road junction to the Fallowfield Loop in Whalley Range

Last summer, Manchester City Council consulted users of the Fallowfield Loop (which runs along the south border of Whalley Range ward) about their priorities for planned improvement work.

Muqaddasah Bano, Whalley Range Labour’s candidate in the May local elections, says “There were over 5,200 responses to the consultation – it’s really good that so many people took the time to write in. It’s taken a long time just to process all these submissions – now we need to move forward with the work”.

Councillor Angeliki Stogia has been overseeing the consultation process. She explains “There’s a £4.9m project underway to enhance the Fallowfield Loop and the link to the Ashton Canal known as the ‘yellow brick road’. We know from the consultation that users want us to improve access points and signage and increase lighting to address security concerns, though without detracting from the rural feel of the route or harming biodiversity”.

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