Northern leaders meet in St Helens to discuss transport improvements

On Thursday, November 4, Leader of the Council David Baines was joined at St Helens Town Hall by Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and further representatives from Wigan and Warrington.

Following an initial transport meeting in St Helens last November, private and public transport issues were discussed in order to improve connectivity across the regions.

The issues included investments along the M6 corridor, promoting greener travel to access to large-scale economic developments such as Omega and Parkside, and the £2 bus franchise schemes that are being rolled out across Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

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The Parkside development link road is scheduled to open in 2023 (Image: St Helens Council)

Cllr David Baines said: “One year on from our initial meeting and there has been a great deal of progress for all involved such as the £2 limit for any bus journey being rolled out across both the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, alongside the continuing development of infrastructure improvements across all three areas for the benefit of residents and businesses.  

“Our three boroughs see the benefits and challenges of cross-border transport developments, something that not all areas regionally experience.

"Working together we will continue to look at how to maximise the opportunities for joint working while taking into consideration the impact on our neighbours."

The £2 bus scheme has been rolling across across Merseyside (Image: Mersey Travel)

Working in collaboration with local leaders, there is a desire to improve public transport networks to make it quicker and easier to travel across the North West.

With a commitment to achieve carbon net zero by 2040, there has also been significant investment in bus networks and active transport in order to provide cheaper and greener modes of transport.

The new £15m CYCLOPS junction near Lea Green station is noted as an example of active transport routes that prioritise the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

Pedestrian and cycling routes are being installed around Lea Green station (Image: St Helens Council)

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added: "Tens of thousands of people in St Helens rely on public transport to get about every day. It's a vital lifeline.

"Yet for far too long, far too many people in our area have had to put up with a broken, fragmented transport system that simply doesn't work for them.

"As Mayor, I'm working hard to put that right by investing in improving infrastructure across the entire city region. Working with Councillor Baines and colleagues in St Helens, I want to build a London-style public transport system that makes getting about quicker, cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable for everyone."