Busy Busway: Is Manchester’s Guideway a Victim of Its Own Success?

First Manchester has announced that its Leigh/Tyldesley-Manchester Busway services are so full that they are to run additional services and purchase new buses next year.

 

Nearly a million passengers have used the service since its launch in April 2016 and many passengers have expressed their frustration with the capacity of the service.This level of patronage is roughly in line with Transport for Greater Manchester’s expectations. However, Urbanitymcr understands that peak-time services have left many users stranded at stops as some buses are so fully that they are unable to pick up passengers. Many passengers onboard have been unable to find seats and have had to stand.

First Manchester announced last week that they were aware of the capacity issues and were looking into adding new vehicles onto the route. The route’s operator has announced the commencement of two extra Vantage services running at peak travel times to relieve pressure on existing services.

 

Next year, an additional five buses will be added to the route which connects Manchester to Leigh and Tyldesley via Salford.

Since its announcement, the Leigh-Salford-Manchester Guided Busway has faced vocal criticism from campaign groups and residents of the A580 corridor. Much of the criticism that Urbanitymcr has witness online has originated from motorists who were sceptical that the scheme would attract its projected level of users.

It is yet to be understood whether the high level of patronage includes a number of motorists who have switched to using First’s services. It is perhaps more likely that a large number of bus users have simply diverted from services 12, 25, 26, 39 and First X34 which were all axed around the time of the Busway’s operations in April.

Leader of Wigan Council, Lord Peter Smith stated “The continued success of the guided busway service is very pleasing to see and I welcome the announcement that the number of buses at peak times is going to be increased”.

“Despite doubt and criticism from some quarters in the past, we maintained our full commitment and support and we are now delighted to see it is thriving and growing in popularity. It is crucial that demand from passengers is now satisfied by First Manchester and its commitment to add extra buses to the route is very welcome”.

 

Zaha Hadid: The Starchitect’s Manchester

Today the world of Architecture is reeling from Zaha Hadid’s death. Her impression on the built environment of countless cities across the world will remain for decades to come. Zaha’s practice narrowly lost out in the competition to built the new Factory Arts Centre in Manchester, but there was one structure she did design here.

The architect developed a temporary structure for the high-arts Manchester International Festival in 2009 which sat within the Manchester Art Gallery. See the below image and links for more:

JS Bach Chamber Music Hall by
Zaha Hadid Architects

http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/js-bach-chamber-music-hall/

http://www.theguardian.com/music/video/2009/jul/14/zaha-hadid-bach-pavilion-manchester

 

 

 

Coming of Age: Manchester’s “Millenium Community”: 16 years on

The fringe of Manchester City Centre is changing rapidly – nowhere more rapidly than New Islington.

Millenium Communities were an initiative to create new villages which set the standard for 21st century living. A project of John Prescott, they were designed to promote innovative building technologies, high urban design standards and sustainable principles.

New Islington and its developers including Urban Splash,  has received applause for it’s approach here. Will Alsop’s Chips building, Islington Wharf and the marina at Cotton Field Park were early projects. These were striking. However, the recession and poor market conditions stalled some of the other projects including Urban Splash’s shelved self-build project ‘Tutti Fruity’.

Appreciating the area, has (until recently) involved looking towards these landmarks, but closing your eyes to the huge gaping wasteland at the heart of the village. Guardian Cities writer Owen Hatherley commented on the universal applause for this area, which was distinctly disjointed until recently.

The “battle over the Ancoats Dispensary in 2014 focussed the attention on the future direction of the site, at a time when money was sparse. This historic site, was close to demolition, Around this time, the beautifully designed bridge on Redhill Street was closed for around a year for repairs. Things looked to have paused. The original vision for New Islington was bold, but masterplanning is a long-term game.

Things then appeared to start looking up for the area. The Dispensary was saved. The opening of the East Manchester Metrolink line in 2013 helped to provide enhanced connectivity towards the City Centre and Ashton. A new link bridge between the station on Pollard Street and Bradford Road opened in 2014. The free school project, has opened, albeit on a temporary site. In 2015, construction at the new location for the school, finally started on the ground.

The development of ‘Islington Wharf Mews’, ‘The Point’ and the second phase of Milliners Wharf (known as ‘Hat Box’) have added more housing density to the edges of the area. The renovation of former local authority tower blocks further north have enhanced views through the area, whilst Lovell Homes ‘Bramah Place’ and ‘Platting Village’ developments are adding much needed quality family housing.

The area seems to finally be maturing, with the ‘core’ area to the north of Cotton Fields Park seeing increasing development – “filling in the gaps”.In 2016 the the first of Urban Splash’s ‘HoUSe’ project.

House is a prefabricated housing development offers self-design as opposed to self-build. The townhouses are built off-site to the prospective owner’s specification, then dropped into place. Manchester’s Life’s project next door (the site with the rather large cranes on) will add some bulk to the proposals and fill in some of the gaps.

 

Walking around the area today, with new cafes and restaurants opening in neighbouring Ancoats, it appears that the area is getting there. After a cesarian birth, a growth spurt, a few shaky teenage years, it seems that the “Millenium Community” is finally about to mature.