Improving journeys

Greater Manchester is making a multi-million-pound investment to connect people with places

Better transport is central to a growing Greater Manchester, where businesses can thrive and people can enjoy healthy, happy lives.

Through the Bee Network we’re building a joined-up transport system that connects people with places and opportunities, wherever you live.

We’re working to improve all your journeys, no matter how you travel – by road, bus, tram, train, walking, wheeling and cycling.

Giving you the freedom to get where you need to go safely and easily: to work, learn, shop, healthcare or enjoy time with family and friends.

Connecting people with places

Better transport will help support the local economy and open up opportunities for everyone.

Thousands of new jobs and homes, developments and better access to skills, work and education.
Making more places vibrant destinations to live, work, learn, visit and relax in.
Attracting investment to benefit local businesses and communities well into the future.

By building a world-class transport network we’re supporting Greater Manchester’s vision for a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life.

What we’re doing

We have multi-million-pound government funding for schemes to improve our local streets and make journeys easier and more reliable for everyone. We’re introducing:

Quicker, more reliable bus journeys: New bus lanes and bus only sections of road, giving buses priority at junctions, and late running buses priority at traffic lights.
Better, safer bus stops for everyone: Improved shelters, seating, lighting, CCTV, on stop information, and level bus-boarding for easier access.
Safer routes for walking, wheeling or riding a bike: Safe, protected cycle lanes and better pavements, crossings and footpaths.
Improved signal timings and junctions: To make trips safer, keep traffic moving, reduce congestion and speed up journeys for all road users.
Better links between local transport: Easier journeys to and from bus stops, and better links between bus and tram stops and rail stations.
Welcoming, vibrant public spaces: Where people want to spend time shopping, socialising and relaxing, helping communities and business thrive.
Reduced congestion and improved air quality: By giving more people the freedom to travel safely, easily and affordably on the Bee Network, we’ll help to ease congestion for all road users, including motorists, and clean up our air.

It’s all part of our plans to create to a healthier, happier, more connected Greater Manchester.

Improving journeys in your area

We’re working with local communities and businesses to help shape plans and design schemes that work best for each place.

Explore how we’re improving journeys near you – and check back for updates.

Bury to Rochdale

We're looking at how we can improve journeys between Rochdale Town Centre and Bury Town Centre, via Heywood.

Our plans to improve journeys in Heywood Town Centre

Rochdale-Oldham-Ashton

We have explored options to improve journeys for people catching the bus, walking wheeling or cycling between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton town centres.

Learn about the Rochdale-Oldham-Ashton scheme

Salford Crescent to MediaCityUK

We are working with Salford Council to look at improving journeys between Salford Crescent railway station and MediaCityUK via Pendleton.

Read about the Salford Crescent to MediaCityUK scheme

Manchester

We're working with Manchester City Council to improve journeys for people around Manchester, including to and from the city centre, with a focus on catching the bus, walking, wheeling and cycling.

Have your say on how we can improve journeys in Manchester

Ashton to Stockport

Improvements to journeys between Ashton under Lyne to Stockport via Dukinfield, Hyde and Bredbury.

Read about the Ashton to Stockport scheme

Other schemes

More schemes, aimed at improving journeys, are also being planned.

They include:

Improvements to journeys across the A6 corridor in Stockport, including Wellington Road North, to:

make the roads safer,
reduce bus journey times,
improve access to bus stops,
provide better crossings and
develop cycle routes parallel and across the A6 to make it easier to walk, wheel and cycle.

Find out more about this scheme and the results of the consultation.

How we're improving journeys from Wigan, through Hindley and Hindley Green, to Leigh.

Improvements to journeys from Wigan, through Hindley and Westhoughton, to Bolton.

This is the second of three phases for this vital city centre route. The proposed wider corridor measures start at the river Irwell and proceed along Bridge Street, John Dalton Street and Princess Street across the junctions with Deansgate and Cross Street.

Manchester City Council will share design proposals for consultation in September 2025.

We're also improving the existing bus network to improve and maintain bus stops, shelters, bus-related signs and road markings. 

We'll be delivering improvement works at a number of traffic signals, junctions and other “pinch point” locations that will give greater priority to buses, particularly where the bus is running late.

Your questions answered

The kind of improvements these projects might see delivered include:

Improved bus stops with better protection from bad weather, real time information displays, comfier seats and easier access to the stop and onto buses for everyone, including disabled users and people with prams or buggies. There will be better lighting and CCTV coverage so people feel safer waiting for the bus as well as improved links to places where you can catch the tram or train.
Changes on the road – to help buses get where they need to go faster, on time and with less delays there could be new bus lanes on roads so buses can avoid traffic jams and get to the front of queues. Buses would be given priority at traffic lights and junctions and the location of stops would be changed so buses don’t have to pull in and out of traffic each time they pick up passengers. There could also be more enforcement of parking regulations to keep roads clear as well as the closing of side roads where that is possible.
Active travel - to help anyone walking, wheeling or cycling there would be new or improved routes and road crossings created to help people get around on foot, by bike, in wheelchairs, with prams or using mobility aids and to better link up neighbourhoods, shops and access to bus stops, trams and trains.

We are working in partnership with a number of different Local Authorities across Greater Manchester to deliver improved journeys. There are schemes in development and work will begin with the Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton route.

The seven schemes are:

Rochdale-Oldham-Ashton: We have explored options to improve journeys for people catching the bus, walking wheeling or cycling between Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton town centres.
Salford Crescent to MediaCityUK: We are working with Salford Council to look at improving journeys between Salford Crescent railway station and MediaCityUK via Pendleton.
Ashton to Stockport: Improvements to journeys between Ashton under Lyne to Stockport via Dukinfield, Hyde and Bredbury.
Wigan to Leigh: Improvements journeys from Wigan, through Hindley and Hindley Green, to Leigh.
Wigan to Bolton: Improvements to journeys from Wigan, through Hindley and Westhoughton, to Bolton.
Bury to Rochdale: Improvements to journeys between Rochdale Town Centre and Bury, via Heywood.
Trafford Corridors: Improving connections between Carrington to Altrincham and Sale West to Sale.

We want more people to be able to use the bus to get around and to improve bus journeys for people already using them. And with 75% of all public transport journeys in Greater Manchester made by bus it’s a really important issue.

But there are a few different reasons people choose not to use the bus at the moment, they include issues:

like services not turning up on time
the speed of journeys
the quality of passenger information
safety concerns – particularly at night
and how comfortable and clean bus stops are for passengers.

The work we are looking to carry out with our partners (including Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside Councils) will help to address these important issues and make it easier and more convenient for people to use the bus and to feel safe and confident when they’re travelling.

As well as the passenger benefits these works will also improve the links for people who already walk, wheel or cycle. It will help to make their journeys safer and more convenient – as well as helping people to start taking trips on foot, by bike or wheeling.

It’s all part of a long-term plan to help create the Bee Network – a joined-up public transport network for Greater Manchester which will link up buses, trams and trains and offer easy connections for people on foot, riding bikes, in wheelchairs, walking with buggies or getting around with mobility aids.

Funding

Funding for the work has been provided through the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which saw Greater Manchester awarded £1.07bn to help deliver the Bee Network.

Funded by UK government logo