For decades Deansgate has been a living and breathing part of Manchester City Centre.
Culture, business and transport have combined down this stretch of road, embodying the energy which Manchester is famous for. Although, in recent years, its limitations have become more prominent, leading the Council to ask how things could change.
The Council knows Deansgate is historic, it is iconic and it is vibrant. But over the coming years the Council wants to transform Deansgate as not just somewhere you pass through on a bus, but a destination in its own right.
An application has been made to secure £14m of funding through the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement with the Council appointing a design team whose goal will be to plan out the transformation of Deansgate from a traffic dominated environment to one that puts those using sustainable transport modes first.
They will be thinking about how to create improved space to walk, wheel, and cycle, space for businesses to use, a safer night-time environment, improved air quality, and how to support regeneration.
This project will cover Deansgate from Victoria Bridge Street to Liverpool Street with the public being invited to comment on four separate sections along the route. This project will build on the interim work which has already taken place along Deansgate over the past three years, but will now build on community and business feedback to produce a permanent layout for the road.
From Monday 27th February, a consultation will go live asking the public key questions about how they interact with Deansgate. These questions will range from what words they associate with the road, to their preferred method of travel to what section of the road they feel needs improvement.
This consultation will run until Sunday 26th March. Visit manchester.gov.uk/consultations to take part.
As well as the online consultation there are plans for more public engagement as the scheme progresses.
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment and Transport said: “Deansgate is a hugely important Manchester landmark. It’s not only a hub for business and the night-time economy, but it is a vital link that connects our city’s neighbourhoods.
“Through previous consultations and engagement with the public we know that Deansgate can be improved. The steps we have taken so far to move the area away from being dominated by cars, to an environment where sustainable transport is favoured have been met with broad support. We think there are incredibly strong foundations to transform Deansgate into something even better.
“As well as improving a vital part of Manchester we also believe this shift to more sustainable travel will play an important role in our ambition to become a zero-carbon city by 2038.”
