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Thursday, 15 June 2006£1 million Park & Ride opens on Bury Metrolink line
People living near Whitefield Metrolink stop are being encouraged to park and ride to reach Bury and Manchester following a £1 million investment by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.
A new free car park has opened at the stop making it much easier for people living in the area to use the tram. Whitefield Park & Ride has 127 spaces, including eight for disabled people, as well as two bus stands and a bus turning area, eight motorbike stands, three cycle stands and five cycle lockers.
The new facility is designed to encourage more people to use public transport and replaces the old bus station in the town.
It takes just 5 minutes to reach Bury Interchange from Whitefield using Metrolink and under 20 minutes to get into Manchester city centre. Trams stop at Whitefield in both directions every 6 minutes during the daytime from Monday to Saturday, and every 12 minutes in the evenings, on Sundays and on Bank Holidays.
Whitefield Park & Ride was officially opened by the Bury spokesperson for the Authority, Councillor John Byrne. He said: "Metrolink has been extremely popular since it opened in 1992 taking thousands of car journeys off the road every day. However, some people are still driving to get to Bury and Manchester when it would be easier, quicker, and cheaper for them to use the tram.
"The new free car park at Whitefield will give an extra incentive to motorists to use Metrolink by saving them money on petrol and parking. It should reduce the number of cars parked on nearby residential streets as well. The bus stops, cycle lockers and cycle stands will also be much more convenient for bus passengers and cyclists wanting to use the tram.
"I hope Whitefield Park & Ride will encourage more people to leave their cars behind and use Metrolink instead." The 98 service, which runs between Bury and Manchester, will now stop at Stand A on the Park & Ride site and the hourly 484 service, which links Whitefield with Swinton, Eccles and Hope Hospital, will stop at Stand B. Passengers using Ring & Ride, which provides a door-to-door service for people who find it difficult to use ordinary public transport, will also be dropped off or picked up at the site.
More than 3,500 free parking spaces are available at train and tram stations and stops across Greater Manchester and millions of pounds have been invested in developing Park & Ride sites at Metrolink stops along the Bury line.
Similar facilities were opened at Crumpsall and Besses o'th' Barn last year and parking is also available at Bury, Radcliffe, Prestwich and Heaton Park Metrolink stops.
Information on all public transport services in Greater Manchester is available on the GMPTE website (www.gmpte.com) or by calling Traveline on 0870 608 2 608. Lines are open from 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 8pm at weekends and on Bank Holidays. Textphone users should ring 0870 241 2216.
Media contact: David Harris or Becky Marr on 0161 242 6245, or by email at communications@gmpte.gov.uk
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