Campaigners have criticised the council for going 'backwards' after a scheme to improve congestion on Hyde Road has included no bike lanes or access for disabled people.

Last week the M.E.N revealed plans for a widening scheme along Hyde Road , in Gorton, which would increase the number of lanes from two to four.

Traffic bosses are currently running a consultation on the plans, which if approved could last around a year.

But cycling campaigners have blasted Manchester City Council for backing down on promises to improve transport options for cyclists and walkers.

The scheme includes an 'extra wide footway' which can be shared by pedestrians and cyclists, but campaigners have said there will not be enough space for both to be able to use the path.

There are also plans to remove a former railway bridge and replace it with a new one linking to the Fallowfield Loop.

(Image: Google Maps)

However the plans include a staircase to the new bridge, which would make it difficult for disabled people, those with limited mobility and families with pushchairs to access the bridge.

The council have said they do plan to create a 'wheel ramp' to aid cyclists using the stairs.

Nick Hubble, from Walk Ride Greater Manchester, a group campaigning for better cycling and walking options in Manchester, said the council is going 'backwards' after promising to improve green transport options to reduce carbon emissions.

He said the council have neglected to consider cyclists in the proposals, which he says is similar to a scheme underway on Great Ancoats Street which also has not included any bike lanes.

Nick said: "During meetings we have had a promise that Hyde Road wouldn't go the same way as Great Ancoats Street. They said it is only a short stretch of road.

"The council said they were putting walking and cycling at the heart of all transport, but they keep failing to do so. This scheme has been out for a while. They have gone backwards in terms of their commitment to active travel.

"This also falls in the face of the climate emergency the council declared. They acknowledge the urgency to reduce carbon emissions, but there is nothing they have done.

"They are doing exactly the same thing, they are not doing anything differently."

(Image: Andy Lambert/Manchester Evening News)

He added: "There is the Fallowfield Loop Bridge that goes over the stretch of Hyde Road. They want to take the bridge off for the length of the works. There are no plans for an interim bridge during the scheme, which is meant to last a year.

"It is used by hundreds of people a day on bikes and dog walking. The whole point of the Fallowfield Loop is it takes you away from the road.

"We would like them to go back to these designs, look at their commitment to the climate emergency and say we will make walking and cycling the main focus. This scheme really only supports driving."

Another cycling campaigner @samvironment posted: "The main issue is that the bridge containing the Fallowfield loopline will be demolished early on, and the new one put in very late, meaning potentially a year of this vital route being split in two with no alternative.

"Then there's also the problem of the new access being a flight of stairs which is not only unsuitable for people with bicycles, but also wheelchairs, mobility scooters, shopping carts, prams, etc. It's actually incredibly discriminatory.

"Then we have issues with the road widening itself. It's a well known phenomenon of 'induced demand' where if you widen a road, traffic also increases as people who would have avoided the road, made the journey later, used alternative transport etc now just drive on it and cause the exact same queues as before."

He added: "The shared path is not wide enough, and pedestrians and cyclists do not like sharing space. This will simply keep cyclists in the road which will now have much faster speeds due to the wider carriageway, and someone will definitely be injured or killed here due to the council's decision to remove cycling infrastructure from the plans."

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

A Manchester City Council spokesman said: "The proposed work involves widening the road to remove a known pinch point. To do this, the existing bridge, which is part of the Fallowfield Loop cycling and pedestrian route, will need to be demolished and replaced with a longer bridge.

"The removal of the former railway bridge will mean users of the Fallowfield Loop will be temporarily diverted, until the new bridge is lifted into place. A signed diversion route will be put into place prior to the bridge being removed.



"Hyde Road spans some four miles in total, from Ardwick Green to the Manchester Outer Ring Road at Denton, Tameside. This scheme is targeting a 300m section of the road, to solve a specific, long-standing congestion problem. The project is not transforming the entire Hyde Road route, so it is not the intention to create a segregated cycle lane for this very short stretch in isolation.

"However, our proposals do include an extra-wide footway to the north of the road, which could be converted into a segregated cycling-walking facility to link into any future planned cycle provision along the wider route.



"Currently there is no access to the Loop at this location. We are proposing the installation of access steps at the bridge, which would also incorporate a wheeling ramp to assist people who want to access the Loop on their bike.



"A consultation for this planned scheme is currently open and we are encouraging anyone who wishes to provide feedback on the proposals to have their say."