City cycling czar Chris Boardman has unveiled plans for a thousand miles of interlinked bike and walking lanes across Greater Manchester.

Dubbed ‘Beelines’, the game-changing 10-year, £1.5bn proposal includes 75 miles of segregated cycle lanes similar to those found in Holland and Denmark.

And, if the bold scheme comes to fruition in its entirety, it will be the biggest network of its kind in the UK by 2028 - but major changes could be seen much sooner.

Each of the 10 authorities is to get major work on its busiest roads to make cycling and walking a safe option.

The rest of the network will be made up of existing, quieter roads, to be linked by 1,400 new safe crossings.

Routes, highlighted in a signature yellow, will be marked with a ‘worker bee’ symbol.

There will also be ‘filtered neighbourhoods’, where priority is given to the movement of people over cars, and there are spaces to sit, play and socialise.

The goal is to connect every community, making cycling and walking safe for ‘every 12-year-old’ and offer an alternative to driving for thousands of people across the city region.

Speaking on Oxford Road, already home to ‘Dutch-style’ cycle and bus lanes, Olympian Mr Boardman told the M.E.N: “It’s not really about people using bikes and walking; it’s about making better places to live and work by giving normal people a real choice about how they travel.”

Mr Boardman, who was enlisted by Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor, to work up the masterplan, added: “In doing so, we will make the city region healthier and more prosperous.

“We have seen from other global cities that these methods work and the benefits are there for all to see, we simply can’t afford to be left behind. So now the hard work begins and we will be working closely with all of Greater Manchester’s local authorities to deliver this plan as urgently as possible.”

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Mr Boardman says ‘a huge chunk’ of his plan could be completed within two years.

He added: “What we are trying to do in Greater Manchester on a scale not seen before in the UK is create a template that can be used in the rest of the country - that’s why I’m here, that’s my ambition, that’s what I’d like to see.”

What are beelines?

Routes connecting communities across Greater Manchester.

They will be made up of a combination of segregated routes for pedestrians and cyclists as well as crossings to connect existing quieter roads.

These maps show the first incarnation of the plans for each borough - down to street level:

Beelines on quieter streets:

Zebra crossings to slow down vehicles and prioritise pedestrians and cyclists

‘Filtered Neighbourhoods’ where people can walk or cycle but vehicles are not allowed through-access

Beelines on busier roads:

Full and light segregation for cyclists

Continuous footways and side road zebra crossings for pedestrians

‘High quality’ junction adaptations to make cycling and walking safe.

Crossing points including zebra crossings, signal-controlled junctions, toucan crossings and priority crossings

What else does the plan offer?

Routes marked with the ‘worker bee’ symbol and signature yellow to help people find their way.

Numbered ‘decision points’ where two or more beelines meet, helping people plan their journeys.

Signs showing the next destinations and how long it will take to get there.

More bike parking

Longer term a ‘Beeline’ app to help people plan their trips.

The first list of routes and crossing points, to be delivered in this financial year, will be published at the end of July.

All 10 local authorities are now working with GMCA and TfGM to identify the sites where work can start rapidly.

How will it be funded?

So far, Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor, has allocated £160m from a Government grant to the scheme, which is subject to approval by Greater Manchester Combined Authority this Friday. This could be boosted to £250m by cash contributions from the district councils.

This will bring the per-head cycling and walking spend to £15 a year - similar to levels seen in Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

It’s not yet been confirmed where the rest of the cash will come from and ‘funding streams were being identified’.

Mr Boardman said the project was value for money, adding: “If you look at what roads cost this is good value for money. It’s the only kind of infrastructure that pays off properly.

“If you invest in cycling infrastructure it pays back at £5.50 for every £1 you spend.

“How many people are dying prematurely due to air pollution? The cost of doing nothing needs to be addressed.

“We’ve got a significant chunk of cash to start. Everybody is strapped for cash but it’s my intention to show this is good value for money.”

He said there was potential to tie in funding to health grants, suggesting GPs may start prescribing active travel as a solution to some health problems.

He added: “The doctor might say this person just needs to start moving more and that might be walking to the shops every day or cycling to work.

“If we create the space to do that, link with local bike hire, there’s potential there.

“The health service can’t buy tarmac and nor should it but once it enables doctors to socially prescribe that has a value.”

He said it was for Greater Manchester’s leaders to find funding for the plan.

Is this the final plan?

Far from it.

Planners, engineers and residents from each district have contributed to the first draft of the proposal.

But Mr Boardman is clear the scheme will evolve based on public opinion - to ‘get the outcome they need, not what we think they need’.

Mr Boardman added: “This is just our first take. Our ambition will only grow from here. What I love about this the most is, rather than saying ‘let’s get this perfect and show everybody’, we’re saying ‘here’s our first draft and you can comment and tell us’.

“The public need to own it, it’s theirs. We are consulting from the word go on a Greater Manchester-wide scale.”

You can see the plans at mappinggm.org.uk

Where do drivers stand in all this?

Mr Boardman says we need to stop segregating drivers and cyclists, adding: “They are just people getting around by different methods.

“I’ve got two cars and I drive 25,000 miles a year, although I’d love not to.

“I hate driving into Manchester from the Wirral but the train is too unreliable at the moment and public transport is a big part of this.”

He said the proposal was about giving people a choice not to have to drive by changing the space people live in.

He said surveys support the desire for change but that those views have been ignored because ‘too much credence is given to the voiceless minority’.

Why do we need this in Greater Manchester?

Around 250m car journeys of less than 1km are made every in Greater Manchester, many of them school runs.

That distance could be travelled in 15 minutes walking or five minutes on a bike.

In the Netherlands, half of all children cycle to school every day, compared to 2pc here.

Inactivity is costing the NHS £500,000 a week in Greater Manchester.

Many areas of the region have pollution levels above EU legal limits - contributing to health problems.

Mr Boardman argues that people ‘aren’t facilitated’ to do those journeys on foot.

He added: “Crossings sound boring but it can make the difference whether someone takes the car.”

What does the Mayor say?

Heralding the plan as ‘bold’, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “I make no apology for that.

“If we are to cut congestion and clean up our air, decisive action is needed.

“I want to make Greater Manchester one of the top ten places in the world to live and it is action of this sort which will help to deliver that promise.”

What does the Government say?

Jessie Norman, Cycling Minister, said Manchester was setting a ‘fantastic example’, adding: “I commend Chris Boardman and his team for their energy and focus in making it happen.

“This is a really exciting plan to encourage more people to cycle and walk. But at the same time it will improve air quality, reduce congestion and improve health, by giving local people real alternatives to driving.

“Earlier this year we awarded Greater Manchester nearly £250m as part of the Government’s new Transforming Cities Fund, and I am delighted to see it being put to good use.

“Greater Manchester is already a great place to live, but this initiative will make it even better. I hugely look forward to seeing how this work progresses.”

Got a story or an issue you want us to investigate? Want to tell us about something going on where you live? Let us know - in complete confidence - by emailing newsdesk@men-news.co.uk, calling us on 0161 211 2323, tweeting us @MENnewsdesk or messaging us on our Facebook page . You can also send us a story tip using the form here . Join the Manchester Evening News breaking news Facebook group for a place to read and talk about breaking news in Greater Manchester.