“I guess I’m a cyclist now” is how Gareth describes his transformation from driving by default to cycling every day. On a recent drive into town, stuck in bumper-to-bumper queues and desperate for the toilet, he watched someone sail past the traffic in Chorlton’s newly built cycling lanes. That’s when he knew there had to be a better way.
Gareth credits the protected infrastructure with giving him the confidence to get on the bike, having barely ridden since he was a teenager. Once he’d got used to that, he was comfortable even riding in the main carriageway. He and his family still drive for longer journeys and heavy loads, but they’ve found that bikes are perfect for those everyday trips around Manchester.
The journey from home to the city centre is twice as fast by bike as it was in the car. Gareth enjoys the reliability of knowing the duration won’t change regardless of time of day or whether there’s an event on in town. But more than that, it’s given him a whole new outlook on life, and a new perspective on his home city. He wishes he’d made the switch 20 years ago when he first moved to Manchester!
We know that 49% of GM want to walk or wheel more, and 40% want to cycle more1. We need ALL boroughs to follow Chorlton/Manchester’s lead and help make active travel the natural choice for short journeys. Please get involved with our campaign so that lives can be improved across Greater Manchester as they have for Gareth and his family.