Campaigners say the stress and disruption caused by the ‘perfect storm’ of city centre traffic problems could be solved by better bike routes and more cycling.

Commuters are facing weeks of misery following road closures around Manchester city centre.

Roadworks and problems - including the huge hole in Mancunian Way - are affecting key routes. Tram works at St Peter’s Square are adding to the problem.

But bike campaigners say the impact would be mitigated if more commuters took the two-wheel plunge - but the council need to put everything in place to let that happen.

Nick Hubble, of Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign, says Manchester needs proper cycle routes on key arterial roads to make bike-commuting a practical choice.

(Image: Simon Pendrigh)

Nick, a professional translator who commutes to work by bike, said: “It think it’s times like this when the transport network is pushed to its limit that you need to start thinking about whether the way we

do things is the right way to do things.

“When there are so many roadworks and a major route closes and everyone who travels by car is forced into a tiny space, you get these huge congestions issues.

“It’s times like this when getting on a bike makes really good sense, especially for relatively short journeys.

“People are complaining about it taking two-and-a-half hours to drive 1.5 miles home form work - it’s those journeys that we’d like to see people doing by bike.”

But he said people need to be given the confidence to get on two wheels.

He added: “We need protected cycling infrastructure, we need to create a safe environment for people to ride. Agencies like Transport for Greater Manchester talk a lot about encouraging people to cycle but it’s difficult to get people to put themselves in a situation where they feel safe. The short answer to that is to build more bike lanes on all arterial routes.

“Most routes are along canals or are circuit tours - they don’t actually go where people want them to or facilitate cycling at speed that’s useful for commuting.

“We need to be looking at where people want to go, as efficiently and in as short a time as possible.”

He accepted that some people need their car for work, but added: “If those who do have choice get on bikes then it takes a lot of extraneous traffic off the roads and it’s better for everyone.”

“We would like to see a transport network where people are able to make sensible decisions about how they travel. We don’t have that at the moment.

He said there was a ‘circular argument’ - where transport bosses will only build infrastructure based on demand.

(Image: Simon Pendrigh)

But he said the ‘catch 22’ problem was that people won’t express demand while they feel the roads are unsafe.

“It’s a case of selling the demand to the people who make the funding decisions. We don’t have that at the moment,” said Nick.

Graeme Sherriff, from Love your Bike, said: “The current pressure on the city’s transport networks highlights the need for increased investment in attractive routes for cycling that enable people to benefit from active travel by saving money, burning calories and getting there on time.”

Rosslyn Colderley, regional director for Sustrans North West, a charity working to boost cycling in Greater Manchester, said: “The current traffic chaos in Manchester demonstrates how our city is struggling to support so many cars in the centre.

“If we had more quality bike lanes that people feel safe to cycle on, more people would choose to get around on two wheels and the city would be a cleaner, healthier, less congested place to be. we’ve seen it happen in cities like Bristol, where cycling and walking are now popular ways to commuter, and we can do this in Manchester too.

“There are lots of exciting plans to make Manchester a cycling city but if we really want more people to get fitter and healthier, then we need to make cycling more appealing and a big part of this is making the roads safer.

“To enable this to happen, the government must provide consistent long-term funding for cycling and walking to be at least 5per cent of transport spending, and a cycling and walking investment strategy that contains a long-term vision and targets, in the same way that already exists for our roads and railways.”

WHAT DOES THE COUNCIL SAY?

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, said: “There is no debate about the positive effect cycling can have on a city – it plays an important part in easing congested roads, improves air quality, helps reduce carbon emissions and of course improves the health of cyclists.

“While there is still work to be done, Manchester has been making huge steps toward becoming a much more accommodating city for cyclist - who are actively involved in planning thorough the Manchester Cycle Forum.

“There has been investment in new and upgraded cycle routes such as the Fallowfield Loop, while we have also worked closely with Transport for Greater Manchester to produce detailed maps of cycle routes and provide free training for people who want to get around the city by bike.

“Funding awarded by the Department of Transport is currently being used to create major improvements on routes such as Wilmslow Road, Moseley Road and Wilbraham Road, which will include installing Dutch-style cycle junctions and cycle lanes which stand free from traffic. And improvements will also be made to facilities for cyclists along Oxford Road as part of the Greater Manchester Bus Priority Project.”

Currently, just 2 per cent of all journeys in Greater Manchester are made by bike - but Transport for Greater Manchester wants that to be boosted to 10 per cent over the next 10 years.

Manchester council, TfGM and bike charities have set up a range of schemes to boost interest in cycling.

One such project is the Bike Account - a project which already runs in Copenhagen to monitor cycling progress with in-depth surveys and regular reports.

Now being introduced in Greater Manchester, it will show progress on creating a city fit for cycling by giving a voice on bike-related issues to the people of six cities.

The first report to be published this October is aimed at finding out what people living and working in the city think about getting about by bike, and gauging progress towards making the leading cities more bike friendly.

The cycling charity Sustrans and the cities will then work together create a vision for increasing cycling.